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gamer66618
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gamer66618
274 posts
Nomad

This is an area for general science and maths based discussions.

Ask me directly for any info on any science or maths based topic!

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Kasic
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Kasic
5,556 posts
Jester

I'm not saying that neutrinos do travel faster than the speed of light; I'm merely stating the obvious fact that they can't use the theory of relativity in their calculations, because that would be assuming that it exists


Gotcha. By this logic, we can't use the theory of gravity to predict anything either.
Masterforger
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Masterforger
1,824 posts
Peasant

Ah, a new science thread. The old one fell back far, did it not?

Anyway, what's this about neutrinos moving faster than light? And why has it gone on for fifteen pages?

dair5
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dair5
3,379 posts
Shepherd

I'm merely stating the obvious fact that they can't use the theory of relativity in their calculations, because that would be assuming that it exists.


We are not trying to prove relativity. We're trying to see how fast a neutrino can travel. We already know relativity exists. We just want to see if neutrinos can travel at a certain speed.
gamer66618
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gamer66618
274 posts
Nomad

Gotcha. By this logic, we can't use the theory of gravity to predict anything either.
Gravity has been proven indefinitely. Newton had the idea and the proceeded to prove it. The planets have a strong gravitational field. They have the ability to pull things towards it. All masses have a gravitational field. But planets and anything bigger like stars or denser like blackholes and neutron stars all have really strong gravitational field. This has been proven indefinitely; it isn't a theory, it is a an attraction. Not a force, no, an attraction. Like the attraction between protons and electrons causing the formation of atoms. The gravity on Earth is 9.81 meters per second squared as it is acceleration. So you can use it unless your proving it; you can use any theory you want apart from the ones that your trying to prove/disprove. Okay? I am very up on the principles behind theorisation, so don't test me.
Anyway, what's this about neutrinos moving faster than light? And why has it gone on for fifteen pages?
It's catching like a house on fire. I always russel up a good debate...
We are not trying to prove relativity. We're trying to see how fast a neutrino can travel. We already know relativity exists. We just want to see if neutrinos can travel at a certain speed.
No, the neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light disproves the theory of relativity, therefore you can't assume that it exists anymore because it is a very good way of disproving it. But what if the theory of relativity is not actually true? What if neutrinos can travel faster than the speed of light??? Then the very foundations of physics would be torn apart. Therefore to prevent the necessity to completely reinvent physics from the foundations up, the physicists are trying their hardest to disprove that neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light because that would then in turn disprove the theory of relativity. Therefore you can't use the theory of relativity because the neutrinos make the theory of relativity debatable. Therefore if you use it in your calculations, you assume that it exists when it may well not. Because the theory of relativity disproves that neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light. But they might travel faster than the speed of light if the theory of relativity doesn't exist. Therefore this experiment is fundamental to proving/disproving the theory of relativity and therefore it can't be used in the calculations. So you have to use Earth based equipment to cut out the necessity to use it. That way the existence/non-existence won't of the theory of relativity don't get in the way of the calculations, and then they can successfully prove/disprove that neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light and therefore whether the theory of relativity is true or not and therefore whether the entire foundations of physics have to be rebuilt again from the very beginning or if they are on safe, stable foundations. You see you can't use any theories that could be proved/disproved by the experiment, because then you're assuming that it exists, when it might well turn out not to. Therefore you have to make sure that the experiment performed doesn't have the requirement of the theory and therefore you can deduce whether that theory actually is true or not...

Therefore the theory of relativity cannot be used in the explanation of whether or not neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light or not... So, dair5, that's why the theory of relativity cannot be used in the calculations of the speed of the neutrinos; because it might well not be true after all; hence why it is labeled merely a "theory". It has held well so far, but who knows when that theory will eventually fail to explain something and then suddenly you'll need a new theory. Unfortunately for physicists, the theory of relativity is what the foundations of many of their discoveries were based off. If it turns out that it doesn't exist after all, then it'll be a pain for them to have to rethink all of their theories, therefore they refuse to believe that neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light and therefore they are trying desperately hard to prove otherwise so that they don't have to reconstruct modern physics from right near the beginning again. That's why they are trying so hard to disprove it.

Therefore we don't truly know whether neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light or not and therefore physicists are performing more tests on it. Why would they do that if it was a long gone dead and buried case, Kasic? Obviously they aren't satisfied with the results, or the safety of the theory of relativity. They wouldn't otherwise perform more tests if they believed it to be completely safe and therefore they must believe that they need to do further tests, else why would they!? They must obviously think that they need to and therefore the theory of relativity can't be all that safe for them to need to do more tests, therefore it can't be all proven and completed, so they must still be unsure and therefore they are doing more tests. So it isn't completely proven at all. THAT'S why they're doing more tests on it. Therefore it can't be already proven. Otherwise why would they do more tests on it!?!?

