Tim Tyler Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtm...scispeed116.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." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted August 17, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 17, 2007 But you can't do that, it's a violation of special relativ... Ah. I'll get my coat. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 VERY COOL!!! Maybe my the time I'm a little old man, I'll be able to take a trip to another part of the galaxy. Hey, Kirk, screw gettin' on the Enterprise and usin' warp drive, we'll be the guys cruising around the universe on hopped up microwave ovens. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Luke Prendergast Posted August 17, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 17, 2007 Did they get a photo of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Gross Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 And like Cold Fusion back in the late eighties, I suspect that it will be proven to be something else. But my perpetual motion machine, that's something else... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Williamson Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Did they get a photo of it? That's the funniest thing I've read all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin pront Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 No more showing off with that Millenium Falcon Han! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member John Sprung Posted August 18, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 18, 2007 Actually, you can measure the speed of light for yourself using a laser, a table saw, and a mirror about 5 miles away.... ;-) -- J.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Collier Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 Take that Einstien! I always knew that jerk was a hippie liar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 Take that Einstien! I always knew that jerk was a hippie liar. Well...he WAS right about the BOMB! :blink: :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 Actually, you can measure the speed of light for yourself using a laser, a table saw, and a mirror about 5 miles away.... ;-)-- J.S. How exactly, does THAT work? :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted August 20, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 20, 2007 You fire the laser through the teeth of the (very rapidly) rotating table saw blade and compare the phase differential in the resulting pulses between a mirror that's two feet away, and a mirror that's five miles away. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Alessandro Machi Posted August 20, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 20, 2007 And like Cold Fusion back in the late eighties, I suspect that it will be proven to be something else. Probably so. But my perpetual motion machine, that's something else... that's pretty funny. I don't think it's a big deal since what they measured probably had no weight. To move an astronaut faster than the speed of light might require a bit more energy than is available. On the other hand, what if there is no gravity? Does that mean the weight of the astronaut is the same as what these scientist used for their tests? How much energy does it take to create no gravity for more than a relatively short period of time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck colburn Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 Lighten up on Einstein. After all he did not learn how to read untill he was nine. I guess he was busy elsewhere. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member John Sprung Posted August 20, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 20, 2007 How exactly, does THAT work? :huh: Use a fine tooth veneer or plywood blade. Set the laser up on the table top aimed perpendicular to the blade and between a pair of teeth. Set the mirror to return the light to the table saw. As you slowly "inch" the table saw, you see the returning light blink off and on. Note the position of the teeth when you can see the light. Turn the saw on, and observe how far that position moves in the direction of rotation. Light goes about 186,000 miles per second. So, it takes the photons 10/186,000 = 0.0000538 seconds make the round trip to the mirror and back. If the saw runs at 3600 RPM, that's 60 revolutions per second, or 21,600 degrees per second. Multiply by the time the photons were schlepping out to the mirror and back, and the blade turns 1.16 degrees. On a ten inch blade, that's about a tenth of an inch. For a more accurate measurement, you need to crank faster or use a longer baseline. The speed of light was first measured in 1849 by Armand Fizeau, using a wheel with 720 holes and a limelight projector. -- J.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted August 21, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 21, 2007 Woah, that's better than the one I read about! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 You fire the laser through the teeth of the (very rapidly) rotating table saw blade and compare the phase differential in the resulting pulses between a mirror that's two feet away, and a mirror that's five miles away. Phil Wouldn't it be easier to just look it up on the net? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted August 21, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 21, 2007 Wouldn't it be easier to just look it up on the net? :D But what if you didn't have internet access but had a tablesaw, power, a laser, two mirrors, and 5 miles of unbroken space? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 But what if you didn't have internet access but had a tablesaw, power, a laser, two mirrors, and 5 miles of unbroken space? Oh you mean like back in the 16th century when Galileo Galilei discovered that two iron balls of different sizes dropped at the same time will REALLY hurt when they land on your foot....but I digress. If I had a table-saw, power, a laser, two mirrors, and 5 miles of unbroken space, I'd probably go back to work on that death ray I tried to sell to the government during the '80s.....of coarse that's providing the statute of limitations is up and those hikers agree to drop the lawsuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Sunlin Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 Now all they need is a Delorean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted August 21, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted August 21, 2007 Oh you mean like back in the 16th century when Galileo Galilei discovered that two iron balls of different sizes dropped at the same time will REALLY hurt when they land on your foot....but I digress. If I had a table-saw, power, a laser, two mirrors, and 5 miles of unbroken space, I'd probably go back to work on that death ray I tried to sell to the government during the '80s.....of coarse that's providing the statute of limitations is up and those hikers agree to drop the lawsuit. It was clearly the hiker's fault for walking in your 5 miles of open space. Idiots. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 It was clearly the hiker's fault for walking in your 5 miles of open space. Idiots. <_< That's EXACTLY what I TOLD the judge! Ahhh, this guy was such a hardass, come on, really, HOW much could a few minor third degree burns really hurt? I mean 40% of the body isn't even HALF and the paramedics GAVE 'them morphine for cryin out load! SHEEEZZ, and that one chick, "My hair won't grow back!" Whine, whine, whine, what'sa matter lady you never heard of a wig? Nuns and Girl Scouts can be SUCH crybabies. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Bowerbank Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 Did they get a photo of it? HA HA! hilarious :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sheehy Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 To move an astronaut faster than the speed of light might require a bit more energy than is available. How about if they broke him down into sub-atomic particles, shot him over at greater than light speed & then reassembled him a-la teleporting? Which then raises the interesting question of 'What effect will this have on film stock, and will the TSA be involved?' ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 How about if they broke him down into sub-atomic particles, The only problem with that approach is the astronaut would tend to die. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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