'We have broken speed of light'

Telegraph ^ | 8/16/07 | Nick Fleming

[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."

[Post-Neolithic]

Warp speed ahead.

[kinoxi]

‘Spooky action at a distance’?

[Maelstrom]

[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?

[ElkGroveDan]

Well they better fix it and soon. I utilize the speed of light frequently and I’m not at all happy about this.

[ClearCase_guy]

You break it you buy it. Gonna cost you a lot of c-notes.

[RayStacy]

Wow! That’s almost as fast as Jesse Jackson moving to get in front of a camera.

[RightWhale]

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....

[GoLightly]

Ping

[Vaquero]

[Gator101]

Oh yeah?...well how fast can they do the Kessel run?

[brownsfan]

The speed of light: Not just a suggestion, it’s the law.

[Just another Joe]

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.

[traderrob6]

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.

[Roccus]

[Eepsy]

[Taffini]

broken the speed of light

about time
now what?

[MNJohnnie]

Utterly incredible if true.

[InvisibleChurch]

I understand they made that announcement 2 weeks from now.

[Vanbasten]

Now, if we could only find some dilithium crystals...

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving.

Heck, I can already do that.....jump on a plane to CGO from Detroit.... I ALWAYS get there 30 minutes or so before I left......

[Moonman62]

The only way they can do that is to also change the constants of permeability and permittivity.

[mnehrling]

I wonder the photon traveled between the two prisms or if it was in both prisms at the same time (ie, located at two places at the same time- quantum physics says this is a possibility.)

[ari-freedom]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/10/991005114024.htm
“It is easier for me to question Einstein’s theory than it is to assume there is some kind of strange, exotic matter around me in my kitchen.”

[ichabod1]

No.

Einstein said it.
I believe it.
Anyone saying otherwise is a ‘denier’.

[MNJohnnie]

You break it you buy it. Gonna cost you a lot of c-notes.

PRICELESS!

[wolfinator]

Do photons have mass?

[taxcontrol]

first quantum tunneling
second sub-space communications
third warp drive
fourth teleporters

then .....

hot alien babes in skimpy clothes
http://allyourtrekarebelongto.us/drusilla.htm

[massgopguy]

On April 5, 2063 at 11:15 a.m. Zepram Cochrain made man’s first Warp Speed flight accompanied by Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride.

[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.

[Bean Counter]

[COBOL2Java]

"The other day I put instant coffee in my microwave oven ... I almost went back in time ..."
- Steven Wright

[Red Badger]

E=MC-notes?........squared?...........

[Dog]

Allow me..

Wow! That’s almost as fast as Jesse Jackson moving to get in front of a camera. TO A STACK OF MONEY.

Fixed.

[montomike]

That was my immediate thought.

“Warp 9, Mr. Data”

[FourtySeven]

Time to get the quantum slipstream drive online and get Voyager HOME!

[1L]

Dumb question alert: why is the speed of LIGHT specifically supposedly the ceiling on speed?

[Mr. Lucky]

It could be they were using an analog stopwatch.

[null and void]

*groan*

[ichabod1]

Of course they scoffed. After all, their hands were just going to get dirty again.

[camerakid400]

Im a physics major.

This is unbelievable...if its true. Ill believe it when i see it.

[asparagus]

Howard Dean may be interested in this...yeararrgh!!!

[OSHA]

On April 5, 2063 at 11:15 a.m. Zepram Cochrain made man’s first Warp Speed flight accompanied by Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride.

BAH! I did it in 1973 to the same music!

[jbwbubba]

“The researchers said they began their work, because they found the Autobahn too slow for them.”

Seriously, you start messing with photons and other quantum stuff, and gets weird real quick. (faster than light quick)

[agere_contra]

For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of.

That, and the fact that gravity propagates at a speed that must be at least 2 * 10¹⁰ c, and may be infinite. If gravity moved at the comparatively sluggish speed of light then the Earth would spiral into the Sun.

It turns out that Einstein's theory of Special Relativity has subtle flaws* whereas (I am given to understand) Lorentz's much less famous but broadly equivalent construct for relativity works with an infinite speed of gravity.

* But don't ask me what they are! I'm leaving the thread with my fingers in my ears, lalalalala I can't hear you!

[null and void]

There was a young lady named bright
whose speed was much faster than light
she went out one day
in a relative way
and returned the previous night

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Do photons have mass?

I didn't even know they were Catholic!

[RightWhale]

Relativity was devised to explain some things about electromagnetic radiation. It explains nothing about things that aren’t photons or photon related. Cerenkov radiation is an example of something of possible interest.

[AntiKev]

Not measurable mass. Therefore it doesn’t seem that special relativity is violated. Like another poster has stated, quantum mechanics states that it is possible that the photon was observed in both prisms simultaneously.

Or maybe one of their clocks was off by a millisecond or so.

The real test for this will be reproducibility.

[TommyDale]

As one who earns a living off lightwave and lasers, I say “Hogwash!”