1 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 2: Guess what gave? What's that mango? Did you know that? 4 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: The word teleport was actually in use as far back 5 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: as the late nineteenth century, But it was not a 6 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: verb back then, it was a noun. A teleport was 7 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: a hypothetical device that could carry a person's atoms from 8 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: one place to another in the blink of an eye. 9 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: So this was in an old sci fi novel or something. 10 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: Surprisingly not so, the word popped up in an Australian 11 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: newspaper blurb published in eighteen seventy eight, just a couple 12 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: decades after the invention of the telephone. So at the 13 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: time the wonder of wire transmissions was still fresh in 14 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: people's minds, and to capitalize on that, someone wrote this 15 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: tongue in cheek article heralding the next technological breakthrough. The 16 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 1: anonymous writer claimed to have read in a Bombay newspaper 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: that scientists in India had successfully transported both a dog 18 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: and a human boy Adam for Adam, through a wire 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: and then reassembled them on the other end. 20 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: Wow. Well, I feel like the question everyone's asking is 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 2: did they go through together or separately. 22 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: I love where your head's at, and the answer is 23 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: both kind of. According to the article quote, a dog 24 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: was placed on the metal disc and a powerful current 25 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: was applied to it. After a while, the animal disappeared 26 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: and was found at the other end of the wire, 27 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: contentedly gnawing a bone, just as it was doing before 28 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: it was transported. Afterwards, a boy was experimented upon, and 29 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: the same effect was observed as with the dog. It 30 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: was then attempted to send the boy and the dog 31 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: along the wire at once, but by an unfortunate accident, 32 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: the infinitesimal atoms of the boy and those of the 33 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: dog got mixed in transit, and the result was that 34 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: they both looked like dreadfully unnatural creatures. 35 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: No, are you sure that's from a newspaper, because that 36 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: is also beat for beat what happens in those fly movies, 37 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: except you know, with Jeff Goldbloom and house Fly and 38 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 2: like a million times more. Plus it's disgusting. 39 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: So gross, and probably the grossest take on teleportation in 40 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: any of science fiction. But yeah, yeah, this ridiculous story 41 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: got picked up by newspapers across Australia, New Zealand, the 42 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: US as well. And the really funny part is that, 43 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: even after describing the freak accident with the boy and 44 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: the dog, the writer went on to boast that the 45 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: teleport would be able to send people from India to 46 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: England in a matter of minutes, with just a slight 47 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:54,239 Speaker 1: chance of passengers turning into horrible genetic mutants. 48 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: Sad to say, but I bet there's at least a 49 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,399 Speaker 2: few commuters out there who'd be willing to chance it anyway. 50 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 2: But you know, I've got to say, Mango, I'm starting 51 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: to think this teleport experiment may not have actually happened. Yeah, 52 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: I think you're right now. Some of the papers that. 53 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 1: Ran the story indicated that the claims were likely made up, 54 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: And since there are no dog boy hybrids running around Mumbai, 55 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: at least none that I've seen, it is safe to 56 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: say that the teleport was just a big hoax. Now, 57 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,959 Speaker 1: the real question is whether it could ever be more 58 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: than that. In other words, is teleportation actually possible? And 59 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: if so, how close are we to being able to 60 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: do it? And that's what we're going to spend this 61 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: episode trying to figure out. 62 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: So let's dive in. 63 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: Hey there, podcast listeners, Welcome to part time genius. I'm 64 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: Mongish particular, and today I am joined by my friend 65 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: and fellow sci fi fan Gabe lucy A. 66 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 2: Now Will's Adams got a little mixed up in the teleporter, 67 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 2: so most of them couldn't be here get that stor today. 68 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: But over there in the booth is our friend and 69 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 1: producer Dylan Fagan, who's wearing one of his signature on 70 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: them T shirts. This one says my other car is 71 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: a teleportation chamber, which I think actually raises more questions 72 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: than it does answers. 73 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, you mean, like, why would anyone put that on 74 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 2: a T shirt instead of a bumper sticker? Exactly? We 75 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: don't even know what his first car. 76 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: Is, But the bigger question is who. 77 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 2: Needs a car if you can teleport? 78 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 1: Right? Personally, I don't think I'd ever get behind the 79 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: wheel again. I mean, for me, I'm recording this from 80 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: Munich today. I took a flight to Amsterdam, and then 81 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: a flight to Munich and then a bus ride to 82 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: this lovely town where this conference is being held. But honestly, 83 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: I'm so sleep deprived and I would have loved to 84 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: have just teleported here. 85 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 2: Yeah right, I feel like you are the prime candidate 86 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 2: for this the target target customer. Yeah, I would definitely 87 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: use a teleportation for travel obviously if it were an option, 88 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 2: but you know, working from home, I don't take that 89 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 2: many big trips. I'm not a jet setter like you, 90 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 2: so for me it would it would probably just be, 91 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 2: you know, teleporting directly into my reserved seat of the movies, 92 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: like just before the credits start, you know. But I 93 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: like that. It's it feels like a real time saver, 94 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 2: right right, very practical. Anyway, the idea for today's episode 95 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 2: came from a listener named Asher, who listens to the 96 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 2: show with his dad and his sister Lily, who is 97 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: also a big fan, and he had one very simple 98 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 2: question for us, Mango, how close are we to being 99 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 2: able to teleport? And we didn't know the answer, so 100 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 2: we decided to figure it out. That is so awesome. 