# CERN Scientists Break the Speed of Light! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2016, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953 "2016-01-23T07:02:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/1 "2016-01-23T07:02:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Antonio Ereditato, spokesman for the international group of researchers, said that measurements taken over three years showed neutrinos pumped from CERN near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy had arrived 60 nanoseconds quicker than light would have done. > > “We have high confidence in our results. We have checked and rechecked for anything that could have distorted our measurements but we found nothing,” he said. “We now want colleagues to check them independently.” > > If confirmed, the discovery would undermine Albert Einstein’s 1905 theory of special relativity, which says that the speed of light is a “cosmic constant” and that nothing in the universe can travel faster. > **[CERN scientists 'break the speed of light'](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/8782895/CERN-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light.html?fb_ref=Default)** > > Scientists said on Thursday they recorded particles travelling faster than light - a finding that could overturn one of Einstein's fundamental laws of the universe. I find this unbelievable and think there is probably some kind of measurement error. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/2 "2016-01-23T07:06:24Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [CERN scientists 'break the speed of light'](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/8782895/CERN-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light.html?fb_ref=Default) > > I find this unbelievable and think there is probably some kind of measurement error. WOW!!! ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/3 "2016-01-23T07:09:18Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [CERN scientists 'break the speed of light'](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/8782895/CERN-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light.html?fb_ref=Default) > > I find this unbelievable and think there is probably some kind of measurement error. it was an error: [article](http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17560379) from [reddit](https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=reddit%20CERN%20Scientists%20Break%20the%20Speed%20of%20Light&oq=reddit%20CERN%20Scientists%20Break%20the%20Speed%20of%20Light&aqs=chrome..69i57.9539j0j7) this is an issues/topic left over from 5 years ago that somehow made the way back into the news today… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/4 "2016-01-23T07:13:52Z")
[This breaking news just in: Leslie Nielsen is still dead!](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35363394) From the article: > [@](#): > > This week there have been waves of online sympathy over the passing of actor Leslie Nielsen prompting many to quote their favourite and most memorable lines from films such as Airplane! and The Naked Gun. > > The only trouble is Nielsen actually died in November 2010 aged 84. > > That didn’t stop thousands of online users sharing this BBC story without checking the date and so it appeared that Nielsen had just died. > > [snip] > > Is there a psychological explanation behind why this social media anomaly periodically occurs? Author BJ Mendelson people post and share content for three main reasons: to look good, to look smart and out of the need for people to think we’re funny. Mendelson says: “When we see people sharing for those reasons, we get in on it too because we don’t want to be left out.” Generalissimo Francisco Franco cannot be reached for comment. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/5 "2016-01-23T09:25:37Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > it was an error: > > [article](http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17560379) > from [reddit](https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=reddit%20CERN%20Scientists%20Break%20the%20Speed%20of%20Light&oq=reddit%20CERN%20Scientists%20Break%20the%20Speed%20of%20Light&aqs=chrome..69i57.9539j0j7) > > this is an issues/topic left over from 5 years ago that somehow made the way back into the news today… The article linked in the OP was from September 2011. I knew it sounded familiar… Didn’t know the dude in charge of the experiment resigned though. That’s rough. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/6 "2016-01-23T09:26:58Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > The article linked in the OP was from September 2011. I knew it sounded familiar… > > Didn’t know the dude in charge of the experiment resigned though. That’s rough. yeah, kind of bad luck for him ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/7 "2016-01-23T09:28:37Z")
I’ve put a reminder in my phone to bump this thread in five years. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/8 "2016-01-23T09:29:27Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [This breaking news just in: Leslie Nielsen is still dead!](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35363394) Surely you can’t be serious? 😕 :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/9 "2016-01-23T12:57:09Z")
> [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > Surely you can’t be serious? 😕 :smack: Don’t call me Serious! Oh, wait… I’ll come in again. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/10 "2016-01-23T15:27:27Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [This breaking news just in: Leslie Nielsen is still dead!](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35363394) They miss one part of it–actually forgetting that they died. I know I saw the news, but I couldn’t remember if it was real or not. So I basically forgot he was dead. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/11 "2016-01-23T15:54:45Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Didn’t know the dude in charge of the experiment resigned though. That’s rough. I remember being bothered by that. Seemed like he’d scienced the right way. When you see something funny, you let others know so they can either confirm or figure out what went wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/12 "2016-01-23T16:21:48Z")
Hey, it’s Italy. Probably didn’t want to be thrown in jail for attempting to break the speed of light. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/13 "2016-01-24T19:44:27Z")
Surely the evidence that the article has resurfaced 5 years out of time sync with everything else ought to count in his favor somehow. Clearly they were on to some kind of time shenanigans, even if they misinterpreted the significance of their data. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/14 "2016-01-25T06:54:45Z")
Those neutrinos were expected to arrive at the destination sensors after a transit of 5 years, but careful measurements seemed to show that they arrived 60 nanoseconds short of 5 years. Upon independent review, it was found that this was just the natural deviance of the Earth’s orbit over a 5-year interval. We just need to adjust our clocks by 60 leap-nanoseconds. The neutrinos had it right all along. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/15 "2016-01-25T07:40:02Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Those neutrinos were expected to arrive at the destination sensors after a transit of 5 years, but careful measurements seemed to show that they arrived 60 nanoseconds short of 5 years. Upon independent review, it was found that this was just the natural deviance of the Earth’s orbit over a 5-year interval. We just need to adjust our clocks by 60 leap-nanoseconds. The neutrinos had it right all along. Wait a minute! These could be the missing 60 nanoseconds in the Bible! ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/16 "2016-01-25T13:44:56Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Hey, it’s Italy. Probably didn’t want to be thrown in jail for attempting to break the speed of light. Instead of going to jail, why wouldn’t they just surrender? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/17 "2016-01-25T15:31:01Z")
The results were skewed by someone running an electric can opener. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/18 "2016-01-25T16:07:31Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > The results were skewed by someone running an electric can opener. There was some radio telescope recently that was picking up weird signals from the office microwave when people stopped it by opening it. Took them a while to figure out the source. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cern-scientists-break-the-speed-of-light/743953/19 "2016-01-25T17:52:39Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > There was some radio telescope recently that was picking up weird signals from the office microwave when people stopped it by opening it. Took them a while to figure out the source. That like the ‘light switch that does nothing’ at one end of the hall? “look - there it is again” -