Faster than Light.

[magicbeatle]

On the news a few weeks ago, scientists said there was a particle that was found to go Faster than light. If it is true, it would throw Physics up in the air. However, they said they had to conduct more experiments to confirm it. Anyone know if they have? And why would it make backwards time travel theoretically possible?

[mibn2cweus]

It appears from this paper that pinging a fibre optics cable between detectors at both ends of the experiment provides assurance that any relativistic effects that might not have been taken into account are not contributing to errors resulting from the use of 'real' time GPS data as a means to synchronise clocks on the ground. reaffirming proper calibration of that aspect of measurement procedures leading to observed superluminal results . . . I presume. It would appear then that widely circulated rumours of this mystery having been solved are therefore grossly exaggerated.

http://arxiv.org/ftp/...rs/1109/1109.4897.pdf

I wonder if they've taken the accelerating expansion rate of the universe into account? ;o)

[ll_billym]

Thanks Mibs, I didn't think that there would be a problem with the clocks and at least it shows that I made the correct suggestion on how to prove it!

[mibn2cweus]

Interesting career choice ll_billym. My personal professional experience in your field of expertise is confined largely to the regulation of grand father clocks. ;o)

I'm aware that GPS data is corrected for both special and general relativity. Where I have my doubts is in what if any compensations have been or might need to be made with regards to the differing rest frames involved. Admittedly I'm in way over my head on this but I'm not one to resort to making allowances purely on faith in spite of my ignorance, that they've considered all possible aspects influencing how they derive their measurements of time and distance which are crucial to a certain determination of the velocities they are observing. And I realise those aspects are merely the tip of the iceberg in a complex process fraught with the potential for errors of one sort or another.

Regardless of the distance involved, twenty metres is as good as a miss. The military solution would likely be to use a bigger bomb.

However unlikely it is that I will be the one to step in to resolve this mystery and save the day, I am no less intrigued and fascinated by virtually all aspects of this conundrum for which I can't resist the temptation to speculate. I don't think they'll be bothered too much by that . . . do you? Who knows that one of them isn't having a good laugh reading this right now?

[mibn2cweus]

Update:

A new experiment designed to minimise the ambiguities of statistical analyse is (allegedly) in the works. - http://news.sciencema...ght-result-to-be.html

[Old_Geezer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...-environment-15791236

Just found this. Interesting stuff.