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00:00 Imagine a reality beyond our own. A realm where the laws of physics bend,
00:05 and the possibilities are even vaster than the cosmos itself.
00:08 Now imagine that you could not only go there, but that you could move through it with ease.
00:14 This is Unveiled, and today we're answering the extraordinary question;
00:17 is interdimensional travel possible?
00:19 Do you need the big questions answered? Are you constantly curious? Then why not subscribe to
00:25 Unveiled for more clips like this one? And ring the bell for more thought-provoking content!
00:30 Interdimensional travel is one of those unusual concepts that has seriously changed shape and
00:36 focus in recent times. Not so long ago, even mentioning it would have led others to thinking
00:42 that you were either a science fiction writer wholly wrapped up in your latest idea, or a
00:46 paranoid conspiracy theorist hell-bent on believing that nothing is real. Now, however, times have
00:52 changed, and interdimensional travel clearly isn't the kooky, out-there, really kinda questionable
00:58 prospect that it once was. Instead, it's a genuine source for scientific consideration.
01:04 Today we're setting out to unravel the enigma of interdimensional travel, what exactly it is,
01:09 and just how feasible it might be. We'll also be taking a closer look at proposed technologies
01:14 that might one day allow us to achieve it, and we're going to explore what our lives would be
01:19 like if it ever were possible. The enduring mystique of interdimensional travel is all to
01:24 do with what it fundamentally would offer to us; a way to break out of not only this world,
01:29 but this plane of existence. At its simplest, it refers to the hypothetical ability to move
01:34 between different dimensions, or realities, beyond our own. To slip into a total unknown.
01:40 And although we do usually understand "different dimensions" as being some kind of extension to
01:44 the three-spatial-plus-time that we already know and experience, in this context a dimension could
01:50 really be any independent realm with its own set of physical laws and properties. It's an idea that
01:56 certainly draws inspiration from some major theories in physics, such as string theory and
02:01 the various multiverse hypotheses, where it's proposed that our universe is just one of many.
02:07 But interdimensional travel is also hugely flexible. From some points of view, there aren't
02:12 actually a great many rules to abide by. Nevertheless, to travel to another dimension
02:17 would always imply somehow traversing the boundaries that separate these distinct realms.
02:22 And, in short, that would require an understanding and mastery of forces and energies that are beyond
02:28 our current comprehension. Even if we did stick to the most straightforward proposals for extra
02:33 spatial dimensions, knowing or even guessing at how we'd break into a 5D or 6D realm is something
02:39 that's currently beyond us. So, the fact is that, as of now, to interdimensionally travel
02:44 is to remain firmly within the territory of science fiction. At a point in time when we
02:50 still don't even understand the majority of the fabric of just our own standard universe,
02:54 with dark matter and energy being used to explain away our many, massive blind spots,
02:59 we just don't have the technological prowess needed to manipulate and navigate between dimensions.
03:05 But that's not to say that we never will. When debating the possibilities that might unfold,
03:10 there's really only one place to start. Wormholes. On one level, these are hypothetical
03:15 tunnels through spacetime that could connect distant points in the universe, allowing us to
03:20 instantly move to where would otherwise be lightyears away from us. And that's already
03:24 pretty far out and impressive. But on another, higher level, wormholes could offer even more.
03:30 They could potentially link us to different dimensions. Wormholes are essentially cosmic
03:36 shortcuts, allowing for faster-than-light travel and therefore dramatically reducing the time
03:41 needed for all physically imaginable journeys. There is one major hitch, though. While they're
03:46 theorised and do work as per our current scientific understanding, we haven't yet created or discovered
03:52 a wormhole in real life. So, that would need to happen first. And even then, there's certainly
03:57 no guarantee that wormhole travel would work quite as seamlessly as it always does in the movies.
04:02 To stabilise a wormhole and keep it open, we'd require exotic matter with negative energy density.
04:08 Known as "exotic" because it violates the energy conditions of classical physics,
04:13 it's also purely speculative at this point. And so, while again, the math behind wormholes is
04:19 theoretically sound, the practical challenges and the unknown properties of the matter needed
04:23 to make them work are why this still isn't an approach that we can in any way rely on.
