Humanity is probably a long way from realizing the wormhole travel of the recent blockbuster hit “Interstellar,” scientists say.

In the film, astronauts are able to zip to all corners of the universe using wormholes, which have long been theorized by physicists. They are theoretical “tunnels” through the fabric of space and time that could possibly allow instant travel over long distances, as was depicted in the widely anticipated Christopher Nolan film.

However, Fox News quoted prominent astrophysicist Kip Thorne of the California Institute of Technology as saying that such travel right now is merely science fiction, even though it is technically possible based on Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

The reality is that “we just don’t know,” and the types of wormholes that would allow human travel may be impossible under the laws of physics.

Basically, the problem is that wormholes are unstable if there isn’t something threaded through them to hold them together. It would take inserting negative energy into the wormhole to keep it from collapsing, which has been created in the lab before. But it would take an enormous amount of negative energy that would probably be outside the reach of human capabilities, Thorne said.

Also, a wormhole that a human could go through, even if they did exist, probably couldn’t occur naturally, and thus would need to be created with technology that is currently far beyond that which humans are capable of.

The film relied on advanced beings with superior technology to create wormholes for humans, who were seeking to leave Earth due to global crop failures.

Science fiction has long used wormholes as a way for interstellar travel, drawing on elements of reality and fantasy. They also draw the attention of scientists hoping to learn more about the universe.

Also known as an “Einstein-Rosen bridge,” a wormhole is a topological feature in space-time that allows a shortcut through space-time.

The film “Contact,” which was released in 1997, also featured traversable wormholes. It was based on a novel in 1985 written by Carl Sagan. Interestingly, “Contact” and “Interstellar” both feature Matthew McConaughey as its star.

The film “Contact” revolves around a SETI scientist who finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and tries to make contact with it. The film was a commercial success, grossing $171 million at the box office with a $90 million budget.