Closer Together
Transcript: Podcast of European Journal of Popular Science
Topic: Teleportation Explained
Aired on: June 10 2042
Wolfram: Last week the scientific community and, frankly, the world was shocked as Icelandic scientist Dr. David Helguson unveiled and ran his teleportation device. Although his project had until then failed to gain the recognition it deserved, it survived on comparatively miniscule investments and the tireless effort of the project leader, Dr. Helguson.
Live demonstrations and several reproductions of Thursday's experiment have squelched any cries of hoax and have opened up a floodgate of questions. Here to answer them, we are very pleased to introduce acclaimed physicist Dr. William Price.
Dr. Price: Hello.
Wolfram: Thank you for taking time to be on the show, Dr. Price.
Dr. Price: My pleasure.
Wolfram: So, Doctor, are you at all familiar with Dr. Helguson’s device?
Dr. Price: Over the years, I’ve had a chance to glance at Dr. Helguson’s work. His formulas have always been impressive, but some of the theories on which it is all based aren’t as sound. There is no doubt that the machine works, but how it works is much more open to interpretations.
Wolfram: So you aren’t sure how the machine works?
Dr. Price: Yes and no. The basic principle is fairly straightforward, but when we get into more complicated matters, then not everyone agrees. Maybe it would be better to say we are currently not clear on why it works even though we know how. Dr. Helguson has his own theories, as do I, and until we get more data none of us can be sure of anything.
Wolfram: Well, would you mind, then, for the readers, to explain generally how the machine works?
Dr. Price: By all means. Technically, the device is not a teleporter in the conventional sense. There already exists a teleportation machine that works much like those seen on the old Star Trek series. Using quantum computing and entanglement, information is sent from one location to another almost instantaneously. So we can scan an item on one end and piece it back together on the other.
These machines are only beginning to be able to handle complex organic matter, so in one sense they are years behind Dr. Helguson’s [machine].
Wolfram: And how exactly does Helguson’s device differ from these teleporters?
Dr. Price: Well, like I said, his is technically not a teleporter in that it transports matter between locations in space instantaneously or near-instantaneously. That isn’t to say the device takes a lot of time, merely that space is not the only thing one would travel through in this device. Instead, this, let’s say, transporter works by moving the subject between dimensions. That alone is an amazing feat. What makes it useful to the common man is that Helguson made a way back from these dimensions.
Wolfram: And this allows him to transport the item back somewhere else in the world?
Dr. Price: This transporter isn’t limited to our world. It could move the item back anywhere in the universe. Think of it this way: right now we are in a defined location. It has a value in space; it isn’t as simple as latitude and longitude but we can use these to illustrate the workings of the machine.
If we were to be moved outside this reality, we would no longer hold any value on that scale. We aren’t at zero latitude even, we simply don’t exist on that plane. So when we traveling back, there is nothing preventing us from choosing what value in space we should hold. The theoretical differences crop up here.
Some, like me, believe Helguson has tunneled into what we are calling a void dimension, which is basically what it sounds like, a dimension with nothing in common with our reality except perhaps time and dark matter and dark energy.
Dark energy and matter are important here because many theories that have been tested by time have predicted that these two elements are built up on the edge of our universe, sort of bleeding through into this dimension. Helguson says though that he has not detected dark matter or dark energy in quantities to support this, which flies directly in the face of very sound theories.
Wolfram: And this is the cause of the break between Helguson and yourself and others.
Dr. Price: I wouldn’t characterize it as a break. Scientists are always working together and off each other. Helguson obviously took advantage of some of our studies in order to build the theory that created his machine. And all of us are of course happy that he has had so much success. Frankly, though, we are looking forward to more public revealings of his data.
His opinions on the nature of dark matter and energy were set even before this success. I’m not accusing him of forging data or omitting it, of course, but as you said at the start he has had funding issues, and the machinery he is working with is certainly not top quality. It is all a bit like a boy at a science fair creating nuclear fission: impressive but dangerous.
Wolfram: Interesting. Let’s go back a bit. Something you said earlier struck me as worth a repeat. Are you saying that this transporter, as you call it, could be used for space travel as well?
Dr. Price: That is exactly what I am saying. And certainly that is a very important aspect to this machine. The moon’s mining colony has proven that man can exist outside of the earth. And though it is a comparatively small amount, the helium-3 we have extracted has somewhat lessened the energy crisis that has been plaguing us for the past century. This device opens up the way for real surveys into the universe all about us.
Wolfram: I see. One final question: do you see this technology becoming a household item anytime soon?
Dr. Price: I wouldn’t say household. It does take significant energy to shift matter between dimensions. We all saw on Friday how easily Helguson’s machine failed after a minor variance in the power supply. Even so I could imagine, once it has been refined, terminals much like we have with airplanes popping up in as little as three years.
