CERN's possible physic's bombshell

[RL3AO]

Considering its getting more play internationally then from the US media, you may not have heard about the huge story breaking yesterday.

Basically an experiment run by CERN has shown that a sub-atomic particle called a neutrino moved faster then the speed of light by 60 nano seconds when sent over 700 km from the large hadron collider to a lab in Italy. Everything we know about physics says this shouldn't be possible. For the past month the scientists involved have been trying to figure out where the made a mistake since that seems more likely then Einstein's theory being wrong. So far they couldn't find the mistake so they've released the results hoping that other labs can replicate the result or find their mistake.

Multiple physicists have said it would be the biggest discovery in physics in over a century. IMO (which to be fair isn't worth much in particle physics) this would be the biggest discovery in all of science in our lifetime.

[vbhoutex]

If verified this would be a huge discovery. I did read/hear about it the other day and thought "Hmm, what is so big about this? but now I realize what it is. I for one will be waiting to see the outcome of this.

[Cyclenall]

Only three responses to what could be the largest scientific breakthrough of the century so far, lol. I've been waiting for some results from CERN but I wasn't expecting this drama.

One part from what the OP posted that I don't get is the sub-atomic particle moving from the Large Hadron Collider to a lab in Italy...that isn't the loop track that is the CERN? What is that?

[RL3AO]

From what I understand they created the neutrinos in LHC then shot them through the alps towards a detector about 800km away in Italy that was 5000 feet underground.

EDIT: We're you asking what CERN is? Its the European Organization for Nuclear Research which obviously doesn't look like it would make the acronym CERN, but it does in French. Its the organisation that built the Large Hadron Collider.

[wxman57]

So, this means warp speed IS possible!

[thetruesms]

So, this means warp speed IS possible!

I am now slightly less embarrassed that this was one of my first thoughts

[WeatherGuesser]

Only three responses to what could be the largest scientific breakthrough of the century so far, lol.

Breakthrough? Bombshell?

I don't see it that way at all. The 'Laws of Physics" were written by a very few individuals based on their extremely limited knowledge of what makes things work.

Yeah, see, the Earth ain't flat after all, and the Sun doesn't orbit the Earth.

This is just another stepping stone that proves people don't really know everything they think they know.

[Ptarmigan]

So, this means warp speed IS possible!

Yup. That means we can travel in space quicker.

[Cyclenall]

Only three responses to what could be the largest scientific breakthrough of the century so far, lol.

Breakthrough? Bombshell?

I don't see it that way at all. The 'Laws of Physics" were written by a very few individuals based on their extremely limited knowledge of what makes things work.

Yeah, see, the Earth ain't flat after all, and the Sun doesn't orbit the Earth.

This is just another stepping stone that proves people don't really know everything they think they know.

That is what the definition of a breakthrough is.