Physics/Theories

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Theories about Physics

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Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

=Casimir effect and wormholes =

• Exotic matter with negative energy density is required to stabilize a wormhole. Morris, Thorne and Yurtsever pointed out that the quantum mechanics of the Casimir effect can be used to produce a locally mass-negative region of space-time, and suggested that negative effect could be used to stabilize a wormhole to allow faster-than-light travel.

Certain classes of higher dimensional models suggest that the Casimir effect is a candidate for the cosmological constant. It is demonstrated that a sufficiently advanced civilization could, in principle, manipulate the radius of the extra dimension to locally adjust the value of the cosmological constant. This adjustment could be tuned to generate an expansion/contraction of spacetime around a spacecraft creating an exotic form of field-propulsion. Due to the fact that spacetime expansion itself is not restricted by relativity, a faster-than-light 'warp drive' could be created. Calculations of the energy requirements of such a drive are performed and an 'ultimate' speed limit, based on the Planckian limits on the size of the extra dimensions is found. Because the Orchid station is related to the casimir effect and -possibly/probably- the teleportation of the polar bear and Ben to Tunisia, then this is an explanation of how it would work.

• • Furthermore, given that the casimir effect is explained by particles and anti-particles, then it could be possile that what the orchid experimented upon was generating duplicates of people/animals made of anti-particles of the subject. Therefore, the second rabbit in the orchid orientation film could be made of the original's anti-particles (like an anti-dna) and just like matter and anti-matter, if they were to touch then a massive release of energy (explosion) would occur.
    • The above point makes little sense. Even if it were possible to create a biologically functioning animal from the antimatter equivalents of ordinary matter, that rabbit would annhailate with ANY ordinary matter: not just the other rabbit. When a particle and its antiparticle equivalent come together, they annhailate eachother. The 'anti-rabbit' would annhailate with the air and the shelf upon which it appeared, if it were indeed composed of antiparticles. However, the above theory may still be vailid considering this is fiction. It should be noted however that the writers of lost do seem to do their research.
  • The Casimir effect has nothing whatsoever to do with antimatter. It has to do with the fact that the electromagnetic field cannot have zero energy, even in a vacuum, and that imposing boundary conditions on it, e.g. by placing reflective flat plates near each other, alters the field to make it stronger (higher energy) in one area (outside of the plates), and weaker (lower energy) in another (between the plates). This causes the plates to move together. The force can be also repulsive, such as the case of a thin spherical shell. But the point is: the Casimir effect has to do with electromagnetism and quantum mechanics (specifically, the notion of non-zero ground states), but has NOTHING to do with antimatter.
    • Yes, but we have been able to prove that in the vacuum virtual and anti-matter exists, these are reflected between the plates and this is what brings them together, not electromagnetism. It's complex and Stephen Hawking explains it better than I can. If you're interested read the expanded edition of 'a brief history of time'.
  • Discussion of Casamir effect automatically triggers discussion of wormholes and dark matter aka exotic matter.

Dark matter is necessary to stabilize a wormhole. One could speculate from the blast door diagram that it strongly resembles an arial view of the Super Hadron Collider in France/Switzerland which is hoped to be capable of generating as a by product dark matter. The Dharma Logo resembles not only a feng shui diagram but a cross section of the Super Hadron Collider. Damon and Carlton suggested there might be a correlation between the Dharma Logo and the Collider in a podcast years ago. Supporting evidence Dharma was attempting to build a collider would be that it is the correct size. It would take over a days walk to get from one station of the super collider to the furthest station. 17 miles. The hatches go deep underground and a super collider is built deep underground. It would be the only device capable of creating the stuff necessary to stabilize a wormhole. Also important when discussing the Casamir Effect is the notion in quantum physics of super-symmetry. It is current theory that every particle of matter has a counter particle in one of the ten dimensions of the universe believed to exist. Note that it is not an anti-matter universe. It could be speculated for fiction's sake that the duplicate rabbit 15 being tested in the Orchid station was from another parallel dimension. This theory is entirely dependant on the circular distribution of stations as shown in the blast door diagrams. Almost no fan maps show the stations arranged in a circular pattern. But none of the fan maps come close to agreeing with each other about the location of the stations. Dr. Pierre Change says the botanical research station is a front to cover for the true research being done at the orchid. This would also have to be true for all the other stations for this theory to be tenable.

Physics in Lost

• Each season of Lost features a school of Physics, growing more complicated with each Season. Season One featured basic laws of force and pressure, i.e. dropping the Haliburton case, Locke's Trebuchet, an explosion by dynamite. Season Two featured magnetism, i.e. the Swan site magnetic properties (and its eventual implosion), the use of compasses. Season Three featured electricity and electrical communications, i.e. the speaker system in Jack's cell, the tasers used by the Others, the Pavlovian shock system in Sawyer's bear cage, and the Kahana's crews radio and satellite communication systems. Season Four featured "rocket science" of vectors and speed, i.e. Faraday's rocket experiments, travel bearings to and from the island, travel and landings using the helicopter. Season Five featured Einsteinian theories of relativity and nuclear physics, i.e. time travel where the past was characters "present", and the appearance of the atomic bomb Jughead on the island and its eventual detonation. Season Six features quantum uncertainty and multiverse theories, i.e. the simultaneous existence and non-existence of the island and its inhabitants in any particular place and time.