Could Einstein have been wrong with "special relativity"?

[Hardbopjazz]

Strange Particles May Travel Faster than Light, Breaking Laws of Physics

Nothing goes faster than the speed of light. At least, we didn't think so.

New results from the CERN laboratory in Switzerland seem to break this cardinal rule of physics, calling into question one of the most trusted laws discovered by Albert Einstein.

Physicists have found that tiny particles called neutrinos are making a 454-mile (730-kilometer) underground trip faster than they should — more quickly, in fact, than light could do. If the results are confirmed, they could throw much of modern physics into upheaval.

"The consequences would be absolutely revolutionary and very profound," said physicist Robert Plunkett of the Fermilab laboratory in Batavia, Ill., who was not involved in the new study. "That's why such a claim should be treated very carefully and validated as many ways as you can."

http://news.yahoo.com/strange-particles-may-travel-faster-light-breaking-laws-192010201.html

[AllenLowe]

you're asking me? I couldn't pass High School physics. Try Nessa; he's the Einstein clone.

[Chuck Nessa]

Not me. Berigan is the science major here.

[JSngry]

Parallel dimensions acting in sync with worm holes in action.

Why not?

[Chuck Nessa]

yup

[jazzbo]

Somehow, somewhere, this means someone has begun work on their time machine with a new enthusiasm.

[Neal Pomea]

What a dummy Einstein turned out to be!

(if the Washington Post sportswriters were writing about science).

[Jazzmoose]

The question is, can the particles travel faster than light AND slower than light. Faster than light particles that cannot travel slower than light would pretty much be irrelevant for us slowpokes, wouldn't they?

[GA Russell]

My first thought was the guys twenty years ago who claimed they had discovered cold fusion.

[ejp626]

My first thought was the guys twenty years ago who claimed they had discovered cold fusion.

Yeah, I'm definitely taking this news with a grain of salt. Seems highly likely to be measurement error or even contamination from some other source.

[ejp626]

No new news on this, other than the majority of scientists (contacted by the Guardian) appear to believe the researchers have made a measurement error: Guardian science page

I do like this quote:

Professor Jim Al-Khalili at the University of Surrey said it was most likely that something was skewing the results. "If the neutrinos have broken the speed of light, it would overturn a keystone theory from the last century of physics. That's possible, but it's far more likely that there is an error in the data. So let me put my money where my mouth is: if the Cern experiment proves to be correct and neutrinos have broken the speed of light, I will eat my boxer shorts on live TV."

[Jazzmoose]

Some hams will do anything to get in front of the camera...

[BruceH]

What we REALLY need is some way to re-invent simultainaity.

[Chuck Nessa]

again?

[Larry Kart]

As a science-minded friend pointed out:

"I can't believe it's not an error. I can see the possibility of something traveling faster than light, but not just a tiny bit faster."

[Chuck Nessa]

Al always made calculated mistakes. He preferred Oscar Peterson to Bud and he loved Pringles.