A hypothetical tunnel-like connection through spacetime that could link distant regions of the universe or even different universes. While mathematically possible in general relativity, their physical existence and stability remain highly speculative.
The term was coined by physicist John Wheeler in 1957, drawing an analogy to a worm boring through an apple to create a shortcut from one side to the other. Earlier, such structures were called 'Einstein-Rosen bridges' after their theoretical description in 1935.
Wormholes are the ultimate cosmic shortcuts - imagine folding a piece of paper and poking a hole through both layers to connect distant points instantly! However, they would likely collapse faster than light could travel through them, and keeping one open might require exotic matter that doesn't exist.
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