101 00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:00,119 Speaker 1: I love that Asher and his family listen, and I'm 102 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: so happy to be dug into this question. 103 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 2: Me too. But before we get into the science of teleportation, 104 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 2: I want to talk a little more about the history 105 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 2: of the concept and you know, the impact that it's 106 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: had on our imaginations. Now, the idea of a person 107 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 2: or object traveling instantaneously from one point to another has 108 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and 109 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 2: while it's impossible to know what gave rise to it, 110 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 2: back in the day, teleportation wasn't thought about in terms 111 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 2: of science and technology. It was something that could only 112 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,359 Speaker 2: conceivably happen through the use of magic, and in fact, 113 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 2: one of the oldest and most famous magic tricks in 114 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 2: the world the Cups and Balls illusion. It's built entirely 115 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 2: on the concept of teleportation. Known examples data as far 116 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 2: back as ancient Greece and Rome in the year three BCE, 117 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,279 Speaker 2: and some historians think it goes back even further to 118 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 2: ancient Egypt. So I'm sure you've seen this trick, but 119 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 2: it's the one where the magician places a ball or 120 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: in the ancient Greek's case, pebble, under one of three cups. 121 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 2: Then they rearrange the cups and invite a volunteer to 122 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 2: choose which one the ball is under, and the volunteer 123 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 2: points to what should be the correct cup, only to 124 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 2: find out that the ball has mysteriously jumped and is 125 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 2: now under a completely different cup. So voila the magic 126 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 2: of teleportation. 127 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: You know, I love the cup and Ball trick. I 128 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: feel like it's just delightful sleight of hand. I had 129 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: no idea it was that old. That's crazy, And obviously 130 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: it is really fun to watch, unless someone's asking you 131 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: to bet money on it, and then it's just such 132 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: a ripoff, right. It feels like you can never get 133 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: it right in those cases. 134 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: Uh huh. That's spoken with a suspicious level of familiarity, 135 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 2: But you are right, yeah, absolutely. Popular variations of the 136 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: trick include several infamous street cons, including shell games and 137 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 2: three Card Monty, but those depend less on the illusion 138 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 2: of teleportation. They do like on the player's own delusion. 139 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 2: You know that the whole thing isn't rigged, which it 140 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 2: definitely is. 141 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: Well, it may be easy to debunk the Cup and 142 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: Ball's trick and all his crooked cousins, but there are 143 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: some centuries old folk tales and rumors of teleportation that 144 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: are hard to explain. For example, have you ever heard 145 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: the legend of the transported Soldier? 146 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 2: No, but I very much want to. Yeah. 147 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: So there's this long running story about a Spanish soldier, 148 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: and this is in the sixteenth century, who fell asleep 149 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 1: at the Philippines and supposedly woke up in Mexico just 150 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: a few seconds later. Now, it would have taken him 151 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: about two months to make the nine thousand mile journey 152 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: by boat, but according to him, he somehow made the 153 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: trip in a blink of an eye. 154 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 2: Okay, so I actually think I can explain this one 155 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 2: pretty easily. You ready for this, he was lying, Oh, that's. 156 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 3: Just a hunch. 157 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: A very different typ of science than I was expecting 158 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: from that one. But I mean, normally I would agree, 159 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: But in this case, the soldier and his name was 160 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: Gil Perez, he actually wasn't the only witness. So, as 161 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: the story goes, the teleportation happened on the evening of 162 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: October twenty fourth, fifteen ninety three. Perez was stationed in Manila, 163 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: and this was during the early years a Spanish rule 164 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,599 Speaker 1: in the Philippines, and he was stressed out and exhausted 165 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: because the Spanish governor had just been assassinated and at 166 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: the time there was no clear order of succession. So 167 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: that night he dozed off at his post for a 168 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: few minutes, and when he opened his eyes he found 169 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: himself somewhere completely different. The Palace was nowhere in sight, 170 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: and when he asked a bystander where he was. He 171 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: was told he was in Mexico City. Perez was understandably baffled, 172 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: but he wasn't the only one. When some passeng guards 173 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: spotted this frantic guy wearing a Manila uniform, they brought 174 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: him in for questioning, and while Perez explained the situation 175 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: as best he could, the local authorities were not buying it. 176 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 1: They assumed he was a Spanish soldier who had abandoned 177 00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: his post, so they threw him in jail. 178 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 2: For geez, that is gotta be one of the worst 179 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 2: possible ways to wake up from a cat nap, like 180 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 2: just get tossed in prison. But I thought you said 181 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 2: there were other people who vouched for his story. Doesn't 182 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 2: sound like anyone in Mexico believed. 