September 23, 2011 - Albert Einstein is responsible for many of the longest-standing laws of physics, including the famous theory of special relativity. Nearly all of modern physics and astronomy is based upon the concept that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. It appears that Einstein may have been proven wrong thanks to a new study completed by CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research).
CERN claims that they have recorded sub-atomic particles traveling at a speed faster than light. The OPERA experiment consisted of firing 15,000 beams of neutrinos from Geneva, Switzerland to Gran Sasso, Italy over a period of 3 years. The sensors in Italy registered that the particles reached the target 60 nanoseconds faster than the speed of light. According to modern knowledge, this is an impossible feat. CERN scientists asked for others to confirm their research by reproducing the results, and Fermilab in Chicago is already attempting to recreate the experiment.
Despite asking for a double check, the CERN scientists seem very sure of this finding. "We have high confidence in our results, stated spokesman Antonio Ereditato. "We have checked and rechecked for anything that could have distorted our measurements but we found nothing." If these findings are indeed accurate, they will shake the very foundation of Einstein's theory.
While some people might think that 60 nanoseconds is insignificant, that little amount may have serious implications in the possibilities of light speed travel or even time travel. However, the neutrino is still quite mysterious to scientists, so further research is necessary to prove exactly what the OPERA experiment proved.
It's pretty amazing how little we actually know about our universe. Something new is often discovered that completely changes our perceptions of science and reality. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the scientific community discovers if the light speed barrier is actually broken.mustafd m maahir
September 1, 2011 - The universe is a strange and mysterious place, and astronomers are uncovering new wonders each and every day. This latest find is located about 4,000 light years away from Earth, which is relatively close in the grand scheme of things.
A planet composed almost completely of diamond was discovered in orbit around pulsar J1719-1438. A pulsar is essentially a dead neutron star that still emits radiation and is typically are less than 15 miles wide. While scientists technically aren't able to see the object, they are able to estimate its composition based on the way it distorts the radiation from the pulsar. Through their calculations, this is the most dense planet ever discovered and therefore must be comprised of compressed carbon. As far as we know, the final form of compressed carbon is diamond.
Astronomers are guessing that the planet is a remnant of yet another star that lost its outside layers to the pulsar. The planet is approximately the size of Jupiter, but it's about 20 times as dense! Aside from its composition, which is remarkable, the planet is also unique as its complete orbit only takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes. In addition, it apparently has something of an atmosphere that's abundant in oxygen but lacking in hydrogen and helium.
It's hard to say what exactly this planet looks like up close, but scientist Ben Stappers of the University of Manchester doubts that it's shiny like most people would expect.
Just for fun, I went ahead and tried to calculate how much this diamond planet would be worth if it was chopped up into five carat diamonds and sold at a moderate market price of $50,000 each. Using that method I figure the diamond planet is worth a massive 95 decillion(9.5 x 10^34) US dollars! Just to compare, that totals to 6.5 sextillion(6.5 x 10^21) times the current national debt! That's one valuable planet!by...mustafa m Hussein
