http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/16/scispeed116.xml

Quote :

"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.""

I always wondered how Picard and the Enterprise got around the galaxy so quick. Now I know.

8/19/2007 10:24:08 PM

They also claimed that the jews were the reason for their downfall

8/19/2007 10:44:20 PM

Koblenz is a shithole

not surprised they came up with this kookie shit

8/19/2007 10:45:38 PM

This claim has already been "debunked" http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070816-faster-than-the-speed-of-light-no-i-dont-think-so.html

sort of

8/19/2007 10:49:57 PM

I saw that article last night.

All they did was get the leading edge of a quantum particle to its destination faster than the speed of light, but it still took the entire thing less than the speed of light to get there.

Josh with his physics degree poo-pooed the entire article.

[Edited on August 19, 2007 at 11:02 PM. Reason : sp]

8/19/2007 10:51:04 PM

still pretty cool

8/19/2007 10:52:12 PM

The main thing to note is that they're measuring group velocity, and it's trivial to use math tricks to make group velocity seem higher than C. Some HS kids did it with sound and made the news.

[Edited on August 19, 2007 at 10:56 PM. Reason : c]

8/19/2007 10:56:18 PM

http://www.mathpages.com/home/kmath210/kmath210.htm

^I think maybe you are confusing phase and group velocity,

group velocity < c
phase velocity not necessarily less than c

Of course I haven't read the article, just commenting on your post.

8/20/2007 8:32:49 AM

Quote :

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

that's silly. the time for that is almost insignificant; it'd be the time it takes light to travel a few feet to a couple hundred (i.e. the limits of your vision). Sure, you would arrive somewhere before you're seen...by the original viewer. But let's say you jump at ludicrous speed to millions of miles out. Well, once you get there, the critters there will perceive you immediately 'cause your visage will then travel at light speed to their eyes from the couple feet of distance between the two of you.

8/20/2007 8:47:19 AM

old

/message_topic.aspx?topic=490558&page=1

[Edited on August 20, 2007 at 10:59 AM. Reason : lock]

8/20/2007 10:58:13 AM

Guess we'll have to increase the speed of light then.

8/20/2007 5:11:17 PM

old

8/20/2007 5:12:21 PM

Quote :

"^I think maybe you are confusing phase and group velocity, group velocity < c phase velocity not necessarily less than c"

You're about as good with math as you are with politics

http://www.physorg.com/news88249076.html

Quote :

"For the first time, scientists have experimentally demonstrated that sound pulses can travel at velocities faster than the speed of light, c. William Robertson’s team from Middle Tennessee State University also showed that the group velocity of sound waves can become infinite, and even negative."

[Edited on August 20, 2007 at 6:26 PM. Reason : ]

8/20/2007 6:25:47 PM

^ I did say I had not read the article, however from my link,

Quote :

"Unfortunately we frequently read in the newspapers about how someone has succeeded in transmitting a wave with a group velocity exceeding c, and we are asked to regard this as an astounding discovery, overturning the principles of relativity, etc. The problem with these stories is that the group velocity corresponds to the actual signal velocity only under conditions of normal dispersion, or, more generally, under conditions when the group velocity is less than the phase velocity. In other circumstances, the group velocity does not necessarily represent the actual propagation speed of any information or energy. For example, in a regime of anomalous dispersion, which means the refractive index decreases with increasing wave number, the preceding formula shows that what we called the group velocity exceeds what we called the phase velocity. In such circumstances the group velocity no longer represents the speed at which information or energy propagates."

I remembered (incorrectly in general as it turns out ) that the group velocity was the velocity at which the information is actually transmitted. There is yet another velocity called the "signal velocity" which is the one I should have been interested in. Never the less I agree with your original sentiments that is just a misinterpretation and we don't need to worry too much about time-travel any time soon.

oh, and my politics are awesome so shut up.

[Edited on August 21, 2007 at 1:27 AM. Reason : .]

8/21/2007 1:26:59 AM

this thread is like watching a goat masturbate

8/21/2007 7:21:23 AM

i like watching that. bbbaaaaaaa baaaa

8/21/2007 10:44:05 AM

so when will The Einstein Code come out

8/21/2007 10:54:18 AM