183 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 1: Him so, not at first, but Perez continued to plead 184 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: his innocence from his jail cell. He told the guards 185 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: about recent events in the Philippines, including how the governor 186 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: general had just been assassinated. 187 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 2: Now, unfortunately, the. 188 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: Guards had no way to corroborate his claim. News traveled 189 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: really slowly back then, right, and the next Spanish ship 190 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: from the Philippines wasn't due to arrive for several months. Now, 191 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: it's unclear exactly how long Perez spent in prison. Some 192 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: sources claim it was two months, others say it was 193 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: over a year. But whatever the case, a Spanish galleon 194 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: eventually arrived in Mexico from Manila, and when the soldiers 195 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 1: on board reported that the Governor General had been killed, 196 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: local officials sent for their strange captive. Not only did 197 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: the visiting soldiers confirm every single detail of press as 198 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 1: a story, some of them even recognized him as their 199 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: former comrade, which is insane. Right, there was still no 200 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: explanation for how he'd wound up in Mexico, but now 201 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: his identity was actually verified, So he was released from 202 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: prison and allowed to sail back on the next shift 203 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: to Manila. 204 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 2: Oh and you just know, the whole way Perez was 205 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 2: bragging about, you know, how much faster it was to teleport. 206 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 2: He probably drove the crew crazy, but I'm sure. But 207 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 2: all right, obviously, the big question here is whether any 208 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 2: of this actually happened. My vote is still no, right, 209 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 2: But is there any proof? No? 210 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: I mean, it is true that the Governor General in 211 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: Manila was assassinated that year, and his death led to 212 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: confusion over the chain of command. But yeah, beyond that, 213 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: there aren't many details to go on. The legend of 214 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: the teleporting Spanish soldier didn't appear in print until sixteen 215 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 1: ninety eight, and that was a little over a century 216 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: after it supposedly happened. It was published by a Spanish 217 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: clergyman and historian in a book called Conquests of the 218 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,319 Speaker 1: Philippine Islands, and the count was said to be compiled 219 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: from interviews with witnesses who had met Perez firsthand, though 220 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: you know, of course, there's no way to verify that now. 221 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: From there, though, the legend was recounted in dozens of 222 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: books and short stories, including one by Washington Irving, who 223 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: you know is the famous American author who wrote Sleepy 224 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: Hollow Course. In most versions of the tale, Perez experiences 225 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: what you might call spontaneous teleportation, but a more modern 226 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: theory is that he slipped into a fugue state, experienced 227 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: temporary amnesia while traveling to Mexico, and then woke up 228 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,839 Speaker 1: with no idea of how he got there or how 229 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,559 Speaker 1: much time had passed. And I guess that's the more 230 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: plausible but certainly the less fun explanation. 231 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 2: Well, speaking of fun. After we take a quick break, 232 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 2: I'm going to tell you a little bit more about 233 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 2: spontaneous teleportation, which isn't real, and quantum teleportation, which is real. 234 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 2: And let's just say there's a musical number involved, so 235 00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 2: don't go anywhere. 236 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where we're talking teleporting. 237 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 2: Now, a quick reminder that. 238 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 1: We'd love it if you subscribe to the show on 239 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app. You can leave us a nice 240 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: rating and review. We won't stop you from doing any 241 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: of that. And if you're enjoying this episode, em it 242 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: over to a friend. So, okay, Gabe, talk to me 243 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: about spontaneous teleportation, because you said those words and I 244 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: have no idea what they mean, but it sounds pretty crazy. 245 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, it's pretty much what happened to the teleporting Soldier. 246 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 2: And it's obviously a very different concept from you know, 247 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 2: the orderly, intentional kind of teleportation, like when someone asks 248 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 2: to be beamed up on Star Trek. But as far 249 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 2: as I can tell, this weirder spontaneous type of teleportation 250 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 2: what us the first one to gain ground in the 251 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 2: public consciousness. The person widely credited for the introduction is 252 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 2: paranormal enthusiast and author Charles Fort. In nineteen thirty one, 253 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 2: he released a bizarre non fiction book called Low, in 254 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 2: which he argued that various high profile missing person cases 255 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 2: and other strange occurrences like frogs and fish falling out 256 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 2: of the sky were proof of a cosmic joker. That's 257 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 2: what he called it. You know, this force that would 258 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 2: spontaneously teleport people and animals for its own amusement. 