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'We have broken speed of light'
Telegraph ^
| 8/16/07
| Nick Fleming
Posted on 08/16/2007 10:15:43 AM PDT by LibWhacker
A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light - an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time.
According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second.
However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory.
The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons - energetic packets of light - travelled "instantaneously" between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart.
Being able to travel faster than the speed of light would lead to a wide variety of bizarre consequences.
For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving.
The scientists were investigating a phenomenon called quantum tunnelling, which allows sub-atomic particles to break apparently unbreakable laws.
Dr Nimtz told New Scientist magazine: "For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of."
TOPICS: Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alfonsstahlhofen; alternateuniverses; broken; burnthematthestake; einstein; germany; gettheattackdogs; grammarpolice; gunternimtz; hisneighborswiestein; hyperdrive; koblenz; light; makeitso; mtheory; nimtz; paralleluniverses; quantummechanics; relativity; speed; stringtheory; torchesandpitchforks; warp; warpdrive; warpspeed
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To: LibWhacker
2
posted on
08/16/2007 10:17:03 AM PDT
by
Post-Neolithic
(Money only makes Communists rich Communists)
To: LibWhacker
‘Spooky action at a distance’?
3
posted on
08/16/2007 10:17:09 AM PDT
by
kinoxi
To: LibWhacker
[i]Dr Nimtz told New Scientist magazine: "For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of."[/i]
How many do you need?
4
posted on
08/16/2007 10:18:28 AM PDT
by
Maelstrom
(To prevent misinterpretation or abuse of the Constitution:The Bill of Rights limits government power)
To: LibWhacker
Well they better fix it and soon. I utilize the speed of light frequently and I’m not at all happy about this.
5
posted on
08/16/2007 10:19:04 AM PDT
by
ElkGroveDan
(When toilet paper is a luxury, you have achieved communism.)
To: LibWhacker
You break it you buy it. Gonna cost you a lot of c-notes.
6
posted on
08/16/2007 10:19:14 AM PDT
by
ClearCase_guy
(The broken wall, the burning roof and tower. And Agammemnon dead.)
To: LibWhacker
Wow! That’s almost as fast as Jesse Jackson moving to get in front of a camera.
7
posted on
08/16/2007 10:19:27 AM PDT
by
RayStacy
To: LibWhacker
According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second. This is all bogus. You'd think that after a hundred years of staring at thia relativity thing somebody would be onto the scam. But noooo....
8
posted on
08/16/2007 10:19:45 AM PDT
by
RightWhale
(It's Brecht's donkey, not mine)
To: SunkenCiv
9
posted on
08/16/2007 10:19:55 AM PDT
by
GoLightly
To: LibWhacker
10
posted on
08/16/2007 10:20:01 AM PDT
by
Vaquero
(" an armed society is a polite society" Heinlein "MOLON LABE!" Leonidas of Sparta)
To: LibWhacker
Oh yeah?...well how fast can they do the Kessel run?
11
posted on
08/16/2007 10:20:14 AM PDT
by
Gator101
To: LibWhacker
The speed of light: Not just a suggestion, it’s the law.
12
posted on
08/16/2007 10:20:19 AM PDT
by
brownsfan
(America has "jumped the shark")
To: LibWhacker
For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving.From an old Zager and Evans song.
Somewhere very far away, maybe it's only yesterdaaaaaaayy.
In the year 2525, if man is still alive. If woman can survive they may fiiiiiiiiiind.
13
posted on
08/16/2007 10:20:30 AM PDT
by
Just another Joe
(Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
To: LibWhacker
Dr Nimtz told New Scientist magazine: “For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of.”
So smart yet he can’t master elementary grammar.
To: LibWhacker
15
posted on
08/16/2007 10:20:45 AM PDT
by
Roccus
(Able Danger??? What's an Able Danger???)
To: LibWhacker
16
posted on
08/16/2007 10:21:10 AM PDT
by
Eepsy
(The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.)
To: LibWhacker
broken the speed of light
about time
now what?
17
posted on
08/16/2007 10:21:13 AM PDT
by
Taffini
(Mr. Pippin and Mr. Waffles do not approve)
To: LibWhacker
Utterly incredible if true.
18
posted on
08/16/2007 10:21:19 AM PDT
by
MNJohnnie
("Todays (military's) task is three dimensional chess in the dark". General Rick Lynch in Baghdad)
To: LibWhacker
I understand they made that announcement 2 weeks from now.
19
posted on
08/16/2007 10:21:19 AM PDT
by
InvisibleChurch
(CLYBURN: Well, that would be a real big problem for us, no question about that.)
To: Post-Neolithic
Now, if we could only find some dilithium crystals...
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