Energy of the Void

When most think about the vacuum of space, they associate with it emptiness. But in fact, space is filled with energy even when nothing else is present. This Zero Point Energy as it has come to be called is the lowest energy level a system can be reduced to, but this does not mean that it is a trivial amount. Indeed, the energy in empty space is so great that it has caused several dilemmas due to relativity. Since relativity equates mass and energy and gives both a gravitational field, the amount of Zero Point Energy should noticeably bend space. While assuming that Zero Point Energy doesn't exist or is very small would remove this problem, the theoretical energy level has been upheld by observations in very small objects. The force that results between metal plates that are very close due to Zero Point Energy becomes more significant the closer the two plates get in the absence of an electrical field. At 10 nm the force exerted as a result of Zero Point Energy is roughly equal to the pressure exerted by the atmosphere. While this force drops off extremely quickly with distance, its effects have become quite important to nanotechnology and other miniaturizing techniques.