259 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: So anytime a soaka is missing in a dryer, you know, 260 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: or I can't find my car keys, that is I 261 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: guess a cosmic joker striking again. 262 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 2: Absolutely, So I am curious. 263 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: Though the eighteen seventy eight article I mentioned at the 264 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: top of the show coined the noun teleport, So is 265 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: Charles fourth the one who came up with the full 266 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: term teleportation? 267 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 2: As far as I can tell, he did. Yeah, And 268 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 2: while laying out the aim of his book, Fort wrote quote, 269 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 2: I shall specialize upon indications that there exists a transportory 270 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 2: force that I shall call teleportation. I shall be accused 271 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 2: of having assembled lies, yarns, hoaxes, and superstitions. To some 272 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 2: degree I think so myself. To some degree I do not. 273 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: That is so mysterious, and I love that he just 274 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: can't commit to whether he himself is is assembling lies 275 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 1: and yarns and hoaxes. 276 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 2: Right, but you said. 277 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: Some people were actually swayed by h by this anyway. 278 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know how much stock people put 279 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 2: in the whole cosmic joker theory, but you know, the 280 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 2: book did get a rave review in the New York 281 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 2: Times and quickly sold through two printings, and from that 282 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 2: point on, teleportation, both the word and the concept became 283 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 2: much more prevalent. 284 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: It is so funny to me that these early uses 285 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: of the word, though, like that they came from sources 286 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: that were essentially nonfiction, right. Like, I'm not saying the 287 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: readers believe these accounts, but they seem to at least 288 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: found them plausible. Like it's not sci fi that that 289 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: in the way that people are talking about this. 290 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, so let's play Devil's Advocate. You know, you 291 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 2: said that the article about the teleport came out in 292 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 2: the wake of the telephone, right, so I could imagine 293 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 2: someone hearing that story and thinking, Hey, if science did 294 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 2: something as seemingly impossible as sending a person's voice over 295 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 2: a wire, then why not the entire person. That's interesting. 296 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 2: It probably just seemed like, you know, a difference of degrees, 297 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 2: first the telegraph, then the telephone, and now the teleport. 298 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: And I guess that's honestly how a lot of us 299 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: still think of teleportation, right, Like nowadays, we're mostly familiar 300 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: with the concept through sci fi stories and also fantasy. 301 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: Harry Potter certainly essentially teleports, but that hasn't stopped us 302 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: from assuming the technology. 303 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 2: Will actually exist, right. 304 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: And that's probably because we've watched so many futuristic ideas 305 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: graduate from science fiction to actual science over the last century. 306 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: You think about like space shuttles or video watches or 307 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: three D printing or the Internet. You know, all these 308 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,159 Speaker 1: things show up on the Jetsons and sci fi and whatever, 309 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,160 Speaker 1: Like why not teleportation too? 310 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: Well, I'm that first article you talked about made a 311 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 2: pretty great case for why not teleportation? Like it's nice 312 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 2: to be entirely human and not part dog. But I 313 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 2: know what you mean, Like, on some level we figure 314 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 2: that teleportation must be something that scientists are actively working 315 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 2: toward and you know, will eventually figure out one day. 316 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 2: But the reality is that's probably not the case, or 317 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 2: at least not in the way most of us think. 318 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: Is this the part where you let us all down 319 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 1: by explaining, pasim that actual teleportation isn't real and never 320 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: will actually be. 321 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 2: Not exactly. It's more like the part where I try 322 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,679 Speaker 2: to break down some really dense scientific concepts in a 323 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 2: way that's hopefully both accurate and entertaining. So you are 324 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 2: going to break our hearts, great, so go for it. 325 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 2: Well yeah, okay, so when most of us hear the 326 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 2: word teleporting, we think of physical matter being atomized and 327 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 2: transferred as energy from one point to another, without actually 328 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 2: traveling the physical distance between those points. Right, so let's 329 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 2: call this original flavor teleportation. Sounds delicious, right, Well, the 330 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,360 Speaker 2: trouble is nobody's actually tasted it. You see it advertised 331 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 2: all over the place, but no stores carry it and 332 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,159 Speaker 2: no one has the recipe. So original flavor is kind 333 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 2: of a tease it is, yes, But now imagine there's 334 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 2: a new, totally different flavor called quantum teleportation, and instead 335 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 2: of zapping matter from point to point, quantum teleportation deals 336 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 2: with the transfer of information. 337 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: I feel like quantum sounds like much better branding, right, 338 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,879 Speaker 1: It sounds so much cooler than But if I'm being honest, 339 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: teleporting information doesn't sound nearly as fun as teleporting matter, 340 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: like I want to zap myself places, or especially when 341 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: I was a kid, I wanted to send my sister 342 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: other places. 