Is there a fly in here?
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."
LOL. I first heard that one in the 50's on an already-30-year-old 78 by comedians Moran and Mack, "The Two Black Crows."
Another one from the same record:
Moran: My poor dog got hit by a car and they had to cut off his tail.
Mack: That's too bad. Did it affect his carriage?
Moran: No, but it sure fixed his waggin'.
Not if the clock moved backwards and therefore that would be the only way I believe these two could prove their theory....LOL I would believe it could happen on paper, but between prisms three feet apart, I have trouble comprehending.....I hope they did it, but I doubt they did. I too would like to look at the data and see if the experiment could be duplicated. And I am not a scientist....LOL But I am pretty good with math...LOL
That's awful. Is there any way to fix it? ;o)
Self bump for later reading
Actually, a photon has no rest mass.
However, when traveling at C (the only speed at which a photon can exist), it has a momentum proportional to its frequency, with Planck's constant as the proportionality.
Having momentum, you can impute a mass to it. This model explains the phenomenon of "light pressure."
Hmm, what OTHER theories are they wrong about? Could it be... Evolution?
You haven't read any quantum physics if you think it's unbelievable (to a physicist). Of course, it's still unbelievable in the framework of human experience, but we know quantum phenomena don't occur at macro scales, or have a very low probability of occurring (such as you suddenly materializing in your neighbor's house).
Make it so.
I knew you were going to say that.
Pinging to myself from the year 2065.
I agree. The salesman told me my ship was the fastest model there was, and that nothing would ever go faster.
Now the speed of light has been broken??? I’ve only put about 2,000,000,000 miles on the odometer...I wonder if they’ll let me trade it in.
Now that’s an earworm I DIDN’T need! ;o)
Well, in theory, you’d have to find a method of pre-synchronizing the time measuring devices on both ends of the experiment. Also taking into account the time taken for the signal to start the expirment to reach the device and the time taken for both devices to register and record the observation on thier end. Adjusting for those the difference between when the device at each end recorded the event would have to be some fraction less then 3FT/(Speed of Light in ft per second) for the Speed of Light to have been breached.
Sounds like a pretty tall order to me too.... and very prone to error....but in theory, possible to record. In practice, I can’t imagine the degree of control neccesary in order to get that precise a measurement with any accuracy.
Sorry. ;^)
My favorite kareoke song.
Is there a fly in here?
Bump
Nothing surprising, and the Germans are not the first to do it. It could happen if it does not have any mass.
German scientists allegedly breach the Speed Of Light. If this true, then time travel would be possible. What are these scientists views on World Wars I & II?
The photons are not traveling faster than c. It is just a matter of interpretation of the results. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/ns-lst081607.php and the original article http://arxiv.org/abs/0708.0681
Just a minute. Photons are light, and they travel at the speed of light, and they have no mass.
He is talking about “light going faster than light”. That’s not the same thing as an object (having mass) going faster than light.
And what it says about infinite energy is wrong. Einstein said that it would take infinite energy to accelerate an object (having mass) TO the speed of light, and that it would be IMPOSSIBLE to accelerate an object (having mass) faster than the speed of light.
The article is sensationalized. It has nothing to do with objects or people traveling faster than light, and thus “going back in time”.
Oh, and “time travel” consists of two words placed side by side, but which represent no reality. “time travel” is impossible.
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