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Particles faster than light? Discovery challenges one of the fundamental laws of the universe

Recently, an international group of researchers claimed that they have caught particles moving faster than the speed of light, which may change one of the basic rules of the universe formulated by Albert Einstein. Antonio Ereditato, a spokesperson for the group, said that measurements taken over three years showed that neutrinos sent from CERN near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy arrived 60 nanoseconds faster than light would have. This claim, which has been tested for over a century, is one of the most important parts of the so-called Standard Model of physics, which attempts to explain how everything in the universe works.

Gamma Ray Bursts are infrequent, but extremely potent outbursts hypothesized to be triggered by the formation or fusion of neutron stars. The latest observed occurrence of this phenomenon happened over 12.1 billion years ago. If the findings are confirmed, they would challenge the principle of the cosmic constant, which was established by Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity in 1905, stating that the speed of light is a constant, and nothing can surpass it. The unexpected discovery holds significant implications for the field of modern physics and the fundamental laws of nature, as a new framework would be required if the cosmic constant theory is invalidated.

Gamma-Ray bursts are one of the brightest things ever seen, and GRB 140419A, observed by the robotic telescope at SMU, is one of the most powerful ever seen. The fact that the explosion was so far away and still surprisingly bright, with 12th magnitude brightness only ten times less bright than what can be seen with backyard binoculars, makes it a huge discovery. The difference in brightness is about the same as the brightest and the dimmest star you can see with the naked eye on a clear, dark night. Robert Kehoe, a professor at SMU, says that “very big” discoveries like this require a great deal of caution until the results are

Smaller than atoms, neutrinos are subatomic particles that travel at a velocity of 300,006 kilometers per second, slightly exceeding the speed of light. They are emitted from a unique facility situated at CERN, which also houses the Large Hadron Collider – an experiment aimed at uncovering the origins of the cosmos. To arrive at their destination at Gran Sasso, these neutrinos must traverse water, air, and rock, rendering them an invaluable resource for examining particles and the cosmos.

Scientists say that millions of neutrinos move through the body every day, and they are elementary subatomic particles with a tiny amount of mass that are made by radioactive decay or nuclear reactions like those in the Sun. Their existence was first proven in 1934, but they still don’t fully understand them. Neutrinos can go through most things without being noticed, even over long distances and without changing, which is why they are essential in studying particles and the universe.

It is still unclear what the discovery of the faster-than-light movement of neutrinos means, and it has shocked the scientific community. The OPERA experiment is one of the largest and most respected physics experiments in the world, with scientists from all over the world working on it. However, more teams from the United States and Japan have been invited to confirm the discovery, and the data will be made available online overnight for experts to review.

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