Was Einstein really-wrong this time?

Story at http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/test+suggests+Einstein+relativity+theory+wrong/5733221/story.html .

Well, we know that the laws of Quantum mechanics that govern Electromagnetism, the Strong Nuclear Force, and Weak Nuclear force are at odds with General Relativity.

That said, the neutrinos discovered in the OPERA research contradicts all previous studies showing that neutrinos travel very close to the speed of light. (since they have a mass, Einstein's theory states that particles with mass cannot travel at the speed of light). This study is different as it shows that the neutrino is travelling just faster than the speed of light, and the sample size is large enough to make that definitive conclusion provided that the observations are done correctly. The only way that an experminent can be wrong is that the measuring devices are wrong (which would create a systematic error). But given that researchers have spent months studying the results to try to find the cause of this error leads me to believe that their observations might be right.

If this is the case, then indeed Relativity is flawed.

Well, this is far from over yet. They repeated the experiment on the same site, using the same equipment, same technique, same methodology, and largely the same team as the first time. So, this is hardly a confirmation of the result.

Most of the scientists (including the authors of the experiment themselves) remain very skeptical about this. The prevailing attitude is "here is a touch challenge of finding an error in these measurements", not "OMG, this is the end of physics".

If if results are confirmed, and systematic error is ruled out, that does not necessarily have to mean that Relativity is wrong.The postulate of Relativity is that the "speed of light" is invariant. Adding causality to that does kinda suggest that nothing can move faster than light locally, in an inertial frame of reference. But, relativity itself does not actually require that in anyway. We know of some pretty impressive violations of causality in quantum mechanics already, so this would not be a completely new one.

Besides, there ways to kinda save both relativity and causality while accepting the OPERA results. For example, what if, indeed, nothing can really move faster than "speed of light", but ... light itself is actually moving a little bit slower (because of some yet unknown quantum effect)?

One thing to bear in mind is that Einstein's theories have already gone through some tests. So if the speed of light can be exceeded, his theory would have to be modified, not thrown out.

If true, this could tell us much more about the neutrinos than about Relativity per se... even more than the discovery that those have mass.

I'm sort of partial to notions such as if some particles are separable, and others not, then perhaps some like the neutrinos "are but aren't" separable. Maybe in the sense that, in certain relativistic forms, neutrinos utilize another set of dimensions to faster get to where those are headed. More symbolic than literal, maybe, some manner at which our own univerise just "takes note of itself". (Isn't there a record of it somewhere, in some form, aside from it, itself?) Even if only in the form of a confirmation of a "separate", but real, anti-time?

The bartender says "We don't serve your kind in here"
A neutrino walks into a bar.
......
......
......
I'll be here all week, folks! =)


Kind of amazing, a real fun time to be alive. Seems great discoveries are becoming almost common place, always something new every few months. Kind of staggering when you look at it.

Quote: Face

The bartender says "We don't serve your kind in here"
A neutrino walks into a bar.

That took me a moment. Very good.

Quote: Face

Kind of amazing, a real fun time to be alive. Seems great discoveries are becoming almost common place, always something new every few months. Kind of staggering when you look at it.

It struck me watching the History Channel series "The Universe" just how much effort has gone into studying that universe since I was in school. The explorations of our solar system, which from following the news just seemed to be confirming there are a lot of rocks out there, has really come across tons of interesting stuff. Probing outside our system with advanced telescopes of all types has been amazingly productive. And these experiments and the theoretical work on subatomic particles and so on has really made advances.

Of course most of us have to say a lot of it is over our heads, but after watching a "Nova" program on PBS about quantum mechanics recently, it was gratifying to listen to a drove of researchers say things like "it makes no sense but that's a fact", "don't ask me to explain it, makes no sense to me either", and even "you can't ask why this is. The question is illegal!" [I'm paraphrasing]. I didn't get to see the whole program, need to do that.

Brian Greene's series on the Universe now airing on Nova (PBS Wednesdays) is excellent. They just reviewed quantum mechanics, relativity, and string theory. It's very updated and easy to understand. An excellent watch -- my 13 year old who is not interested in science found it fascinating. It reminded me very much of Carl Sagan's Cosmos series which changed my life.

You might as well view it - you paid for it. Next episode is on multiverses.