Dreamspace #1 - Teleportation

Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them - Wikipedia

I have always been fascinated by the idea of teleportation. Even more lately because I have moved to Bengaluru as you may have read in my previous posts. The same happened when I moved from Indore to Pune for my first job, and it does not stop there. I have thinking about teleportation since my childhood. 

When I was a kid, we used to travel from Indore to Ujjain via train. Indore to Ujjain journey by road is only 45 minutes! But we used to spend around 4-4.5 hours by train to reach there. I wanted a way to reach Nani's house as quickly as possible that's when I started to think about teleportation.

Teleportation is still a reoccurring concept in science-fiction and fantasy movies and shows. One of the best representations I have seen is in the Harry Potter movies where the characters apparate and disapparate but my personal favorite is travelling by floo powder. Just stand in the fireplace, speak the name of the place to go (Very, very clearly), drop the powder and the green flames will take you to your destination.

Another great representation is in the show Rick and Morty where Rick uses his portal gun to travel to different realities/universes/dimensions.

A thing to note is that portal fluid, portals in general, and the flames in HP are all green in color. A weird coincidence given that these two are completely different from each other.

Since we are in the dreamspace, let's assume that teleportation is possible.

• There would surely be a reduction in traffic as people would just get ready in the morning, step into their house's fireplace, and would come out of their office's fireplace. Commute time is practically zero.
  
  
• This would result in fewer people buying vehicles which would affect the whole automobile industry and the ones that are directly dependent on it.
  
  
• The concept of renting out houses may go obsolete as it won't matter if one's office is in a different city.
  
  
• The floo powder is a magical way of teleportation. If we think of it technically then instead of fireplaces, there would be "teleportation pods" and instead of speaking the name of the place we would have to provide the destination's unique coordinates. Think of coordinates as a unique public IP address of a computer. Instead of floo powder, there would be some source of fuel but what would that be? Electricity? Sunlight? Air? Special Fluid? Special Gas? Something else? I am not able to think of anything as of now.
  
  
• Just like a washroom/bedroom/kitchen has become a crucial part of factors that decide whether a house should be purchased or not, a teleportation pod would also be one. People would go like, "The house was good, plenty of light and ventilation but the absence of a Teleportation Pod is a dealbreaker."
  
  
• The jobs of delivery people (food, parcels, posts) would be in danger as the seller would simply send the package to the unique coordinates of our house which we entered in the address field while placing an order. One would enjoy the food specialty of different places without actually traveling to that place.
  
  
• Teleportation could be a boon for patients as one would not have to wait for an ambulance. Patients, doctors, blood/organ transportation for transplants, medicines, and vaccines would take seconds to move from one place to another.
  
  
• People would step out less from their homes which would result in less tanning but more deficiency of vitamin D due to no exposure to sunlight. This is a real problem even today without teleportation.
  
  
• Why would people go out of their houses? Not everyone has an office job. People like farmers have to go outside in the field and work. Even if someone has teleportation pods, he/she will still head outside of the house (parks for example) just to get some fresh air otherwise after a point, it would start affecting mental health. People would miss going out.
  
  
• Sales and production of a lot of products will lessen like umbrellas, raincoats, sunglasses, caps/hats, etc.
  
  
• Pollution might* get reduced. I am not sure of this as greenhouse gases will increase because people will spend money on air conditioners now that they are not spending money on rent and fuel for their vehicles. Or vehicles for that matter.
  
  
• Just like we don't keep the door of our house open for anyone to just walk in, we would not keep our teleportation pods open all the time. If something or someone wants to come to our house, that person would first have to request access from us and only after we allow it, the teleportation would start from the other side. Similar to when we request remote access to a computer, the other computer must allow us to have it. Whenever our pod receives a request we would receive a notification. The sound of the notification would be like a doorbell chime.
  
  
• Security would be a MAJOR concern for our pods. Just like a computer with a public IP and open ports is vulnerable to attacks from a threat actor, our pods would also be vulnerable. Simply denying a request would not be sufficient. Multi-factor authentication will be required to access pods like passwords, security codes, and access keys. Simultaneous biometric authentication and turning of physical keys would be preferable. It would also need a firewall otherwise a DDOS attack would make our pod unresponsive.
  
  
• If a computer is hacked, confidential information might get in the wrong hands. If a pod is hacked, a robber can enter our house, and "teleportation robbery" might take place.
  The following is how a news article (generated using ChatGPT) might look if this happened:
  
  

Teleportation Pod Robbery Sparks Security Concerns in Urban Homes

In an audacious turn of events, a high-tech teleportation pod installed within a residence became the target of a bold robbery, shedding light on the potential vulnerabilities of this groundbreaking technology. The incident, which occurred in the heart of the bustling metropolis, has ignited discussions about the necessity of bolstering security measures for personal teleportation devices.

The victim, whose identity remains confidential, reportedly suffered a loss of valuable possessions when thieves managed to exploit weaknesses in the security system surrounding the teleportation pod. This incident marks the first of its kind in a string of advancements that have brought teleportation technology into everyday life.

Teleportation pods, once deemed a futuristic concept, have now become common fixtures in urban homes. These devices offer unparalleled convenience, enabling individuals to travel instantaneously between locations, bypassing traditional transportation constraints. The rise in their usage has been paralleled by technological advancements and innovative design, making teleportation an integral part of modern society.

• As good as it sounds, the concept of teleportation pods sadly would not be accessible to the general public in their homes if it is invented at some point because it is simply way too much power in the hands of individuals. If it becomes a reality, it would be highly regulated.
  
  
• In today's world, the fastest means of transport is an airplane but the average individual does not have access to his/her plane. We have to use the airlines and follow their timings and protocols. If teleportation is a thing, there would be places like airports but for teleportation.
  
  
• One will have to book tickets, go to the port, and follow all the security checks before he/she is teleported to the destination. It might happen in groups where all the members are being teleported to the same location or individually also. It depends.
  
  
• Traveling to a different country would require a VISA just like today. There would be different terminals for domestic travel, international travel, and inter/intra-state travel. It would not be available for traveling places if the distance between them is very less.
  
  
• Just as we arrive at the airport of our destination and not to the actual place that we want to go it would still be like that. In a nutshell, the process would be very similar to air travel but instead of flying in a plane, one would be teleported. Rest all would remain the same.
  
  
• Just like air travel is not cheap, teleportation would be very expensive. Just like the rich people have their planes, they might also have their teleportation pods.
  
  
• How would teleportation feel? In HP books, the process of apparition is described as "pressed very hard from all directions.". Assuming that this is correct, there would be people with certain medical conditions who will not be allowed to teleport.
  
  

These are just small points according to my tiny brain's imagination. I also had a couple more of them, but I am not mentioning them here because I am lazy. Even if I did, it does not even scratch the surface of how the world would be different if teleportation was possible. If you have similar points, leave them in the comments, and lets discuss them and ponder more in this dream space.