Ironically, correcting the bad wiring would increase the neutrinos apparent speed, but as the referenced article and this one point out, the team found another possible error in the "oscillator" that provides the ticking clock for the experiment syncing with the GPS equipment. This is the possible error that would go the other way and 'slow' the neutrinos down.
What stands out in this story is that Science stands tall. The controversy is only when people, even scientists, forget what science is all about: experimentation. We like it when science seems logical, but science is only interested in tested results.
The OPERA team was testing how neutrinos changed from one type to another when they stumbled upon their speed result. They were not looking to disprove Special Relativity. They spent 2 years trying to find errors in their results, since there are innumerable experiments which confirm Einstein.
In publishing their results, they humbly requested others to test their results. They spent another six months looking for errors. They found two. Now they (and others) will test some more.
The public likes to think of science as "true" or "false" in some ontological sense. The great thing about science is that it is empirical truth. Repeated experiments will find the answer. In the mean time we can feel secure that nothing so far has been unimpeachably tested to travel faster than light. New tests will decide the relative strength of that feeling.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Peter's title and one line post. "Einstein's theory laughs in the face of bad wiring" should be Quote of the Day.
2 comments:
186,282 miles per second. It's not just a good idea. It's the law.
Ironically, correcting the bad wiring would increase the neutrinos apparent speed, but as the referenced article and this one point out, the team found another possible error in the "oscillator" that provides the ticking clock for the experiment syncing with the GPS equipment. This is the possible error that would go the other way and 'slow' the neutrinos down.
What stands out in this story is that Science stands tall. The controversy is only when people, even scientists, forget what science is all about: experimentation. We like it when science seems logical, but science is only interested in tested results.
The OPERA team was testing how neutrinos changed from one type to another when they stumbled upon their speed result. They were not looking to disprove Special Relativity. They spent 2 years trying to find errors in their results, since there are innumerable experiments which confirm Einstein.
In publishing their results, they humbly requested others to test their results. They spent another six months looking for errors. They found two. Now they (and others) will test some more.
The public likes to think of science as "true" or "false" in some ontological sense. The great thing about science is that it is empirical truth. Repeated experiments will find the answer. In the mean time we can feel secure that nothing so far has been unimpeachably tested to travel faster than light. New tests will decide the relative strength of that feeling.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Peter's title and one line post. "Einstein's theory laughs in the face of bad wiring" should be Quote of the Day.
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