Monday, October 17, 2011

All I want for Christmas is a Neutrino Detector

A recent study was released that indicated that  neutrinos could travel faster than light.  Wow!  Of course, some readers would first need to find out what a neutrino is ( no it's not a brand name granola bar!)  According to a recent Reuter's report, scientists have been double checking findings that could shatter what many have held as the TRUTH.

"Antonio Ereditato, spokesman for the researchers, told Reuters that measurements taken over three years showed neutrinos pumped from CERN near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy had arrived 60 nanoseconds quicker than light would have done. 

At the end of September researchers were proud as they spoke to reporters: "We have high confidence in our results. We have checked and rechecked for anything that could have distorted our measurements but we found nothing," he said. "We now want colleagues to check them independently." If confirmed, the discovery would undermine Albert Einstein's 1905 theory of special relativity, which says that the speed of light is a "cosmic constant" and that nothing in the universe can travel faster.  

Alas, this week, a panel of experts have now explained those initial findings.  So Einsteins' laws of physics are apparently intact for at least another week.    I know...so much to talk about over dinner tonight with your family! My thoughts on this research parallel the peacemaking work being done around the world. 

And just for fun...