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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: Southack
What?

Have read that gravity travels at the speed of light.

321 posted on 08/17/2007 1:37:43 AM PDT by Jedi Master Pikachu ( What is your take on Acts 15:20 (abstaining from blood) about eating meat? Could you freepmail?)
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To: jeddavis
In contrast with Macroevolution, relativity can be subjected to the scientific method, and has withstood many experiments.
322 posted on 08/17/2007 1:45:47 AM PDT by Jedi Master Pikachu ( What is your take on Acts 15:20 (abstaining from blood) about eating meat? Could you freepmail?)
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To: Clump
At one time surgeons scoffed at the idea that it was a good idea to wash their hands before conducting surgery. That is the problem with only believing in what can be empirically proved.

The benefit of antiseptic surgical practice could be and was empirically proved, notably by Dr. Joseph Lister. It wasn't taken as a matter of faith.

323 posted on 08/17/2007 1:48:09 AM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: LibWhacker

Hmmmm . . .

So . . . the speed of light has been broken.

Well!

I’m sure her unroyal lowness, her hideous heinous . . . Shrillery de Fosterizer de Marx de Machiavelli de Stalin would be happy to try and fix it. She’d only need a few $Triollion to get started. . . . for the children, of course.

= = =

Someone ought to ask her a question along those lines in an intense moment at a question and answer session. We might be able to get her to say something really stupid.


324 posted on 08/17/2007 1:52:31 AM PDT by Quix (GOD ALONE IS GOD; WORTHY; PAID THE PRICE; IS COMING AGAIN; KNOWS ALL; IS LOVING; IS ALTOGETHER GOOD)
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To: TommyDale

Well, at least the broom finally ended up in the right spot.

325 posted on 08/17/2007 2:08:02 AM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: TommyDale

What if I changed my mind and didn’t hit the switch?


Then the cat would be dead.


326 posted on 08/17/2007 2:10:34 AM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: burzum

This is a well known prediction of QM.


327 posted on 08/17/2007 2:14:33 AM PDT by djf (America welcomes immigrants! Sadly, America welcomes crimmigrants even more...)
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To: MeanWestTexan

Then why does a photon drive work?

Why does the black and white planar surface inside a sealed globe spin (see any hobby shop for your very own model)????

Why does the solar ‘wind’ cause the tail of comets???

Would you believe it if I told you most of our current scientific theories about the inner workings of the Earth, about the solar system and the galaxy, and the universe, and the limitations we accept, are totally incorrect???


328 posted on 08/17/2007 2:17:53 AM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: r9etb

Like I said earlier, if they truly “broke the speed of light” then the light arrived before it even left the point of origin. Totally impossible.


My question is.... How did they break the speed of light, if they were using ‘light’?

The speed of sound was broken, not by sound, but by something we propelled faster than sound.

so.......


329 posted on 08/17/2007 2:22:09 AM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: TommyDale

Like I said, how can something arrive before it leaves?


Consider your relatives. They arrive and you wish they left before they came.


330 posted on 08/17/2007 2:24:06 AM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: LibWhacker
For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving.

And get back just as fast?

Poor schmuck would probably get paid by the hour, too...

331 posted on 08/17/2007 2:30:27 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: Condor51
it appears to me they've just confirmed that the M Theory is correct and alternate universes do exist

We have a winner.

The Elegant Universe


BUMP

332 posted on 08/17/2007 2:30:50 AM PDT by capitalist229 (ANDS)
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To: agere_contra
When I tried to discuss the speed of gravity with my physics prof in college, he threatened to flunk me if I ever brought it up again. (HA! Final grades have been in for a long time... )

That's what you get if you mess with their gods...

333 posted on 08/17/2007 2:36:51 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: wolfinator
Do photons have mass?

Only when they stop moving.

334 posted on 08/17/2007 2:38:55 AM PDT by Hoodat ("I get tired of people that are holier than thou because they've been pro-life longer than I have.")
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To: MHGinTN
Sorry, I was just trying to run with the joke...LOL! Your first response reminded me of a joke Steven Wright once told about a job interview he had:

I was in a job interview and I opened a book and started reading. Then I said to the guy, "Let me ask you a question. If you are in a car that is traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, would they do anything?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "Never mind, I don't want to work for you."

It's one of my favorite "Wrightisms", geek that I am!

335 posted on 08/17/2007 5:26:31 AM PDT by Reaganesque (Romney for President 2008)
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To: KevinDavis; ShasheMac; brityank; Forest Keeper; swatbuznik; Potts Mtn. Pappy; Kevmo; wastedyears

A very good explanation......

http://stupac2.blogspot.com/2007/08/we-have-not-broken-speed-of-light.html


336 posted on 08/17/2007 5:27:33 AM PDT by nuke rocketeer
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To: capitalist229
**** We have a winner.****

Thanks.
Its been a long time since I won anything
Come on Mega Ball! ;-)

337 posted on 08/17/2007 6:05:55 AM PDT by Condor51 (Rudy makes John Kerry look like a Right Wing 'Gun Nut' Extremist)
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To: LibWhacker
They've past ludicris speed and, gone straight to plaid!


338 posted on 08/17/2007 6:21:38 AM PDT by SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

Relativity is based on “thought experiments” and not any sort of real evidence.


339 posted on 08/17/2007 6:42:48 AM PDT by jeddavis
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To: jeddavis
Relativity is based on “thought experiments” and not any sort of real evidence.

I wouldn't say so. Special relativity, for example, is based on two postulates:
1. That the speed of light is constant in all reference frames. This comes from classical electrodynamics which is based almost completely on experiments (and beautifully abstracted by Maxwell's equations).
2. That the laws of physics are the same in each inertial reference frame. This comes from Galileo and Newton who based their findings from experiments.

340 posted on 08/17/2007 7:03:31 AM PDT by burzum (None shall see me, though my battlecry may give me away -Minsc)
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