The city of Vilnius has come up with an interesting solution to rethink the idea of unity: a real-time portal that connects different places
Teleportation is the world's most unlikely and revolutionary invention, but in Lithuania they've come up with a solution that comes pretty close: a real-time "portal" that connects one city with another, kind of like being in Stargate.
In Vilnius, the country's capital, a circular gateway has been installed near the train station that connects with Lublin, Poland, about 600 kilometers away. Both structures have large screens and cameras that transmit live images between the two areas. It is a kind of digital bridge that aims to encourage people to rethink the meaning of unity.
The project's creators believe that the challenges humanity is facing, such as climate change, economic crisis and social distance, are closely linked to a lack of empathy and a narrow perception of the world often tied to national borders. Instead, the portal would represent an invitation to overcome prejudices and disagreements and connect with one another.
The design and how the portal works
The shape of the portal was conceived with the intention of evoking a wheel of time, a well-known symbol in the world of science fiction. It was designed by engineers from the Center for Creativity and Innovation, the Linkmenu fabrikas, of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, or Vilnius Tech. The construction of the facility took five years and its unveiling, almost at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic that lasted more than a year, seemed timely. After a long period in which social relationships and contact between people were almost completely nullified, a portal has arrived that allows people to connect with other people, at least virtually.
At the moment, the portal is located only in Vilnius and Lublin, but there would already be plans to add more "digital bridges" with other cities in the future. The portal is a joint project with the Benediktas Gylys Foundation, the city of Vilnius, the city of Lublin and the Crossroads Center for Intercultural Creative Initiatives. "From design to 3D modeling, digital content development and logistical challenges - a project like this requires a large and multifunctional team," said Adas Meskenas, director of LinkMenu fabrikas.
Other inventions and innovative studies to connect distant and different places are the underwater train that China wants to build to get to the U.S. and the new hypothesis that it is possible to travel through space-time.