343 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 2: Sure, yeah, okay, so maybe it's not as tasty a flavor, 344 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 2: but it is a more satisfying one in my opinion, 345 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,400 Speaker 2: because quantum teleportation is a flavor we can make. It's 346 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 2: something we can actually do right now. So how does 347 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 2: this work exactly? Well, it's not the easiest concept to understand, 348 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 2: but it's basically the transfer of quantum information between two 349 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 2: physically separate yet quantumly entangled entities. 350 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: I feel like that doesn't clarify a whole lot for me, 351 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: and probably not for our listeners either. What quantum information 352 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: quantum entanglement? So far, this sounds like, you know, just 353 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:55,400 Speaker 1: as science fiction me as original flavor teleportation. 354 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 2: All right, fair enough, all right, So let's take it 355 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 2: slow for starters. Quantum information is related to quantum states, 356 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,880 Speaker 2: which are all the potential properties of a tiny discrete 357 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 2: system like an electron or an atom. So we're not 358 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:14,959 Speaker 2: talking about definite values like an electron's fixed location in space. 359 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 2: We're talking about uncertainties, all the possible places it could be, 360 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:24,919 Speaker 2: along with other properties like its energy, it's spin, or momentum. 361 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 1: But wouldn't that change over time, Like if an electron 362 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: moves to a new position or it interacts with another electron, 363 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't that create like a whole new set of possibilities? 364 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 2: Right? Yeah, And that's what quantum mechanics is concerned with, 365 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:43,360 Speaker 2: studying how quantum states evolve and change and are measured 366 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 2: over time. But your question actually hits on the really 367 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,199 Speaker 2: tricky thing about quantum states, which is that whenever you 368 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 2: measure one, it collapses. A quantum system exists as many 369 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 2: possibilities at once. The electron is spinning this way and 370 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 2: it's spinning that way, but the act of measurement basically 371 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 2: forces the system to choose and settle into a single 372 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 2: definite state. So the electron is only spinning this way. 373 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 2: Got it. 374 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 1: So it's basically like Schrodinger's cat, right, Like when the 375 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: lid of the boxes closed, the cat is both live 376 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: and dead simultaneously, but when you open it, the cat 377 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: is either one way or the other exactly. 378 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 2: And since it's hypothetical, let's say the cat's alive. 379 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, we are a whole bunch of cat lovers on 380 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: this podcast, So I think that makes a lot of sense, 381 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:31,199 Speaker 1: except for. 382 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 2: Will He could go either way on that. Well he's 383 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 2: not here today. 384 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: So quantum states are weird and confusing. I feel like 385 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: we got to that fit. But what was the other 386 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 1: phrase that you use? Quantum entanglement. 387 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's even weirder, but also hopefully a little more intuitive. 388 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: So. 389 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 2: According to space dot com, quantum entanglement is when two 390 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 2: sub atomic particles become linked in such a way that 391 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 2: their properties remain connected no no matter how far apart 392 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 2: they are. So, for example, the basic unit of quantum 393 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 2: information is a quantum bit or cubit. So say you 394 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 2: mingle two particles together and the cubits that determine their 395 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 2: directions become entangled. Now, even if you moved one of 396 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 2: those particles to the opposite end of the universe, those 397 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 2: cubits would still be linked together on a quantum level. 398 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 2: And that means that if one of those particles undergoes 399 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 2: a change, Let's say you bump it and it starts 400 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 2: pointing north, then the other linked particle way on the 401 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 2: other side of the universe will instantaneously point north. Two, 402 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 2: even if they're separated by billions of light years, Altering 403 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 2: one entangled particle will change the characteristics of its twin. 404 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 2: That's really cool. Yeah, And so quantum physicists sometimes explain 405 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 2: this with an analogy they call the Alice and Bob approach. 406 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 2: And in this framework, there are two particles Alice particle 407 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 2: A and her ex boyfriend Bob particle B. And even 408 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 2: though they've you know, gone their separate ways, there's a 409 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 2: part of themselves they still share together. They're entangled cubits, 410 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 2: and changes to one of them can change the other. 411 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 2: I mean that is kind of sweet. But also it 412 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 2: feels like they need therapy. 413 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 1: So do we know how this kind of spooky interaction happens? Like, 414 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: how is it that they end up pointing in the 415 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: same direction? 416 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, we do not know. But spooky is an apt 417 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 2: description because when this phenomenon was first being theorized, Albert 418 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 2: Einstein famously dismissed it, and he did so with a 419 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 2: German phrase that translates to spooky action at a distance. 420 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 2: He thought the whole idea was laughable because you know, 421 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 2: it flies in the face of classical physics. 422 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 1: That's really fascinating, But you said quantum teleportation is already happening, right, 423 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,159 Speaker 1: So was Einstein. 