22 replies to this topic

[Raui]

A principle element of Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity is that the speed of light cannot be broken. Until today that it. Two German physicists have allegedly been able force light to break its own speed threshold (186,000 mi/sec) in one of their experiments.

The experiments centered on the movement of highly charged packets of light called microwave photons. These photons were moved through two prisms which were eventually separated.

While most of the photons bounced off the first prism they hit, a few were able to get through because of quantum tunneling, an event where particles are charged to the point that it can penetrate an obstacle or barrier.

These rogue packets of light had to travel farther than those that were bounced of the prism to get to the machine collecting the data. Theoretically, one should arrive before the other; however, all the packets arrived at the same time. This indicates a discrepancy in speed between both the reflected and tunneling packets, thus leading the scientists to believe that the latter was actually moving faster than the speed of light.

If this experiment can be reproduced and confirmed, then it could change the laws of Physics as we know it considering a lot of the theories have been based on the assumption that the light speed "barrier" cannot be surpassed.

Source: Click me

[Fatal]

aww not proven? Still, this is another step further in science

[Oaken]

wow, I love stuff like this. Makes me wonder what else scientists achieve that we DON'T get told about though

[Ives]

Source: Click me

Yeah, and Iran cured AIDS. Point? It's good to be skeptical.

[Stevo]

Yeah, and Iran cured AIDS. Point? It's good to be skeptical.

Lol! I personally don't believe anything unless they're 100% sure and/or it was on the new or something. If they did break the barrier good for them. If not, too bad!

[phalkon]

i did a report on something similar to this once, where i theorized the existence of an anti-verse.

but Einstein's Theory can go both ways, and people don't realize it. although it states that "the speed of light can't be broken", it also means that if something is already going faster than the speed of light (like Tachyons, for instance), then it cannot break the plane and go slower than that speed.

[spottedtiger]

hmm this is very interesting... i can't wait till someone either proves or disproves it

[Greeny]

mad, were doing light in science atm, and we were talking about speed of light. If you could launch a space rocket faster than the speed of light, you would see your rocket taking off from earth our teacher said...

[Oaken]

mad, were doing light in science atm, and we were talking about speed of light. If you could launch a space rocket faster than the speed of light, you would see your rocket taking off from earth our teacher said...

There is no way you would see it...it would just be too fast.

Not only that but if you were too close it deafen you as it broke the sound barrier (sonic boom)

[Stevo]

Stevo, there's very few things that are known to be 100% proven correct, and even then I'd still put a tiny bit of doubt it it. It's why there aren't that many laws in science. Not enough is known for us to be certain.

And dear god did you just say you basically beleive everything on the news? Geez no wonder people are so ingorant all the time if that's the case. I don't mean to offend you in any way but, please, PLEASE don't ever just beleive something because it's on the news. The general/popular media is one of the worst sources of real information out there in my opinion.

Really... No wonder people always prove me wrong at school!  That's the last time I watch E! News lol!

[Sean]

i did a report on something similar to this once, where i theorized the existence of an anti-verse.

but Einstein's Theory can go both ways, and people don't realize it. although it states that "the speed of light can't be broken", it also means that if something is already going faster than the speed of light (like Tachyons, for instance), then it cannot break the plane and go slower than that speed.

Nothing just starts going at a speed. It's called acceleration xD

[Melchoire]

Well from what I know about the speed of light and time and space and etc... when you travel faster then it means you're essentially traveling into the future. So if the latter photons were traveling faster than the SOL they would also have to be in front of the earlier photons right? And not arrive at the same time... I'm probably wrong but this sounds really interesting and if it's proven it will change a lot of things.

[Sweeney]

Nothing just starts going at a speed. It's called acceleration xD

Sorry Sean, that's totally wrong
Case in point: light. Light is always moving at the speed of light. (Obviously )
And, though you may never have heard of them, the theoretical particle called a tachyon. My, wouldn't we like to find one of those... they speed up as they lose energy

And since this experiment was based on a quantum effect, I would be willing to bet that the observations were based on the assumption of the inexistence of a probability field.

[Gen]

The only problem is that Einstein did those experiments a long time ago, when they didn't have enough technology to make better experiments, with the technology, the globalism and the information of our century/age, we can do alot more things and maybe even break some laws, somethings are very uncertainty, one day can be there, and in the next day someone discover a thing and everything changes...

[cx323]

http://arstechnica.c...t-think-so.html

the above links talks about why its not true

[Rikku]

don't believe everything you read.

or hear for that matter..

but stilll if this was an actual discovery, and scientists would think it was possible it would be everywhere.... but as it wasn't im guesssing it was majorly overlooked (highly unlikely) or it is just someone claiming to have done somethig they really didn't

[Warlord]

Can't we just assume that they broke the speed of light, whyisit there is always some dipshit wanting to rain on the parade of possible scientific breakthroughs. there's no such thing as concrete proof that something is impossible, so lets just try and prove it is possible.

[Sweeney]

Can't we just assume that they broke the speed of light, whyisit there is always some dipshit wanting to rain on the parade of possible scientific breakthroughs. there's no such thing as concrete proof that something is impossible, so lets just try and prove it is possible.

You've got it backwards.
The only thing we can prove is that something isn't true.

[Warlord]

You've got it backwards.
The only thing we can prove is that something isn't true.

Really? You can prove without a doubt that it is impossible to break the speed of light, would somebody get this guy a nobel prize?

[Sweeney]

Really? You can prove without a doubt that it is impossible to break the speed of light, would somebody get this guy a nobel prize?

I didn't say "prove that something is impossible". I said "prove that something isn't true".

Take a theory. Any scientifically-valid theory.
It is impossible to prove it. It is only possible to disprove it.

[Cataliste]

I didn't say "prove that something is impossible". I said "prove that something isn't true".

Take a theory. Any scientifically-valid theory.
It is impossible to prove it. It is only possible to disprove it.

I've tried to explain it to people hundreds of times.

It IS impossible to prove something FALSE. Simple testing could yield one instance where the law fails. This means the law is NOT TRUE (false). However. You can do a million test that support a law. This does not mean it is true. Germany could come out with some sick ass experiment that causes the law fail under certain conditions. Then it is no longer a law.

In short. Prove it a million times. It only has to fail one time to be proven wrong.

[pyke]

I've tried to explain it to people hundreds of times.

It IS impossible to prove something FALSE. Simple testing could yield one instance where the law fails. This means the law is NOT TRUE (false). However. You can do a million test that support a law. This does not mean it is true. Germany could come out with some sick ass experiment that causes the law fail under certain conditions. Then it is no longer a law.

In short. Prove it a million times. It only has to fail one time to be proven wrong.

Popper's black swan theory anyone?

Nothing is definite. Despite what math teachers may tell you

This would be an interesting breakthrough, perhaps even amazing. Though, I'll remain skeptical until further testing to confirm the initial thoughts.

[DudeOnline]

just like the tobacco industry. you don't have to be right, you just have to prove the other guy wrong