04:28 Theoretical physicists continue to explore what's possible, but right now wormholes really are
04:34 story rather than fact. Nevertheless, all perhaps isn't lost. Inspired by the warp drives of
04:40 science fiction, the Alcubierre drive is another theoretical model that seemingly would allow us
04:45 to break into new dimensions - if they do exist. Only this time, it's a concept with just a little
04:50 more meat to the bone. An Alcubierre drive proposes the manipulation of spacetime to again reach
04:56 faster-than-light travel. Specifically, it involves contracting spacetime in front of a
05:02 spacecraft and expanding it behind, creating a warp bubble that then carries the vessel along,
05:08 locally free of physical constraints. Inside that warp bubble, you could basically do anything.
05:14 It's as though you'd be closed off from this reality, and no longer held back by the standard
05:18 laws of nature. Here, there have been genuine designs created as well, and even rumours of
05:23 a working prototype - although nothing has yet to be officially announced or demonstrated.
05:28 The main problem is that, once more, it's thought that it would demand enormous amounts of exotic
05:33 matter with negative energy density to warp spacetime via the Alcubierre method. All of
05:38 which means that it's also not currently conceivable - even if the idea is less vague than simply
05:44 wormholes. Finally, though, and if modern science has taught us anything, it's that the answers
05:50 might be found if you target the world of the very small. In this way, researchers have more
05:54 recently looked to quantum entanglement to bridge the gap. This is a phenomenon where
05:59 subatomic particles become interconnected, regardless of the distance between them.
06:04 In just this universe and dimension, they might exist millions of light-years away from each other,
06:09 but would still be inescapably bound. And it's this degree of unbreakable bond that has gotten
06:14 some thinking. Could entangled particles be used to create connections not just across super-long
06:20 distances, but between different dimensions? Here, it appears as though we wouldn't need the great
06:25 unknown of exotic matter to make it work. Although, to understand and control entanglement
06:30 on a large scale, we would need some major and yet unforeseen advancements in quantum technology.
06:36 In another recent video, we took a closer look at how quantum computing works, and it could be that
06:41 the machines and qubits of the future will eventually provide us with the power required…
06:46 although quite how is still seriously vague and entirely speculative. That said, quantum
06:52 entanglement is at least a real and observed phenomenon. We do have a physical base to work
06:57 from. If ever and however we do eventually achieve interdimensional travel, though, what would happen
07:03 next? That moment when humankind first makes any kind of link with another dimension would be a
07:08 monumental before and after point in history. For one, it would surely herald a new era of maybe
07:14 even unlimited exploration. It's a reasonable bet that progress would come slowly, and that we
07:19 wouldn't all be simply opening up portals and leaving this reality behind. Instead, it would
07:24 unfold in stages. But we may have even already seen the earliest stages, with multiple attempts
07:30 to genuinely teleport material at the quantum level - including, most notably, by the China
07:36 National Space Administration. So far, all of that has been happening just in our current dimension…
07:42 but if there are other, higher dimensions in which we could go, then some believe that our
07:47 latest experimentation should alert us to them. Clearly, interdimensional travel in real life
07:52 would demand massive developments in various fields, from energy production to materials
07:57 science. Harnessing that ever-elusive exotic matter, manipulating space-time, and controlling
08:02 quantum phenomenon would all push, even break, the boundaries of our current knowledge. But all of
08:08 that would be in search of answers to the most fundamental questions about the nature of existence…
08:13 like how and why are we here, and is there anywhere else that we could go? Unfortunately,
08:19 right now, the answer to today's question is quite simple. No, interdimensional travel,
08:25 beyond the dimensions we already exist in, isn't possible. But at the same time,
08:29 and for increasing numbers of theoretical scientists, that's a no that's just waiting
08:34 to be proven wrong. They imagine future wormholes, piloting tomorrow's ships fitted with Alcubierre
08:41 drives, and mastering the quantum realm so completely that we'll one day be able to
08:46 track and send individual particles en masse to another level entirely.
08:51 What do you think? Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments,
08:56 check out these other clips from Unveiled, and make sure you subscribe and ring the bell
09:00 for our latest content.