Time travel has always fascinated fans of science fiction. While science says traveling to the future is possible if you can move close to the speed of light, going back in time is impossible. But what if scientists could use the strange rules of quantum physics to learn about past events? New research shows this idea might not be so far-fetched.
A recent study in Physical Review Letters by Kater Murch, a physics professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and his colleagues Nicole Yunger Halpern and David Arvidsson-Shukur, describes a new type of sensor that uses quantum entanglement to “travel” back in time.
Murch explains that this idea is like sending a telescope back in time to see a shooting star you missed. In our regular world, this is impossible. But in the weird world of quantum physics, it might be possible. This is due to a special feature of quantum sensors called “retrospection”.
Here’s how it works: Scientists start by connecting two tiny particles called qubits so their properties are linked, no matter how far apart they are. Imagine you have two spinning tops (qubits) that are spinning in opposite directions. One top, called the “probe”, is exposed to a magnetic field, making it spin differently.
Now comes the magic part. When scientists measure the second top (the one not exposed to the magnetic field), its state somehow sends information “back in time” to the first top. This helps scientists figure out what happened to the first top when it was spinning in the magnetic field.
Usually, in experiments like this, there is a one-in-three chance that the measurement will not work because the magnetic field might not affect the qubit in a way that is easy to measure. Scientists often have to guess which way to prepare the spin, and they might get it wrong a third of the time. But with retrospection, they can look back and set the best direction for the spin using information from the future.
Einstein called quantum entanglement “spooky action at a distance” because it’s so strange. The oddest part is that we can think of these entangled particles as the same particle moving through time. This helps scientists create better sensors that can, in a sense, travel back in time.
These time-traveling sensors could be used for many things, like studying astronomical events or understanding magnetic fields better. As scientists explore this concept further, more uses will likely be discovered.
SOURCES
Washington University in St.Louis
Xingrui Song, Flavio Salvati, et al., Agnostic Phase Estimation. Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 260801. doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.260801
- Share on:
Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
A Shipwreck from the 6th Century BC, Stone and Iron Anchors, Found Off the Southern Coast of Sicily
A highly significant archaeological discovery has come to light in the waters of Santa Maria del Focallo, in the municipality of Ispica, Ragusa province, Sicily. During an underwater excavation campaign,…
A heroon with intact tombs filled with luxurious jewels and lions sculpted in Pentelic marble, found in the ancient Greek city of Ripes in Achaea
At the beginning of October, the systematic archaeological excavation season concluded on the Trapezá plateau, located eight kilometers southwest of Aigio, Greece. This site is identified with the ancient city…
Statue Possibly Representing Cleopatra VII and Numerous Coins Featuring Her Effigy Found at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, West of Alexandria
The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Dr. Kathleen Martínez in collaboration with the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), has made new discoveries at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, located…
Roman Soldier Flaccus’ Tomb Discovered in the Netherlands, Dating to the Late 1st Century BCE
In late November 2024, during archaeological investigations conducted in Heerlen (Netherlands), an exceptional discovery was made: the tomb of a Roman soldier named Flaccus. This find, dating to the late…
The Mystery of the Mardaites: The Christian Highlanders Who Maintained Their Autonomy Between Byzantium and the Caliphate
In the province of Hatay, in southern Turkey, there is a mountain range locally known as Nur Dağları. Arabs call it Jabal al-Lukkam, and in Spanish, its Greek name, Amanus,…
The Jaxartes River, the Battle Where Alexander Defeated the Scythians Using Catapults, Wounded and with Nearly His Entire Army Sick with Dysentery
As its name indicates, the Spanish Cape of Finisterre (finis terrae) was considered in Antiquity as the westernmost limit of the known world. But where was the eastern border located…
Nature of the Enigmatic “Armas de la tierra” of the Coronado Expedition in the 16th Century Revealed
Recent research has unveiled the nature of the weaponry used by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s expedition (which crossed the present-day U.S. states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas),…
A Megalography Depicting a Rare Mythological Scene of Achilles and Bronze Statuettes Found in a Roman “Domus” in Reims
The urban organization of Durocortorum, the Gallo-Roman city now known as Reims in France, faithfully adhered to the principles of Roman urbanism. The city was divided into blocks bounded by…
Neolithic Rondel Found in Poland Reveals These Ceremonial Centers May Have Been Managed by Organizations Similar to Secret Societies 7,000 Years Ago
An archaeological discovery in the locality of Nowe Objezierze, in the northwest of Poland, has led to a significant breakthrough in understanding the Neolithic societies of Central Europe. An interdisciplinary…
New Geoarchaeological Evidence Challenges the Identification of Kalkriese Hill as the place of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Kalkriese Hill, located in northwestern Germany, has been identified for decades as a potential site of the historic Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE, a decisive confrontation between…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
