'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...