Wolfram: Well, there you have it. Dr. Price, thank you for being with us.
Dr. Price: A pleasure.
* * *
Rejects IRC
== GeekRocket35 [GeekRoc@fic-A1218A.client.msi.com] has joined #Rejects
<GeekRocket35> hey guys
<GeekRocket35> anyone here?
<AnubisLD> Yeah
<AnubisLD> sorry afk
<AnubisLD> Little early for you to be on isn’t it?
<GeekRocket35> np
<GeekRocket35> was a half day today
<GeekRocket35> you see the new helguson machine vid? Here
<AnubisLD> Was just watching the video again. Still can’t believe its real.
== Snnuu [Snnuu@go.die] has joined #Rejects
<GeekRocket35> it is all pretty awesome though
<Snnuu> sup @#$@#$
<GeekRocket35> hey snnuu
<AnubisLD> Sup Snnuu
== Anonymous026[13424523@rejects.com] has joined #Rejects
<GeekRocket35> I’d love to have a teleporter myself
<Snnuu> u can
<Snnuu> someone leaked the schematics for the machine
<AnnubisLD> What?
<Snnuu> yeah do a search for them its everywhere.
<GeekRocket35> dude I’m downloading that!
<Snnuu> There is a torrent here
<AnnubisLD> Sort of sucks for that Helguson guy, all that work and it is free for anyone now.
== Anonymous026[13424523@rejects.com] has left #Rejects
<Snnuu> He wouldn’t have made money off it.
<Snnuu> some big shot millionare would buy off the rights for less than Helguson invested.
<Snnuu> The dude will make money with lectures and tenure and *@#$.
<GeekRocket35> it finished already opening it now
<AnnubisLD> Snnuu you got a @@#$@# up view of the world.
<AnnubisLD> What is it> Just like a PDF file right?
<Snnuu> I’m a realist
<Snnuu> Yeah, pdf
<GeekRocket35> LOL
<GeekRocket35> i don’t understand any of this @#%$
<Snnuu> someone is already putting together something for 3d printers
<AnnubisLD> Great. Print your own teleporter.
<GeekRocket35> this is so awesome!!!!
<AnnubisLD> I thought I heard this thing would use too much power to be usable on a household level.
<Snnuu> Yeah you can make it probably couldn’t use it without a special generator or something.
<GeekRocket35> Bet you someone will make a vid on how to set up a generator for this.
* * *
Message Fragment Recovered from Icelandic terrorist’s cell phone
354- -1234>They are ready Sent 30-7-42
354- -1234>Send them Received 30-7-42
* * *
The Leeds Crier
Editor’s Blog
William Herrmann | 13:05 UK time, Saturday, 2 August 2042
Dr. Helguson committed suicide this past Friday, another death in an ever-mounting number. In the Middle East, reports from Pristina, Kabul and Nukus bring the number of dead and missing up to about two-and-a-half million. In Iceland three of the suspected terrorists have been caught but were killed by mobs before police could secure them in their cells.
As the death toll rises in foreign cities most of us had never heard of before the attack, we must consider the repercussions of this event. Iceland has not had a standing army for well over 100 years. It now has a large force; and behind them, the most powerful weapon the world has ever seen.
India, Iran, China, America and Brazil all have secured working teleporters and threaten to use them if provoked. In all likelihood they will not remain the sole possessors of the teleporter; North and South Korea are both reported to be working on a duplicate of Dr. Helguson’s machine.
As most will remember, the schematics of the machine were leaked to the internet in July. They are still floating about the web. Even as I write this, we have news of two more college students, this time from Bristol, arrested for downloading the teleporter schematics.
With all the internet restrictions that have now been put in place, it is impossible to tell how many will be able to actually read this. Both China and America have shut down all web services; even the mighty Google has been forced to close its doors, but all this has done is encouraged would-be hackers.
So called “Blacklist Websites” have been cropping up. They claim to be the “new” media: free of government, giving out free information to all. Their servers are said to be in out-of-the-way countries. Even with the media blackout and threats from almost every major government, these websites stayed up and have been gaining popularity through word of mouth. A lot of them link to illegal IRC channels. These channels range from political and religious radicals to anime fans and comic geeks. Police had a shoot-out on Friday with the Real IRA in Limerick after tracing posts from one such channel. Arrests for participating in chats have put the prisons far above capacity.
In the past, all this terror might be mitigated by the comfort of some sort of protection. But you can’t shoot down a bomb that warps in from another dimension or evacuate a city in the milliseconds before the bomb goes off.
When he first unveiled his machine Dr. Helguson gave a small speech which few of us heard. He said it was his hope the device would bring the whole world closer together. We are now all, every last damn one of us, seconds apart, and none of us can stand it.
~