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Scientists were able to extract light (energy) from empty space! Using a SQUID* device to capture the energy of photons from a dynamic vacuum**.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQUID
**http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/47856

We see that "nothingness" is foamy, actually. What strange world we live in, don't you agree?

ZPM's! HERE WE COME!

PS: Much thanks goes to sanman, from the SpaceBattles.com site, for finding this info on the internet.

As I understand it, what was detected was 'virtual photons', and virtual particles (photons or otherwise) can only be detected after they've been converted into real photons, a process that requires them to obtain energy. Thus, due to inevitable inefficiencies, this actually consumes energy instead of producing it.

However, if we can get it working right, then it might work as a particle source (as I understand it, photons aren't the only particles that exist in a virtual form in the vacuum: it's been suggested that some high-power Tesla coils might be able to convert virtual anti-matter particles into actual anti-matter particles). Depending on the efficiency, this might open up new experiments, or even actual practical uses (e.g. anti-matter particle cannons).

Also, any ZPM-type device that actually produced more energy than it consumed would presumably cause the universe to start imploding. Sure, we'd become known across the galaxy, but only in the 'infamy' sense...

Unfortunately, this doesn't mean we're on the path towards a ZPM. That the fundamental quantum structure of spacetime is "foamy" has been known for some time. What must be noted is that this foam represents the lowest possible energy state, at least for our current understanding of physics. To extract useful energy from a system, the system's energy must be higher than the amount of energy we put into it (so we have a net gain). As we can't get any lower than the energy of the foam, that means no ZPMs.

At least, not for energy production purposes. As the linked article mentions, this could possibly be used as a ready source of entangled particles. And we all know you can never have enough of those.