Zero point energy research and its dangers?

Question

THERE ARE research jobs on z.p.e, and a govt lab, SANDIA NTL LAB? has a Z-generator. How dangerous is this research? could there be any danger of discovering a ""new particle"", a new ""process"" that we could not handle? or maybe this energy could open a gap in the space time continuum? (correct me if I am wrong)

Answer 1

About the worse danger involved in zero-point energy research is probably freezing your fingers off. It's not likely going to trigger some manner of uncontrollable chain reaction that will blow up the world. Zero-point energy is extremely weak. It would be difficult to light a flashlight with it.

I've seen lots of hoopla about zero-point energy, especially on pseudoscience sites. I don't think people in general understand exactly what zero-point energy is.

It's the third law of thermodynamics, also called the Nernst heat theorem.

Here's what the laws of thermo dynamics are all about in a nutshell, including zero-point energy.

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FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

Energy can be only converted from one form into another, but it can neither be created nor destroyed.

[The total amount of energy and matter in the universe remains constant.]*

* Not necessarily. This depends on certain theoretical contingencies, since we cannot possibly observe the entire universe to resolve the matter with 100% certainty and different theories exist and conflict on this issue and matter and energy are equivalent according to the relationship E=mc²

The total energy may remain constant, but the amount of matter at any given moment may vary due to the many various dynamic energy transformation processes occurring in the universe.

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SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

In all energy transformations within a closed system, some measure of it is converted into heat. If no external energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of a given subsequent state will always be less than that of the initial state.

Potential energy means the existing energy that has not yet been transformed into another form of energy, hence potential energy, since it is still waiting to potentially do something.

This means that as energy is being transformed from one form into another, the total energy of the system decreases, which in turn increases the disorder of the system as a whole. The measure of this disorder is called entropy, which can only increase with time.

In simplest terms, if something starts out warm, and no external energy is applied to it, then it will eventually cool, but it will never lose 100% of its energy. It is not possible to transform 100% of the energy of the system into useful work.

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THIRD LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

It is not possible to cool any body to the temperature of absolute zero. This law is actually related to the second law.

Absolute zero is a limit analogous to the speed of light as a limit in that we can approach the limit as closely as we want, but never actually reach the limit.

This law was defined by Walter Nernst, so it is also known as the Nernst heat theorem, which states that at absolute zero, a body can have only one possible energy state. This state has zero entropy and is called zero-point energy.


NOTE:
Perpetual motion machines violate either or both the 1st and 2nd laws, which is why they are impossible.

A perpetual motion machine is like an animal that, after its first meal, eats nothing but its own poop over and over again and lives happily ever after, never needing any other source of food after its first meal.

This is exactly how a perpetual motion machine works and exactly why it won't work.

If a perpetual motion machine stops working, it is only due to a physical breakdown, such as may be due to the wear and tear of continuous operation, but NEVER because it simply runs out of energy, since it generates its own power internally and needs nothing from outside of itself.
 

Answer 2

There's always this risk with research. Look at Ben Franklin with his kite in the thunderstorm, Marie Curie with her radium, Konrad Röntgen with his X-rays, the invention of freons for refrigeration, thalidomide... I guess the moral is go slowly and cautiously.

Answer 3

If we could exploit the theoretical zero point vacuum energy, it wouldn't matter; our lives would change so much it would be well worth any danger involved XD