424 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: Wrong on that one? He was? Yeah, And you know, 425 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 2: in recent years, researchers have been able to demonstrate quantum 426 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,880 Speaker 2: teleportation at aggressively greater distances. We haven't sent any entangled 427 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 2: cubits to the far side of the universe yet, but 428 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 2: we have teleported quantum information between two clouds of gas 429 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 2: across the bottom of the Danube River, and even from 430 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 2: Earth to a satellite in space. And while it's hard 431 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 2: to imagine many practical uses for this kind of technology, 432 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 2: it could allow quantum computers to transmit sensitive information much 433 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 2: faster and more securely than they ever could through traditional methods. 434 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 2: That is really cool. So could this replace Wi Fi? 435 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: Like, I know WiFi has gotten pretty fast, but like, 436 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 1: if quantum teleportation is instantaneous, it feels like that would 437 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: be even better. 438 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, but you know, let's not get ahead of ourselves, 439 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,959 Speaker 2: because remember, you have to measure something to determine its 440 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 2: quantum state. So if I manipulate an entangled particle to 441 00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 2: make it point north, I then have to perform a 442 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 2: specific mathematical measurement to make sure I achieve my goal 443 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 2: and not only that, I have to repeat that same 444 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 2: measurement on the other entangled particle, you know, to confirm 445 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 2: that it's also now pointing north. So in other words, 446 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 2: you still have to pass along directions on how to 447 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 2: perform that necessary measurement, which you would have to do 448 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 2: through normal means like text or email. Now I know 449 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 2: I've thrown a lot of heavy science at you, just now, mango, 450 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,399 Speaker 2: So to light the mood, I have a surprise. Mary 451 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 2: and I reached out to our old pal David Nageler, 452 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 2: and we said, hey, David, could you write us a 453 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 2: song that explains quantum teleportation? And you know it's also 454 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:35,679 Speaker 2: really catchy And David was like, no problem. So he 455 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: sent us this tune about two star crossed particles and 456 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 2: they're entangled cubits. It's called Sending information, and I hope 457 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 2: you love it as much as I do. 458 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:05,399 Speaker 4: Sending in bomage, sending information, I used to call you 459 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 4: mine something information where not a twine? 460 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 2: So the prove mald is true. 461 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 4: Something infirmation, something infirmbation. 462 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 2: No one on where's the ship sending information? 463 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 5: And I've never I'll be something information far across the land. 464 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 4: Something information. You may not understand something information. 465 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 5: Spooky action ramified something information the metal where you are. 466 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 5: This is a complex mathematical process that's very hard to comprehend. 467 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 2: So hold on tight, baby of you. Then value the 468 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 2: sign of zero or a one for its quantum. 469 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 5: Stale light zero, And if I'm not afraid I try, 470 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 5: I'll ride your name across the sky and ring a 471 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 5: tear to mine malcular. 472 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 2: Fits for you, my dear. 473 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 4: Sending infombation. 474 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 5: Maybe that will make it clean. 475 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 4: Sending infombation this message that I send, Sending infomdation, sending. 476 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 5: Infomat you transfer milasia, sending infomba. 477 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 2: What's mine is yours? 478 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 5: Not mine? 479 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 2: Normal sending information when others comment came in, math is 480 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 2: through the send. I don't know about you, but that 481 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,959 Speaker 2: is hands down the most emotional song I've eard about 482 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 2: two quantum particles. I've got a feeling those crazy kids 483 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 2: are gonna be all right. 484 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: What do you think? Yeah, he absolutely nailed a sign, man. 485 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 1: I mean, quantum teleportation still sounds insane to me. But 486 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 1: if he keeps Alice and Bob together, I am all 487 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 1: for it. But I've got to say, Gabe, I am 488 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: not quite ready to let go of the dream of 489 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: original flavored teleportation. We have to take a quick break, 490 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 1: but when we come back, I'll tell you a little 491 00:28:56,360 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: bit about one last possibility for actually teleporting Matt and 492 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: it involves wormholes. So stay tuned. Welcome back to part 493 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: time Genius. Okay, Gabe. So, the big question of this 494 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: episode is how close are we to making teleportation a reality? 495 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 2: And so far the answer seems. 496 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: To be not even remotely close unless you count quantum teleportation, 497 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: which most people probably don't. So one thing we haven't 498 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 1: discussed is why teleportation feels so unlikely Now, the major 499 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,800 Speaker 1: hurdle turns out to be the impossibility of instantaneous travel, 500 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: which goes back to that annoying universal speed limit, the 501 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: speed of light. Now, whether you're dealing with information, or 502 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 1: solid matter, or even a natural force like gravity, the 503 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: fastest that anything can travel in our universe is the 504 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: speed of li light. And while three hundred million meters 505 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: per second is still pretty fast, it is a far 506 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: cry from instant. 