Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos: OPERA Confirms

[haxartus]

I'm waiting for results from a source not connected to the original experiment, like Fermilab.
Edit: if the neutrinos have tachyonic nature, they can travel faster than light without breaking relativity. But even this would be big news, since it confirms the existence of tachyons.

[Voidism]

There's no rule that says stuff can't travel faster than light. The rule says you can't accelerate to FTL.
A particle already traveling at FTL speed is 'allowed'.

[Deleted]

You realise all this could mean is that the ultimate, highest universe speed is the neutrino speed, not light speed? As in, all the rules about light speed and such aren't true, but are for neutrino speed. That changes... nothing really. At least for us all, for physicists it changes a bit, but not THAT much either I think.

What I mean is that FTL speed doesn't mean anything more than just that - there is another maximum universe speed. No time travel or so. Just a reaaaaaaaally slightly bigger number in physic calculations.

Now. The neutrino speed is the biggest speed now. just as light speed was the biggest speed last year. Maybe in 50 more years something that is truly faster will be discovered, and I mean not by 0.00001 something but something greater then that. As a scientist you need to understand some fundamental laws but also try to challange them.

[Dundebuns]

I'm waiting for results from a source not connected to the original experiment, like Fermilab.
Edit: if the neutrinos have tachyonic nature, they can travel faster than light without breaking relativity. But even this would be big news, since it confirms the existence of tachyons.

This causes interesting debates on what an information carrier is in such a situation though, to make sure you do not get any weird timey whimey stuff.

[Destruktion]

Occam's razor doesn't apply here. That's mostly for untested material. And either way Occam's razor has no clear slice here. On one end you're assuming they did something wrong and on the other you're assuming they did everything right.

Exactly why it applies here. On one end, you are assuming that there is statistically significant error, and that the many experiments validating the theory of relativity remain unchallenged. On the other, you assume there is no statistically significant error, and that a fundamental law was broken that completely breaks down assumptions in modern physics.

Occam's razor says that the least complicated answer should be selected by default, which would be the former hypothesis. I'm not stating anything definitively, but until there are more experiments done, we shouldn't buy into the sensationalism.

[Joey Ray III]

make it so!

[PersimmonCF]

There are no mathematical errors. The guys doing these experiments are the brightest physicists on the planet.....

The brightest physicists on the planet all have their bullshit alarms going off on the loudest setting. They are all salivating over the chance to repeat this experiment and rip it to shreds.

Yes, it is a very big deal. Stop doubting, start adapting.

When the scientists stop doubting, science is dead.

An awful lot of scientists failed to doubt cold fusion. Fortunately not all of them.

An awful lot of scientists failed to doubt Piltdown man. Fortunately not all of them.

And so on and so on...

[Providence]

Skip to 6:30 in the part 4 video.

If that theory was indeed true, it means that Einstein wasn't in fact wrong. He simply outlined the rules for OUR universe. Learning to manipulate the others would be a whole new frontier.

yes that is true. theres many theories that create the premise that the micro mechanics behave differently over macromechanics. it is still, none the less, very profound.

[Ryme]

Please, people please, research what you are saying before you say it. The horrendous physics in every single one of these threads gives me the worst headaches

[SlicerQQ]

I'm taking into consideration this aswell as the existance of gravitons, in addition to Einstein's strange particle existence alongside with tachyon relativity laws, affirming(even in theory their existence) everything is possible in this UNIVERSE even, boson stars.

[fizzbob]

While it is perfectly fine to doubt his work (that is kind of the point of science). I feel there is a pretty big difference between claiming that an experiment will cause the end of the world and claiming that the laws of the universe are valid. Nobody with any scientific sense ever believed the CERN black hole garbage.

this is all based on the laws of the universe being right. 100 years ago black people were thought of as mentally inferior, more like animals than humans. you act like we've been at this "laws of the universe" thing a long time. we haven't. most of what we consider fact these days will be proven wrong in the future. this is the first step. it's happened before and will happen again.

most of what we "know" is only a good guess. it works a lot of the time.

