Ridiculous: A Loose Cable Caused Those ‘Faster-Than-Light’ Particles
We know that Einstein always has the last laugh, but this is hilarious: the faster-than-light particles that could have wrecked his relativity theory are no more. It was a mistake in the test results caused by a loose cable.
Didn't anyone from the Genius Bar tell them about the first rule of tech support? Check your cables first! Oh, scientists!
Researchers at CERN have found out that a bad fiber-optics link between a GPS unit and a computer was causing the 60 nanosecond timing discrepancy that was driving everyone mad. Once they realized this, the cable was tightened and the difference was gone. Yes, the faster-than-light neutrinos are not real (at least, we haven't detected them if they exist) and the Universe can breathe once again and keep destroying galactic wonders.
Apparently, the 60 nanosecond difference comes from the time it took to the data to travel through the cable, which fully accounts for the unexplainable 60 nanosecond neutrino speedup.
More here:
http://gizmodo.com/5887398/ridiculous-a-loose-cable-caused-those-faster+than+light-particles?tag=science
Darn, I thought science was getting a wack in the nuts with this one. Back to the basics I guess.
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R 7/27/2003
"Don't make me stamp my little foot!" - Lyli (as channeled by JBG)
"Thousands of my unborn children just died on my computer screen due to that icon." -Oob
My ACF boat:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/Galdwarf/IMG_2093.jpg
"Don't make me stamp my little foot!" - Lyli (as channeled by JBG)
"Thousands of my unborn children just died on my computer screen due to that icon." -Oob
My ACF boat:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/Galdwarf/IMG_2093.jpg
