Reading thru some of the above posts, it occurs to me that there are some who are misinformed. During the Victorian times, just prior to and after the turn of the 20th century, "modern" science was en vogue, and all the rage among the rich & poor. The wealthy & powerful were putting money into the sciences for their own gains, advancing technology drastically. Modern science as the Victorians knew it was quite exciting, and still new what with electronic devices and mechanical motors and even more amazing discoveries just around the corner. There were constant new experiments & discoveries going on in all areas of the sciences, including physics. With these new discoveries it was beginning to be understood that classical physics could no longer explain the world as they were discovering it, and new laws of physics were needed, which brought about quantum physics.
   With the new physics to explain the modern world, the Victorian people began to include "science" in many more aspects of their life, including religion. As religious phenomena began to be understood in more "scientific" ways & terms, several new belief systems evolved, such as Christian Science, Religious Science, New Thought, & others. Horatio Dresser, who was involved in New Thought, began publishing a periodical, The Journal of Practical Metaphyics, and in 1895 started the Metaphysical Club in Boston. "Metaphysics" was defined as beyond or above physics, and became used in terms of religious beliefs. Physicists, to include Einstein, were interested in religion and active in some of these "new" beliefs.
   Some of you may be surprised to know that Einstein was a friend of several religious leaders in the early part of the 20th century, including Paramahansa Yogananda, a guru from India. Einstein published his opinions, which included religion.
   As to whether or not transporting as in sci fi will happen, we will just have to wait and see. There are many nonbelievers who say that "it will never happen," and people around the world who thought humans would never fly, listened on radios or watched on televisions when humans landed on the moon. Because there are open minded people who can conceive of ideas in their thoughts, eventually experimenting until their idea is turned into something like, say, a computer, we have the ability to discuss these subjects on forums like the Mudcat.
    Maybe someday we'll even be able to say, "2 to beam up."
          Hugh O'Donnell