Theoretical physicist, professor Michio Kaku, says that a Star Trek-style teleportation device is scientifically possible – and what’s more it could be used by the general public within a matter of decades.
Dr. Kaku says he believes that the natural progression from teleporting molecules (which scientists have already successfully done) will be to and photons to a lunar base, before moving onto larger objects such as human beings.
Dailymail.co.uk reports:
During a recent Big Think interview, Dr Kaku said; ‘In the coming years we do expect to be able to teleport molecules, maybe water and carbon dioxide. After that, who knows? Maybe even DNA.’
However, critics have argued there are too many atoms in the human body to translate into physical data, then teleport and then rearrange in order.
There is also the argument that in order to transport a living object, it would have to effectively die and come back to life when the atoms are broken down and reassembled.
Dr Kaku added that while teleportation is physically possible, it does come with a set of ethical dilemmas that would need to be addressed.
‘It raises the question, are we nothing but information?’ he said. ‘Is the soul, the essence of who we are, nothing but information?
‘We don’t know the answer. All we’re saying is that it is physically possible to teleport an entire human being across the room or maybe on to Mars.’
Earlier this year, Dr Kaku raised eyebrows when he said our holidays could soon be uploaded into our minds.
Instead of travelling around the world, people will download memories to their brains to make them feel as if they have been away.
Sean Adl-Tabatabai