Albert Einstein was a genius of note, creating a foundation for many of the scientific discoveries we now enjoy today.
But, can one of Einstein’s fundamental laws of the universe be overturned? Is one of history’s greatest minds wrong about something? If physicists from CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva and Gran Sasso Laboratory in central Italy, are correct, then Einstein might just be wrong about something.
Apparently, they have recorded particles travelling faster than light. Antonio Ereditato, a spokesperson for the international group of researchers, claims that measurements taken over a period of three years, shows neutrinos pumped from CERN near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy, arrived 60 nanoseconds quicker than light would have. Wait! What?!
Ereditato says the researchers are extremely confident about their results. So much so, that not only have they double-checked their findings, but they are now want other scientific colleagues to check their findings.
If their findings are confirmed, the discovery will seriously undermine Einstein’s 1905 theory of special relativity. Einstein’s theory states the speed of light is a cosmic constant. This means that nothing in the universe can travel faster than it. Having withstood over a century of testing, the theory is one of the key elements of the so-called Standard Model of Physics. This model attempts to describe how the universe and everything in it works.
But the totally unexpected finding which emerged by physicists working on an experiment named OPERA, which is run by CERN and the Gran Sasso Laboratory promised to change everything.
A total of 15 000 beams of neutrinos were fired from CERN towards Gran Sasso over three years. Neutrinos are tiny particles that pervade the cosmos. With the two laboratories 730km away from each other, the neutrinos were picked up by giant detectors.
Light will cover the distance in approximately 2.4 thousandths of a second. But the neutrinos took only 60 nanoseconds, or 60 billionths of a second. Thereby reaching the Italian laboratory much quicker than light would have.
But what does this mean? Science-fiction claims if the light-speed barrier can be broken, time travel is theoretically possible. I am holding thumbs, as I am sure everyone would like to travel back in time to change a few things or meet a few historical figures.
While the research opened new doors to the universe, it seems the physicist made a mistake. Reports claim a faulty connection between a GPS unit and a computer resulted in a discrepancy in the experiment. Einstein’s reputation is still intact.
What are your thoughts on scientists trying to break the speed of light?
