Is Einstein really under challenge?
By DoctorDidi
@DoctorDidi (7018)
India
January 15, 2012 11:10am CST
In 1905, Einstein postulated that the velocity of light was the ultimate velocity limit in the universe, which is known as Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Nothing could exceed it. In fact if one were able to do so, all sorts of strange things would happen. So, Einstein disallowed any velocity faster than the velocity of light. Over years, some people have tried to prove that Einstein was wrong. But until now, no experimental data have borne out this possibility. But at present Einstein’s special theory of relativity is under challenge due to the results derived from the experiment of CERN physicists working at European Organization for Nuclear Research on the giant particle accelerator near Geneva. Their experiment at CERN produced ‘nutrinos’ which are ghostly and electrically neutral particles and are byproducts of nuclear reactions. Nutrinos very rarely interact with other matter, only occasionally can we detect their presence. CERN physicists fired a beam of nutrinos from Geneva which were monitored by a giant detector at Gran Sasso in Italy. What perplexed them is that the nutrinos from CERN were reaching the detector at Gran Sasso ninety nanosecond faster than light takes to cover the same distance. You might be aware that 1 nanosecond is one billionth of a second. So, it was not a huge difference, but a difference nonetheless and it was at odds with Einstein. The theory of relativity is bedrock of modern physics. So, if it is proven inaccurate all of modern physics will have to be reinterpreted and textbooks will have to be rewritten. But do you think that it is still early to speculate about whether and how the special theory of relativity will need to be modified to account for these observations. I think that the scientists need to study the nutrinos and it may take years for a theory to emerge- if at all a modified theory is required or a new theory is to be postulated. What is your opinion about the whole matter?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@SpikeTheLobster (6399)
•
15 Jan 12
They've already verified the data, too, I believe - and recreated it. It's still under scrutiny for third-party confirmation but it could well be the start of the next stage in science and technology once a theory's in place (assuming it's confirmed).
FTL. At last. How cool is that? 
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
16 Jan 12
Yes, it may be that theory of relativity has some exceptions to the rule which would be brought into light by this experiment or it may be that a new theory would be developed which would be able to explain everything, including Einstein's theory of relativity and also the deviations from Einstein's theory observed in this experiment. However, we will have to wait until the final conclusion is announced by the scientists.
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Jan 12
Hi DoctorDidi, This is very interesting and I had not heard about it before reading your discussion. We have to remember of course that there will always be progress and new discoveries. Einstein was the greatest scientist of his day, but that doesn't mean that he will always be the greatest, in fact it is highly unlikely. Every generation sees progress and great men and women arise to new heights in all fields of endeavor. Can there be something that can travel faster than the speed of light? Why not? Blessings.
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
16 Jan 12
Einstein may not always be the greatest, but he will always be one of the greatest of all time. If his theory is ever proved inaccurate, it never means that he is not a great scientist. So long there will be science, the name of Einstein will be written there in golden letters.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
15 Jan 12
I think that when we are unable to accept changes to science that we consider to be fact we will arrest human developement. Many times in our history we have done this, it should something we learn from our past. I think Einstein would be one of the first to accept new science and enjoy the challenge of coming up with a new theory to explain it.
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
16 Jan 12
I also believe too that a true scientist is always ready to accept changes in science which may go against his own belief and in this way science develops and brings new changes in it.
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
15 Jan 12
Honestly, it is sad thought...but we've had likes of Galileo, and Copernicus..right? So if there has to be such a change so be it. However, so far, in practical life, we have found Einstein's theory holds good. So I do feel that such speeds are only possible in subatomic particles..whatever, may be space travel is on cards after all. Sooner rather than later. :)
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
16 Jan 12
Yes, you are absolutely right that still now Einstein's theory holds good. But it may be so that it has some limitations or exceptions which were so long unknown to the scientists but are going to be brought into light after this costly and massive experiment.
@webearn99 (1742)
• India
16 Jan 12
While this experiments do open a new avenues in scientific thinking, there is a a lot of way to go before they are authenticated. Einstein did postulate that if any matter having mass traveled beyond the speed/velocity of light, its mass would become infinity. This remains a theory even now, as some think that if this were to be true, then why do Photons, which make up the light spectrum, not have a mass of infinity.
I am sure that the scientific community has taken care to avoid errors due to refraction and reflection of light during its travel from Geneva to Italy, however, as it happens in breaking science, there will be other factors coming into play. Spectral changes can wreck hell on experiments. These need to be discovered and appropriate corrections made.
I will be watching this development with a lot of interest.
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
16 Jan 12
Yes, as far as I know Einstein postulated that mass of any object increases with increase in velocity of that object. The increase in mass can be calculated by a formula that Mv= Mo divided by square root of 1 subtracted by square of
velocity of the object divided by square of velocity of light where Mv is mass of the object at velocity 'v' and Mo is mass of the object at rest. When velocity of the object equals that of light Mv becomes Mo divided by square root of (1-1) and thus becomes infinity and when velocity of the object exceeds that of light Mv becomes Mo divided by square root of (1-anything greater than 1) that is Mo divided by square root of any negative number and thus becomes absurd. So, it can be easily assumed that this postulation of Einstein that mass of any object increases with increase in velocity of that object is not correct.
@inertia4 (27978)
• United States
17 Jan 12
Well up to now all that they can go by was the theory of relativity. But thats what science if for. To always look and push the boundaries. That is what we call progress. Scientists are always learning new things every day. And everything I believe is a chain reaction to something else. So why couldn't this be possible. I think it's exciting. But I also think we should be able to travel at least the speed of light. And I believe we will achieve that as well.
@bird123 (10658)
• United States
16 Jan 12
Well now, there is much that isn't known. If Einstein is wrong with the maximum speed possible, it's no big deal. Einstein helped the world of science. Everything He did will not be proven wrong. E=Mc2 Does work. Mankind has proof of that. Still science is after the truth and nothing will be taken away from Einstein's genius. It's not easy coming up with science when you have nothing to work with. They didn't have much to work with in Einstein's day.
