Apparently.. we have broken the speed of light.

guerillaeye · Post by **guerillaeye** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:52 am

(found on another of my favorite forums)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.j ... eed116.xml

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."

dutty yuppie · Post by **dutty yuppie** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:57 am

I spent 10 hours on a train today so read every inch of the Telegraph - this sentencne got me...

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

Actually, I just got home and wrote this before, errm, setting off home.

tempest · Post by **tempest** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:55 am

epic... enter time travel

fushimi · Post by **fushimi** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:37 am

guerillaeye wrote:(found on another of my favorite forums)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.j ... eed116.xml

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."

"instantaneously". They were probably jus using an old stopwatch, they couldn't press the start/stop buttons in time.

echo wanderer · Post by **echo wanderer** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:25 am

jah pat · Post by **jah pat** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:11 am

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

relaks · Post by **relaks** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:23 am

Fushimi wrote:
guerillaeye wrote:(found on another of my favorite forums)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.j ... eed116.xml

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."

"instantaneously". They were probably jus using an old stopwatch, they couldn't press the start/stop buttons in time.

exactly what I was thinking

thesynthesist · Post by **thesynthesist** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:38 am

I just broke the speed of light here in my apartment.

I made this Hoagie disappear, like, instantaneously.

Seriously.

Like, fast.

fushimi · Post by **fushimi** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:56 am

thesynthesist wrote:I just broke the speed of light here in my apartment.

I made this Hoagie disappear, like, instantaneously.

Seriously.

Like, fast.

Mitch Buchanen will be pissed.

Oh, Hoagie

gravious · Post by **gravious** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:02 am

Was this faster than light travel though, or a distortion of space-time?

thesynthesist · Post by **thesynthesist** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:50 pm

I made that little snitch Hoabie disappear too...

Lets just the Desert hides many secrets...

step correct · Post by **step correct** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:53 pm

I don't get it, so you bank a laser off of a couple of mirrors and you've broken the speed of light?? Lemme know when they make a spaceship that can do that shit.

parson · Post by **parson** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:25 am

yeah the article is retarded misleading

they've gotten photons that are already going the speed of light to appear to go faster

whoopty fuckin doo. they are acting like this challenges relativity

unempty · Post by **unempty** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:17 am

I broke the speed of light with your mum.

opwolf · Post by **opwolf** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:27 am

this is highly dubious ..Einstein was a badman

parson · Post by **parson** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:50 am

i believe they got a photon to possibly go faster than light but so what

photons are light

it has nothing to do with accelerating an object to the speed of light

EDIT
also: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20 ... nk-so.html

echo wanderer · Post by **echo wanderer** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:39 am

Next we'll be developing Warp Technology,which means the Vulcans will visit us and validate us as intelligent beings(for the first time in our lives outside our own human,delusional belligerence of course).It'll be anarchy,I tell ya!A-N-A-R-C-H-Y!!!

Live long and prosper.

Too bad we aren't really doing anyting about the global warming situation...

unempty · Post by **unempty** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:45 am

I say let's get started with our post-galactic empire separatist rebel group right now, just in case.

First, we need a logo. Every separatist group worth a damn needs a good logo.

relaks · Post by **relaks** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:27 am

guerillaeye · Post by **guerillaeye** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:10 pm

^^ that one's taken nOOb.

im thinking sumthin more like this...

Apparently.. we have broken the speed of light.

Apparently.. we have broken the speed of light.

Re: Apparently.. we have broken the speed of light.

Re: Apparently.. we have broken the speed of light.

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