507 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's hard to argue with a universal law, 508 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 2: but you know that means speed of light teleportation is 509 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 2: still on the table, right. I'm imagining something like a 510 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 2: tractor beam that could push or pull your body at 511 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 2: the speed of light, and maybe it could even break 512 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 2: you down into sub atomic particles like the transporter on 513 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 2: Star Trek, you know, so that you wouldn't you know, 514 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 2: weigh as much. 515 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 1: It is a beautiful dream, give, I've got to admit that, 516 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: But unfortunately we run into a problem, which is that 517 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: nothing with mass can ever travel at the speed of light. 518 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: So even if you're broken apart somehow, your individual particles 519 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: would still have to travel below light speed, and to 520 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 1: get them moving even that fast would require a tremendous 521 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: amount of time and energy. 522 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 2: You might be able to. 523 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 1: Move a few particles that quickly, but not all the 524 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: particles in a human body, and it's just never gonna happen. 525 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 2: Wow, Mangos, such a buzzkill. But I'm just spitballing here. 526 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 2: But what if you sent a scan of yourself at 527 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 2: the speed of light? 528 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 1: Right? 529 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 2: We know information can move that fast, So what if 530 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 2: you measured the exact position of every particle and molecule 531 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 2: in your body and then scent that information across space 532 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,400 Speaker 2: like as a beam of light. If there was someone 533 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 2: waiting at your destination, you know, with a big fat 534 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 2: stack of fresh particles. They could theoretically, you know, follow 535 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 2: those instructions and reassemble you from scratch. 536 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, but then it's a copy, right, Like, it's not 537 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: the real you. What about the personalities and the memories 538 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: and all the other intangible things that make us who 539 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: we are. You wouldn't get that just by copying the 540 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: arrangement of your molecules. Not to mention that in this scenario, 541 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: the really you doesn't even get to teleport. 542 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 2: You're stuck at home. 543 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: Whether your jankie clone gets to explore the moons of 544 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: Jupiter or wherever the other character is. 545 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, yeah, kind of a raw deal for the 546 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 2: real me. Plus, you know, I guess the logistics are 547 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 2: pretty daunting. You'd have to have a body reconstruction machine 548 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 2: waiting at every location you want to visit, which means 549 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 2: that somebody you would have to schlep out there and 550 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 2: you know, the old fashioned way and set up all 551 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 2: the equipment. I hate to say it, but the deeper 552 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 2: we drill down, the more it feels like teleportation just 553 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 2: isn't in the cards for us. 554 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: Well, don't throw in the towel just yet, because there's 555 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: one last option on the table, and that is portals, 556 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: or as some people like to call them, wormholes. So 557 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: if we knew how to open a tunnel through space time, 558 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 1: we could simply step through it and be immediately transported 559 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: somewhere else. 560 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 2: Oh sure, yeah, wormholes. Because you know this episode hasn't 561 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 2: been confusing enough, let's throw in some more brain melting 562 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,719 Speaker 2: theoretical science while we're at it. 563 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: I know, right, And that's why I called in some 564 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: backup for this one. I reached out to our resident 565 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: particle physicist Daniel Whitson and asked them to give us 566 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: the lowdown on this hail mary approach to teleportation. And 567 00:32:58,000 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 1: here's what do you have to say? 568 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 3: So the other option is much more like teleportation in 569 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 3: that it actually moves your body, your electrons, those same 570 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 3: ones that make up you. And that's to say, Look, 571 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 3: we're going to shorten the distance between here and there. Right, 572 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 3: we are limited by the speed of light. But what 573 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 3: if we just opened up a portal. What if we 574 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,959 Speaker 3: connected space time in not a simple way where like 575 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 3: everything is just next to the thing that's near it 576 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 3: on the lattice, but there's like a weird connection. So 577 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 3: this is a wormhole, and in principle, physics says that 578 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 3: these things are possible, that you can have connections between 579 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 3: here and there, so that the distance between here and 580 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 3: there is effectively zero, and I can just like step 581 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 3: through a portal and boom, I'm at karate practice. 582 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 2: Wow. Okay, so there you have it. 583 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 1: Right. 584 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 2: The key to teleportation, as most of us imagine it, 585 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 2: is wormholes. Pack your bags and you know, point me 586 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 2: to the nearest portal. Right, Well, not so fast. 587 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: There is still a lot we don't know about wormholes, 588 00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: like if they're even real. 589 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 3: So we don't know if they exist in the universe naturally, 590 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 3: we don't know if we could make them artificially. Nobody 591 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 3: knows how to do it. There's all sorts of problems 592 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 3: with how you might keep them open, which requires some 593 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 3: kind of pressure or negative mass or negative energy matter, 594 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 3: which nobody knows if it exists at all. We're not 595 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 3: even at the engineering step here. It's like, nobody knows 596 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 3: that this is possible, but the equations that general relativity 597 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 3: suggest that it should be. On the other hand, we 598 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 3: also know general relativity is not the fundamental answer to 599 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 3: how does the universe work? Because it ignores quantum mechanics 600 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 3: and everything else. So it could be that when we 601 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,840 Speaker 3: get a better theory, one that merges general relativity and 602 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 3: quantum mechanics, we discover, oh, wormholes aren't actually allowed in 603 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:44,319 Speaker 3: the real theory of the universe. So wormholes are a 604 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 3: fun possibility and they would accomplish what your listener wants, 605 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 3: but we don't know if they actually can be built 606 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:51,760 Speaker 3: in the universe. We've never seen one. 607 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 2: So even the particle physicists are stumped. That's not a 608 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 2: good sign. But is this something they're working on at least. 