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Faster-Than-Light Neutrino Results May Be Due to Bad Cables

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  • Faster-Than-Light Neutrino Results May Be Due to Bad Cables

    Faster-Than-Light Neutrino Results May Be Due to Bad Cables

    Faster-Than-Light Neutrino Results May Be Due to Bad Cables
    By Adam Mann Email Author February 22, 2012 | 6:01 pm | Categories: Physics

    The sensational result that neutrinos can travel faster than the speed of light may be undone by nothing more than a simple mechanical error.

    Scientists from the OPERA collaboration at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy have “identified two issues that could significantly affect the reported result,” wrote OPERA spokesman Antonio Ereditato in an email.

    The first issue is a faulty connection of the fiber-optic cable bringing the GPS signal to the experiment’s master clock. The experiment’s GPS may also have been providing the wrong timestamps during synchronization between events.

    “These two issues can modify the neutrino time of flight in opposite directions,” Ereditato wrote.

    Back in September 2011, OPERA researchers found bunches of neutrinos arriving 60 nanoseconds earlier than should be possible if they were traveling at less-than-light speeds. The neutrinos traveled 450 miles from experiments at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland.

    The findings seemed to contradict Einstein’s theory of relativity, which states that nothing can move faster than light. Many in the physics community kept a skeptical view of the findings, suggesting that some unknown source of error had perhaps entered the experiment.

    The collaboration is now looking to perform a new measurement of the neutrino velocity as soon as the Large Hadron Collider begins operation in March.
    Whoops... :whome:
    Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

    Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

  • #2
    The findings seemed to contradict Einstein’s theory of relativity, which states that nothing can move faster than light.
    Bad science, bad journalism - it mentions the wrong theory and it is badly mistated if they are talking about the special theory of relativity - "nothing" can move faster than light? where doesit say that? What kind of two bit sensationalist publishes in the popular press with no peer confirmation? Morons...
    sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
    If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

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    • #3
      Whiskey, wired.com ain't exactly the popular media...

      Adam is a Wired Science reporter and freelance journalist. He lives in Oakland, Ca near a lake and enjoys space, physics, and other sciency things.
      Follow @adamspacemann on Twitter.
      Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

      Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by bigross86 View Post
        Whiskey, wired.com ain't exactly the popular media...
        Since when? It was pretty geeky when it was in to be a geek ;)
        No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

        To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

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        • #5
          I remember thinking that when this thing broke, and the described deviation from C was some ridiculously small value, like 0.02% (whatever), that the deviation would be due to some experimental error. If the neutrinos were 50% faster than C, that would have been a different story. But tiny variations tend to fall into the "experimental error" category, regardless of the expertise of the scientists.

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          • #6
            New Scientist has an article this week reporting on the same two technical issues. At this stage the faults have not been confirmed as the cause of the above C neutrino speeds previously measured, apparently OPERA researchers intend to start running a new set of tests in May this year so hopefully we will know by the end of the year if they have identified the cause of the suspect readings. If not its back to the drawing board and warp speed ahead Captain!
            If you are emotionally invested in 'believing' something is true you have lost the ability to tell if it is true.

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            • #7
              I kinda feel like a little boy who was given a wonderful toy and which was then taken away
              "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" ~ Epicurus

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