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| Science & Technology |
| Scientists observe sound traveling faster than the speed of light |
| 2007-01-18 |
| For the first time, scientists have experimentally demonstrated that sound pulses can travel at velocities faster than the speed of light, c. William Robertson’s team from Middle Tennessee State University also showed that the group velocity of sound waves can become infinite, and even negative. Past experiments have demonstrated that the group velocities of other materials’ components—such as optical, microwave, and electrical pulses—can exceed the speed of light. But while the individual spectral components of these pulses have velocities very close to c, the components of sound waves are almost six orders of magnitude slower than light (compare 340 m/s to 300,000,000 m/s). “All of the interest in fast (and slow) wave velocity for all types of waves (optical, electrical, and acoustic) was initially to gain a fundamental understanding of the characteristics of wave propagation,” Robertson told PhysOrg.com. “Phase manipulation can change the phase relationship between these materials’ components. Using sound to create a group velocity that exceeds the speed of light is significant here because it dramatically illustrates this point, due to the large difference between the speeds of sound and light.” |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #11 Shipman & Frank on the Road to Rantburg____the series!! ROFLMAO! and Grack Whaitle3696 too! |
| Posted by: RD 2007-01-18 20:55 |
| #10 Well that answers the issue of how they used subspace to communicate with Starfleet Command. Make it so Number One. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-01-18 19:52 |
| #9 I think one of the amazing ones to ponder, is the speed of light is decreasing over time. It is not constant we used to think of. |
| Posted by: bombay 2007-01-18 18:52 |
| #8 There are thousands and thousands of tiny discoveries made each day that are ignored by the MSM and are forced die a slow Fish Carb Death due to lack of ready money. It's the price we pay for being right-handed. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-01-18 17:53 |
| #7 Note: "group velocity" It's not what you think. |
| Posted by: mojo 2007-01-18 17:10 |
| #6 Frank G, brilliant post. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-01-18 15:20 |
| #5 as proof that light is faster than sound: many people appear bright..until you hear them speak |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-01-18 14:56 |
| #4 William RobertsonÂ’s team from Middle Tennessee State University Cool! That's my alma mater. Otherwise known for ... um ... er ... |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2007-01-18 14:40 |
| #3 I'm not sure I understand but this sounds amazing...how can ANYTHING go faster than the speed of light???? |
| Posted by: Spomort Greling4204 2007-01-18 13:59 |
| #2 superluminal sound velocity Wow - sounds like something straight from Acme Inc., who brought us the jet-powered pogo stick IIRC. Also, hasn't this effect already been illustrated, as it were, in other experiments by W. E. Coyote? |
| Posted by: Grack Whaitle3696 2007-01-18 13:46 |
| #1 It seems like this (and some other thought experiments on interference fringe propagation) indicates that information can be transmitted at velocities greater than the speed of light, at least under special conditions. If one could harness this one could 'see' into the 'future', and perhaps propagate a hologram (interference figure) into the future (or past). |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-01-18 12:57 |