609 00:34:59,640 --> 00:34:59,800 Speaker 5: You know? 610 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,879 Speaker 1: I asked Daniel that exact question because I told him 611 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: that we have a young listener named Asher who's really 612 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: hoping teleportation could become real one way or another. 613 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 2: And let's just say he threw the ball back into 614 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 2: Ash's court. 615 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,760 Speaker 3: In terms of wormholes, this is something people in theoretical 616 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 3: physics think about, noodle around with. I don't know of 617 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,280 Speaker 3: any big research efforts like actively trying to build a wormhole, 618 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:26,920 Speaker 3: but definitely something people think about and sort of hoping 619 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,439 Speaker 3: that when we get a theory of quantum gravity it's 620 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:33,320 Speaker 3: still going to be possible. Absolutely huge open questions here, 621 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 3: and somebody young with a still flexible brain might be 622 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 3: the one to crack it all. 623 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 2: Right, there you go, Asher, teleportation and wormholes could be real. 624 00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 2: It's up to you. 625 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: I have a feeling no one is too thrilled with 626 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 1: that answer. I mean, I'm not thrilled with that answer 627 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 1: because I want to teleport and I'm sure Asher does too. 628 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:55,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. You know, as frustrating as it is that there's 629 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:58,319 Speaker 2: no clear solution right now, at least we know none 630 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 2: of it is settled yet. A while ago, no one 631 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:04,279 Speaker 2: could have dreamed about quantum teleportation, and now we know 632 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 2: that's real. So maybe the next step is figuring out, 633 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:09,319 Speaker 2: you know, how to apply it to more than a 634 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 2: few particles at a time, or connecting the dots to 635 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,320 Speaker 2: harness the power of wormholes. And who knows, maybe Asher 636 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 2: or Lily or one of our other listeners will be 637 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:19,799 Speaker 2: the one to do it. 638 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, that would be amazing. Well, thanks again to Asher 639 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,040 Speaker 1: for suggesting this topic. We love hearing from listeners, So 640 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 1: if you have an idea for the show or a 641 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:30,920 Speaker 1: question you'd like us to explore, call our hotline at 642 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: three O two four oh five five nine two five. 643 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,800 Speaker 1: That's three O two four oh five five nine two five, 644 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:40,759 Speaker 1: or you can send us an email at High Geniuses 645 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:44,800 Speaker 1: at gmail dot com. That's Hi Geniuses at gmail dot com, 646 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,760 Speaker 1: and you can follow us on Instagram and Blue sky 647 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 1: at Part Time Genius. Big thanks to the incredibly talented 648 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:55,280 Speaker 1: David Naegeler for writing us yet another song about physics. 649 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 1: We will link to his music in the show notes. 650 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: It is not normally about physics, but uh, but we 651 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 1: are thrilled he covered that topic for us. Our friend 652 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 1: Daniel Whitson's work is all about physics, on the other hand, 653 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: and you should definitely check out my conversation with him 654 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,040 Speaker 1: about his latest book, Do Alien Speak Physics, which is 655 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: a wonderful, wonderful read. Those links are in the show 656 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: notes as well. That does it for today. We'll be 657 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 1: back next week with another brand new episode, but in 658 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:24,560 Speaker 1: the meantime from Will, Dylan, Gabe, Mary, and myself, thank 659 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 1: you so much for listening. Part Time Genius is a 660 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. It is hosted by my 661 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: good pal Will Pearson, who I've known for almost. 662 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 2: Three decades now. That is insane to me. 663 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: I'm the UTA co host Mangeshatikular aka Mango. Our producer 664 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 1: is Mary Phillips. 665 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 2: Sandy. 666 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: She's actually a super producer. I'm going to fix that 667 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: in post. Our writer is Gabe Lucyer, who I've also 668 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:04,760 Speaker 1: known for like a decade at this point, maybe more. 669 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: Dylan Fagan is in the booth. He is always dressed up, 670 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:11,720 Speaker 1: always cheering us on, and always ready to hit record 671 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: and then mix the show after he does a great job. 672 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,839 Speaker 1: I also want to shout out the executive producers from 673 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:21,320 Speaker 1: iHeart my good Pals Katrina and Norvel and Ali Perry. 674 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 2: We have social media support from Calypso Rallis. If you 675 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 2: like our videos. 676 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 1: That is all Calypso's handiwork for more podcasts from Kaleidoscope 677 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:34,920 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or tune 678 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:37,879 Speaker 1: in wherever you listen to your favorite shows. That's it 679 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:39,640 Speaker 1: from us here at Part Time Genius. 680 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening.