Friends who have watched "Star Trek" must not forget this classic line: Scotty, beam me up! It involves the technology of quantum teleportation, which can transport objects from one place to another in three-dimensional space.
In "Star Trek," quantum teleportation can complete human transportation within seconds, but according to real-world theory, this process would take 4,500 trillion years.
Quantum teleportation of "Schrödinger's cat" (illustrative diagram)
So far, research on quantum teleportation has only been at the theoretical exploration stage. Some researchers have stated that mastering this technology is a hallmark of advanced civilizations in the universe. It will completely change the means of space travel, allowing for space journeys through quantum teleportation without the need for large and complex rockets. The quantum teleportation technology shown in "Star Trek" can be applied to humans, and moving from transporting objects to humans represents another leap forward.
In the movie, it seems like human transportation takes just an instant. So how long would quantum teleportation theoretically take in reality to move from point A to point B? A group of physics researchers from the University of Leicester attempted to explore this topic using mathematical tools. One researcher named David Starkey said: According to our research results, if completing an instantaneous human transfer, the time required may be quite long, but this method of space travel is still feasible. So exactly how much time would it take? One second? One minute? Or one hour? In the movie, the Enterprise's quantum teleportation channel can complete point-to-point invisible transportation within a few seconds, but real-world theoretical calculations show that this would take 4,500,000,000,000,000 years! That's 4,500 trillion years! Approximately 350,000 times the age of the universe!
If we assume that the quantum teleportation technology in "Star Trek" is like ultra-fast broadband, then the quantum teleportation derived from real-world theory is more akin to dial-up internet—it's simply too slow! Researchers further hypothesized that if we use technological means to convert a single person into data, the entire physical structure would reach a magnitude of 2.6 times 10 to the power of 42. Using a bandwidth of 29.5 to 30 gigahertz, plus 350,000 times the age of the universe (13.7 billion years), only one person could have been transmitted from the birth of the universe until now. Undoubtedly, based on the quantum teleportation theory currently understood by humanity, we are still unable to grasp this super-technology. Only species capable of mastering quantum instant teleportation technology can rank among the ranks of advanced civilizations in the universe.