From Lostpedia

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'.