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German Physicists Claim Speed of Light Broken

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the don't-believe-your-optics dept.

Byzanthy writes "Two German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light by using 'microwave photons.' According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate any object beyond the speed of light. However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they did it by using a phenomenon known as quantum tunneling. The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons — energetic packets of light — traveled 'instantaneously' between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart." New Scientist, however, is running an article that suggests Einstein can rest easy. Aephraim Steinberg, a quantum optics expert at the University of Toronto, explains that the German physicist's results aren't necessarily wrong, they are just being interpreted incorrectly.

19 of 429 comments (clear)

  1. The headline leaves only one question by DigitalReverend · · Score: 5, Funny

    What are they going to do to fix it?

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    I read Slashdot for the headlines, because the headlines, unlike the articles, are usually original and never duplicated
    1. Re:The headline leaves only one question by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 4, Funny

      Since they are in front of Judge Schroedinger, they'll know whether or not they are guilty once their cell door is opened.

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      If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
    2. Re:The headline leaves only one question by WED+Fan · · Score: 4, Funny

      Nice, even my cat liked that one. How do I know? Simple observation.

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      Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
    3. Re:The headline leaves only one question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      They're going to issue a patch next Tuesday. Don't you mean they'll do it last Tuesday?
    4. Re:The headline leaves only one question by nospmiS+remoH · · Score: 4, Funny

      Noted physicists Schrödinger and Heisenberg are driving around in a car, and Heisenberg goes "I think we just ran over a cat."

      "Is it dead?" asks Schrödinger.

      "I can't be certain", says Heisenberg.

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      !hoD
  2. 186,000 miles per second by gozar · · Score: 4, Funny

    186,000 miles per second, it's not just a good idea, it's the law.

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    What, me worry?
  3. Just won't do... by nbannerman · · Score: 5, Funny

    How am I supposed to welcome our new microwave-photon overlords if they've already arrived?

    1. Re:Just won't do... by varmittang · · Score: 5, Funny

      But they haven't left yet either....

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  4. Great..... by segedunum · · Score: 5, Funny

    The time barrier's been broken, so where's that damn warp drive?

  5. *Grabs salt shaker* by TyFighter · · Score: 5, Funny

    I brought enough for everyone.

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    -tyfighter
  6. and the penalty for breaking this law? by aapold · · Score: 5, Funny

    You have to walk the plank.

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    "Waste not one watt!" - CZ
    1. Re:and the penalty for breaking this law? by SQLGuru · · Score: 5, Funny
      Good joke, poor execution.....

      You have to walk the planck. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck's_constant

      Layne
  7. Re:Actually by Nilych · · Score: 5, Funny

    I liked Niels Bohr's response to Einstein's comment:

    "Einstein, stop telling God what to do."

  8. Re:First Post! by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 5, Funny

    then how does a photon, WHICH HAS VOLUME AND MASS, travel at the speed of light without having the same mass/energy as the whole of the universe?

    Well, you've proven one theory of mine - any postulate typed in uppercase is guaranteed to be incorrect. ;)

  9. Re:Wrong about microwave photons by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Funny
    >Not only that, but [Einstein is] dead

    Only if you're within 52 light years of him.

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    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  10. C++ by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 5, Funny

    And lo, the greatest joke post title ever finally gets to be used!

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    stuff |
  11. Re:Every couple of years by Intron · · Score: 5, Funny

    Suppose we put Angelina Jolie on a rocket and send her to Mars. While there, they open the envelope. Angelina instantly becomes an Oscar winner. She doesn't know it because information will take several minutes to get there, but her state changes instantly.

    I use Ms. Jolie because she is frequently mentioned as part of an "entangled pair".

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    Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  12. The missing C by aapold · · Score: 5, Funny

    As you aptly noted, I omitted the "C", which represents the Speed of Light, which was likewise absent in this case.

    Thus, what appeared to be a simple gaff to the untrained eye is actually a sophisticated reference en passant.

    That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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    "Waste not one watt!" - CZ
    1. Re:The missing C by Alsee · · Score: 4, Funny

      >Thus, what appeared to be a simple gaff to the untrained eye is actually a sophisticated reference en passant.

      Good move, I guess that's checkmate.

      -

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