Casimir effect

In physics, all of the objects that we are aware of have a positive energy. However, if objects with negative energy can be produced, or energy less than the vacuum, then perhaps we can bend space in the kind of ways that we are talking about here. We could bend spacetime into a circle. What must be violated is known as the AWEC (averaged weak energy condition). For these kinds of time machines to be constructed, energy must become negative for some period of time. Although relativity theorists scoff at the idea of negative energy, as it would produce anti-gravity, which has never been observed, quantum mechanics can give us a glimmer of hope. Hendrik Casimir, in 1948, gave a quantum mechanical argument for negative energy. This demonstration involves two uncharged parallel metal plates. When we apply the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle to the vacuum or the “empty space” in between these plates we see that it is not so empty. In fact, there is a lot of activity. These are trillions of virtual particles: particle and antiparticle pairs that come in and out of existence. They are unobservable, however, do not violate the laws of physics. These virtual particles create a kind of negative attractive force between the two plates. Hendrik Casimir predicted that this force could be measured. This has been deemed the “Casimir effect”.