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With recent news of the discovery of particles that can move faster than the speed of light, reactions range from scientific purists panicking over the imminent derailing of universal theories to sci-fi enthusiasts rejoicing over a discovery that, in many works of fiction, enable time travel. But because scientific uproar can blur the real story on an already confusing subject, make sure to get the facts before getting started on that time machine.
What happened: Late September, scientists working on the Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus (OPERA) at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) released results that showed particles called neutrinos moving 60 nanoseconds faster than the speed of light when expelled from a particle accelerator. However, before any basing anything off this discovery alone, scientists must verify it by recreating an experiment that yields the same results. Until such confirmation occurs (if it ever does), the validity of this experiment can be considered only tentative.
What this Could Mean: Though this is groundbreaking on many accounts, scientists are particularly concerned with its relevance to Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity, on which many aspects of physics are based. This concept, concerning motion between objects at a constant speed, relies on the impossibility of anything moving faster than the speed of light. Should this assumption be proven false, this could imply that our linear perception of cause and effect may be a bit off. However, scientist Dave Goldberg of Drexel University believes that, even if Einstein is proven not completely correct, his theories still hold a significant amount of truth, and accurately explain many universal concepts.
BLOGS
