Image: John Cramer
Since 2007, University of Washington physicist John Cramer has been working with lasers and mirrors to bear experiments aimed at demonstrating whether causality can appear to become backward in time, as observed in a specific reference frame. Scott Eklund / Seattle Mail-Intelligencer file

A physicist who has been looking for prove that causality can become backward in time says he's making progress on nailing downwards the theoretical foundations for such quantum weirdness.

For years, the University of Washington's John Cramer has been trying to fix an experimental appliance that would demonstrate what'southward known as "quantum nonlocal communication" — a characteristic of breakthrough mechanics that implies what yous practise to i entangled particle could bear upon what happens to a different particle earlier in time.

When Cramer started working on the crowdfunded experiment in 2007, he expected either to detect evidence of such retrocausality — which would blow our minds — or to find out that subtle quantum effects kept spoiling the experiment.

So far, Cramer'southward own experiments take played out according to the latter, less exciting scenario. Merely the physicist says he's been having "very fruitful discussions" with Anton Zeilinger and his colleagues at the Establish for Breakthrough Eyes and Quantum Information in Vienna. Like Cramer, Zeilinger is a pioneer in the study of quantum physics' spooky implications, including retrocausality.

"I learned a lot," Cramer told NBC News in an email. "Consequence: Later returning to Seattle, I was able to develop quantum mechanical calculations that reproduce the unpublished data of Zeilinger's group in testing an entangled photon setup similar to mine. These quantum calculations besides point to a fashion of implementing nonlocal signaling."

Cramer said the new scheme differs significantly from his previous experimental setups and needs to be tested. "I'one thousand presently working on generating funding for that test," he wrote.

More about weirdness in space and time:

  • Internet search for fourth dimension travelers strikes out
  • Stephen Hawking: Time travel may be possible, if...
  • Spooky physics may link the universe's wormholes

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log customs by "liking" the NBC News Science Facebook folio, following @b0yle on Twitter and calculation +Alan Boyle to your Google+ circles. You tin also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Alan Boyle, Science Editor