Scientists debate possibility of faster-than-light particle

Neutrinos, Oscillation Projects and bewildering theories. This may all seem overwhelming but it can be explained in an easily understandable format.

We all know of Einstein, but perhaps do not know of his work, fear not readers for I shall try to explain...

Amongst decades of investigations, number crunching and late nights on his lonesome Einstein produced many papers on different topics, most notably his theories of General and Special relativity (I would briefly explain them if I had any clue as to what they were, but unlike Einstein my brain is not the size of a goat.) Einstein stated that nothing, (except for Usain Bolt) can go faster than the speed of light, it is the universal speed limit. So when physicists from CERN, an organization for nuclear research, stated that they had propelled a Neutrino (picture an incredibly small ping pong ball) faster than the speed of light, the world stood in awe! Well perhaps not the whole world, but the science world sure did.

The large majority of our understanding of the universe is based on this vital law that nothing travels faster than light, the speed limit of light is also the basis of ‘cause and effect:’ effects always follow causes. If this statement did not stand, the basic laws of physics would have to be re-written! In a nut shell; several modules of what you future-physicists have learnt would have been somewhat wrong!

Many of you may or may not care about how the Neutrino managed to travel so fast, but I’m going to tell you anyway.
It didn’t.
Apparently.

“Right, if the CERN experiment proves to be correct, I will eat my boxer shorts on live TV.”
Jim Al-Khalili  (Theoretical Physicist) 

There is still much speculation over whether this actually happened or not, some say that the results were muddled, others just don’t believe them at all, Brian Cox blames extra dimensions! He says...

“...the universe might not have three dimensions, it might have other ones. If this is right then things can take short cuts through the extra dimensions. The neutrinos could be taking a shortcut through another dimension”

All very mind-boggling stuff.  Thankfully Brian Cox simplified this theory...

“Imagine there’s a speed limit that stops you going from London to Sydney; you fly around the circumference of the Earth. The other way to do it is to take a tunnel, straight through the earth with no speed limits; therefore this route is faster.”

That is what the theory proposes the Neutrino has done.

Believe what you choose to believe, as there is no correct answer just yet, so you can’t be wrong! I hope this has given you a small insight into the baffling work that is taking place as you read, or at least entertained you for a few minutes whilst you wait for tutorial to finish.

by Kerr McIlwraith