Last month, the world of physics was rocked by what seemed to be neutrinos moving at faster-than-light speed. The discovery was made by a group of researchers analyzing years of data. The measurements were taken from firing neutrinos from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy, a distance of 730 kilometers. The finding, if verified by independent researchers, has vast implications for the world of physics. According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, the speed of light is a cosmic constant, and nothing travels faster. This model is the basis for the Standard Model of Physics, such a discovery could change what we know about the universe. Faster than light travel is also the basis for theoretical time travel. “Most theorists believe that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light,” said Stephen Parke, head of the theoretical physics department at the Government run Fermilab in the United States. If things travel faster than the speed of light, A can cause B, [but] B can also cause A,” he continued. “If that happens, the concept of causality becomes ambiguous, and that would cause a great deal of trouble.” The experiment recorded the neutrinos arriving in Gran Sasso 60 nanoseconds faster than light itself would have. According to a statement released by the ‘Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus' (OPERA) spokesperson, Antonio Ereditato, the result “comes as a great surprise.” “After many months of studies and cross checks we have not found any instrumental effect that could explain the result of the measurement,” he added. “While OPERA researchers will continue their studies, we are also looking forward to independent measurements to fully assess the nature of this observation.” According to Ereditato, the potential impact on science is too great “to draw immediate conclusions,” saying his initial reaction is to believe neutrinos are “still surprising us with its mysteries.” “When an experiment finds an apparently unbelievable result and can find no artifact of the measurement to account for it, it's normal procedure to invite broader scrutiny, and this is exactly what the OPERA collaboration is doing, it's good scientific practice,” said CERN Research Director Sergio Bertolucci. “If this measurement is confirmed, it might change our view of physics, but we need to be sure that there are no other, more mundane, explanations. That will require independent measurements.” OPERA and CERN metrology experts, along with other scientific facilities, have teamed up to establish absolute calibrations. To validate or debunk the findings, all care must be taken to correct any margin of error that may exist in the project. “We have established synchronization between CERN and Gran Sasso that gives us nanosecond accuracy, and we've measured the distance between the two sites to 20 centimetres,” said Dario Autiero, from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CRNS). “Although our measurements have low systematic uncertainty and high statistical accuracy, and we place great confidence in our results, we're looking forward to comparing them with those from other experiments.” Whether or not the neutrinos indeed traveled faster than light, most scientists still remain skeptical. “If I was a betting man, I would bet against it,” Parke said. “Your first response is it can't possibly be true, that they must have made a mistake.” BM
