In 2020, physicist Harold “Sonny” White discovered a peculiar energy pattern that resembled a potential nanoscale warp bubble—the first real hint toward faster-than-light travel.

In late 2020, physicist Harold “Sonny” White, while conducting research on energy densities in Casimir cavities, observed a pattern in the data that echoed the characteristics of a hypothetical warp bubble. Casimir cavities are tiny spaces between metal plates in a vacuum, and when White placed cylindrical columns within these cavities, the energy pattern resembled that of a warp bubble—an essential element for a potential warp drive.

A warp drive, long a staple of science fiction, would allow faster-than-light travel by distorting spacetime itself. The concept hinges on the idea that while nothing can move faster than light within spacetime, spacetime itself can expand or contract at any speed. Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre first proposed this idea in 1994, theorizing that a ship could move by contracting space in front of it and expanding space behind it, effectively shortening the distance between two points.

However, Alcubierre’s model faced a significant challenge: it would require an enormous amount of energy, including negative energy, to function—something scientists haven’t yet proven to exist.

Despite these obstacles, physicists continue to explore different approaches to warp technology. In 2021, physicist Erik Lentz proposed a new idea: instead of relying on negative energy, a warp bubble might be created using positive energy sources. Lentz’s approach focuses on soliton solutions, a type of wave that maintains its shape while moving at a constant speed. His theory suggests that such a warp bubble could exist within our current understanding of physics but would still require immense energy—far beyond what we can currently harness.

Other researchers, such as physicist Alexey Bobrick and technologist Gianni Martire, are exploring alternative methods to simulate the forces needed for warp travel. Their recent experiments involving sound waves and lasers aim to help scientists better understand the gravitational forces involved in warping spacetime. They’ve even developed an app that allows researchers to test their warp drive equations more efficiently, accelerating theoretical research.

While the technology for warp drives remains far from practical, the discoveries of physicists like White, Alcubierre, Lentz, and others provide a glimmer of hope that faster-than-light travel could someday be possible. However, challenges remain—especially the immense energy requirements and the catastrophic risks of colliding with objects in space while traveling at such speeds.

Though scientists agree that we are still centuries, if not millennia, away from actual warp drives, they remain undeterred. Just as medieval cathedral builders laid the foundations for structures they would never see completed, today’s researchers are laying the groundwork for a future of interstellar travel, one small discovery at a time.