Loose Cable Behind CERN Faster-than-light Result

The controversial finding that cast a large shadow of doubt over Einstein’s belief that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light might have been caused by a loose cable, the lab behind the result said. Physicists at the CERN laboratory near Geneva appeared to contradict Albert Einstein last year when they reported that sub-atomic particles called neutrinos could travel fractions of a second faster than light. Einstein had said nothing could travel faster than light.

James Gillies, a spokesman for CERN, said the lab’s startling result was now in doubt. Earlier on Wednesday, the website ScienceInsider reported the surprising result was down to a loose fibre optic cable linking a Global Positioning System satellite receiver to a computer. ScienceInsider is run by the respected American Association for the Advancement of Science. Mr Gillies confirmed a flaw in the GPS system was now suspected as a possible cause for the surprising reading. Gillies’ says further testing was needed before any definite conclusions could be reached :: Read the full article »»»»

Higgs Boson: ‘The God Particle’ Nearly, But Not Quite!?

Scientists at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research - CERN -  say they have found signs of – although not yet conclusively discovered – the Higgs boson, an elementary particle which is the missing link in the Standard Model of physics.

The famed particle is the missing link in current theories of physics, used to explain how everything gains its mass. Rumors have been crashing about the scientific community for weeks on these findings.

Fabiola Gianotti, the scientist in charge of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, said the signal was centred at around 126 – GeV – Giga Electron Volts.

“I think it would be extremely kind of the Higgs boson to be here,” Gianotti told a seminar to discuss the findings :: Read the full article »»»»

OPERA :: Faster Than The Speed of Light

Scientists from the European Organization for Nuclear Research and the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics, under the experiment banner of OPERA  are reporting that sub-atomic particles known as neutrinos have the ability to travel faster than the speed of light, a discovery that if verified, would completely disassemble Einstein’s theory of special as well as general relativity. Or, at the outside these findings – if correct – may force science to re-calculate the speed of light :: Read the full article »»»»

Funkinwagnill: Quantum Mechanics

Quantum Mechanics: aka Quantum Physics aka Quantum Theory, is a branch of physics that provides a mathematical description of the Wave -particle Duality of Matter and Energy. The theory was developed in 1925 by Werner Heisenberg. Quantum mechanics describes the time evolution of physical systems via a mathematical structure called the wave function. The wave function encapsulates the probability that the system is to be found in a given state at a given time. Quantum mechanics also allows one to calculate the effect on the system of making measurements of properties of the system by defining the effect of those measurements on the wave function. This leads to the well-known uncertainty principle as well as the enduring debate over the role of the experimenter, epitomised in the Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment :: Read the full article »»»»

Light Disorder: Laws of Reflection, Refraction and the Surface Pattern Loophole

Scientists at Harvard have discovered new ways of making light dance, along the way changing the laws of reflection and refraction of light. The wonderful world of Nano particles, along with their effects on light’s behaviour were explored in order to make these discoveries. Under normal circumstances light is nice and predictable, Mr Consistent, the team from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences  – SEAS – found a loop-hole though, precise patterns of metallic nanostructures. Just as in a Carnivals Magic Mirror amusement the nanostructures were able to warp and bend light, unlike the carnival though they did not require bendy mirrors or clever lighting. Instead  using Nano structures embedded in precise patterns on the surface of silicon they were able to alter lights behaviour. Their findings were published in the scientific journal Science, September 2 and have since led to the reformation of the mathematical laws of reflection and refraction, the predicted path of a ray of light bouncing of a surface or passing from medium to medium, bouncing or bending:: Read the full article »»»»

Zero Point Energy and The Vacuum

In the depths of Deep Space, the vast emptiness may be more alive than we ever thought possible. The vacuum of space isn’t as void as previously advertised. Zero-Point Energy – ZPE - pervades every corner of the universe, populating space with it’s minimalism. This week a new experiment was conducted that went a long way to confirming the existence of Zero Point Energy. Scientists at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden constructed an electronic magnetic mirror and wiggled it 6 billion times a second. At this speed the mirror was able to produce a shower of photons from nothing, reflect light that wasn’t even there. In a completely dark and void vacuum, zero-point energy it seems exists :: Read the full article »»»»

Chameleon Magnets aka Electrically Induced Ferromagnetism at Room Temperature in Cobalt-Doped Titanium Dioxide

Magnetism is more than just a fun property to experiment with in Science 101, not just a scientific curiosity. Scientists have discovered the Chameleon Magnet, a perminant magnet that can be switched on and off at will. Magnetism is the glue that holds every atom and molecule together.

The very small world of nano magnetism – magnatism of atom’s nd molecules -  is very a different beast, not high school magnetism. In this world free electrons can be used to pass spin information on to other electrons, large groups of electrons spinning in sync can set up a magnetic field. All of these bizarre effects are being studied and applied to Chameleon Magnets and Spintronics, the science of using the spin of electrons to do work in electronics gadgets :: Read the full article »»»»