We have completed maintenance on DiscoverMagazine.com and action may be required on your account. Learn More

If Wormholes Exist, Could We Really Travel Through Them?

Wormholes could offer a path to the most distant places in the universe.

By Bill Andrews
Jul 30, 2019 3:30 PMDec 23, 2019 3:16 AM
Astronaut Wormhole Art - Shutterstock
(Credit: dimonika/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Wormholes make the best shortcuts in the universe. That’s true in a literal sense, since the theoretical things can connect distant corners of the cosmos (or even different universes), allowing a traveler to go someplace without having to visit everywhere in between.

But wormholes also present the perfect way for writers to get around that pesky speed of light, the universe’s speed limit and impediment to fast travel through the cosmos. If characters in science fiction aren’t taking months or years to travel between worlds, a wormhole is likely the reason.

Too bad, then, that as far as we know, the things don’t exist.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.