---------- Post added 2011-11-18 at 04:34 PM ----------

The brightest physicists on the planet all have their bullshit alarms going off on the loudest setting. They are all salivating over the chance to repeat this experiment and rip it to shreds.



When the scientists stop doubting, science is dead.

An awful lot of scientists failed to doubt cold fusion. Fortunately not all of them.

An awful lot of scientists failed to doubt Piltdown man. Fortunately not all of them.

And so on and so on...

they have already re-tested and others are doing the same. it's how science works, everyone wants to make a name for themselves by being the first to call bullshit but when nobody can they all act like they knew it was right all along.

---------- Post added 2011-11-18 at 04:36 PM ----------

people don't realize that day to day life will not change in your lifetime because of this. it's almost pointless to discuss for 99% of earth. it means nothing to you. there is nobody in this thread qualified to even ask for proof, much less challenge the duplicated results. there are people on that. we're spectators. nothing more.

[Ryme]

most of what we "know" is only a good guess. it works a lot of the time.

Arh, what did I just say! Now I'm going to be up all night with the painkillers again

You seem to be under the horrible illusion that all physics is is taking a load of observation and throwing some story to it that pieces it together in some arbitrary way. No, just no. Look up the scientific method for further reading.

[StayTuned]

Most important question to me is now... what am I going to tell my kid when it asks me "daddy, what is the fastest thing on earth?"


should I still say "the light, kiddo!" or "neutrinos, but i dont have a effing clue what those things actually are"


mmh

[goki]

Please, people please, research what you are saying before you say it. The horrendous physics in every single one of these threads gives me the worst headaches

It is not as much the physics that worries me as it is the sheer high and mighty attitude. It is okay to be ignorant of a subject, but to pass your own opinions as scientific fact or doubt the opinions of people that are more learned in a subject is just stupid. I see a lot of people discarding almost two centuries of particle science and a century of special relativity in a paragraph.

[joenix]

How about neutrino's ignoring permittivity:

nuclearfusionreactor.blogspot.com/2011/12/faster-than-light-neutrino.html

It would mean that the speed of the neutrino in a superconductor becomes infinite... cool

[Ultima]

Okay, so if the speed of light is set and it travels along the aether at an unchanging speed, does that mean there is no friction or a set amount of friction?

Surely there must be some friction if there really are neutrinos that can travel faster than light, as they travel faster due to no friction? Or what?

[rkma]

Okay, so if the speed of light is set and it travels along the aether at an unchanging speed, does that mean there is no friction or a set amount of friction?

Surely there must be some friction if there really are neutrinos that can travel faster than light, as they travel faster due to no friction? Or what?

Uh... the aether doesn't exist.

[Laize]

Correct. As you get closer to the speed of light, your mass gets bigger. At the speed of light, your mass would be infinite. E=MC^2

If neutrinos can go faster, than means E=MC^2 is wrong is some way, which will completely rattle the world of physics.

You're actually confusing Special Relativity with General Relativity.

Formula for calculating mass as it approaches the speed of light is:

m = [rest mass]/sqrt(1-[(v^2)/(c^2)])

Substitute c for the velocity (v) and you get an undefined answer.

---------- Post added 2011-12-04 at 03:27 AM ----------

Okay, so if the speed of light is set and it travels along the aether at an unchanging speed, does that mean there is no friction or a set amount of friction?

Surely there must be some friction if there really are neutrinos that can travel faster than light, as they travel faster due to no friction? Or what?

Holy WOW.

Are you Michelson or Morley?

[myrkyr]

Okay, so if the speed of light is set and it travels along the aether at an unchanging speed, does that mean there is no friction or a set amount of friction?

Surely there must be some friction if there really are neutrinos that can travel faster than light, as they travel faster due to no friction? Or what?

Are you a time traveling wizard from ancient Greece?