Therefore the theory of relativity isn't safe and physicists aren't 100% sure whether neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light yet or not...

After further tests, they should be sure. Then it will be clear what the outcome is... So don't be too sure of yourself there...
Kasic
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Kasic
5,556 posts
Jester

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvZfx7iwq94&feature=related

Gravity has been proven indefinitely


And yet, it's still referred to as a theory. Hmm...

Here, watch this video, it's not 6 minutes long and you have already stated you do not fully understand the theory of relativity, perhaps this will clear some things up.

Space-Time and the Speed of Light|Einstein's Relativity

Otherwise why would they do more tests on it!?!?


Because, as with ANYTHING, there is the possibility that we are wrong. Since there is that chance, we leave ALL of our theories open to change in case of this. They are simply making sure that this particular instance is NOT violating the Theory of Relativity in the only way which they can, by repeated occurances that have been independantly verified, i.e, the scientific method.
gamer66618
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gamer66618
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Nomad

And yet, it's still referred to as a theory. Hmm...
No its not else it can't be calculated as 9.8 meters per second...

I KNOW THAT! I don't think you understand what I'm saying... The theory of relativity can't be used to prove the teory of relativity because your assuming that the theory of relativity already exists before you've even proven it. I'm not saying that any of their other work is ****. I'm just pointing out a single flaw in one of their experiments...

I DON'T CARE about the theory of relativity, because the principle of theorisation still states that you can't use the theory to prove itself else your already assuming the outcome of your theory states that it is true even without testing it first. That's just stupid... It doesn't matter what theory it is; this rule applies to all. It's common sense...

Anyway, I'll post another message after I've seen the video...
Freakenstein
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Freakenstein
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Jester

And yet, it's still referred to as a theory.


Are we talking about the phenomenon of gravity, or the principles of which gravity is applied to planet Earth? These are a law and theory, respectively.
gamer66618
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gamer66618
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Nomad

I guess the theory of relativity makes sense, but the narrator said that humans have only have ever have been able to travel a tiny fraction of the speed of light. Since we can't travel anywhere near the speed of light, we can't prove the theory of relativity and whilst we can make calculations that seemingly prove Einstein's theory, we can' actually prove that it exists by going at the speed of light. However neutrinos travel very close to the speed of light and possibly even faster than it. Plus even though calculations seem to confirm the idea that if you go faster than the speed of light, then you can travel backwards in time, but again nobody has been able to prove that. Plus once the data from the neutrinos come in, they either prove or disprove the theory of relativity because they can travel close to (or possibly even faster than) the speed of light. I'm not saying that it is very likely that a subatomic particle can travel faster than a wave of energy, because its mass is negligible whilst light has no mass. But without proof and only calculations we can't prove either way, even though we can calculate that it is, without actually proving it, the theory of relativity is doomed to either be a theory forever, or be proven to be true or completely or partially disproven by neutrinos. And yes, whilst it is highly probably that neutrinos can't travel faster than the speed of light, it isn't proven either way yet. So don't take it to heart. It is still only a THEORY

gamer66618
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gamer66618
274 posts
Nomad

Are we talking about the phenomenon of gravity, or the principles of which gravity is applied to planet Earth? These are a law and theory, respectively.
Gravity for which there are laws of. Like when accelerating you eventually reach a point whereby the velocity is too high to get higher still because it becomes outweighed by the air resistance which eventually become an equilibrium and is known as terminal velocity. Hitting the ground at that speed would make a nasty mess if your a human, but as spiders and insects have a really small mass, the gravity acting upon them is less because the mass is less which reduces the force acting upon it. So even though the terminal velocity is higher, the damage is less to the point of none. The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is 9.8 meters per second. You can't fall to your death on the moon, because the gravity isn't strong enough. On Jupiter it would be a smaller distance to death than in relation to Earth.

There are laws of gravity and motion.
gamer66618
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gamer66618
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Nomad

Also the theory of relativity states that if you travel faster than the speed of light you can go backwards in time. Seeing as nobody has ever gone that fast, then it can't be proven can it? It's just a theory.

gamer66618
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gamer66618
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Nomad

If you accelerate infinitely without air resistance inside a vacuum, you would eventually reach the speed of light and travel backwards in time. I can't see that happening. Because without air resistance to slow you down, you could keep accelerating infinitely, therefore if you're in outer space you'd be able to travel backwards in time. This makes no sense therefore the theory of relativity seems stupid to me...

Kasic
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Kasic
5,556 posts
Jester

Seeing as nobody has ever gone that fast


Yet.

Because without air resistance to slow you down, you could keep accelerating infinitely, therefore if you're in outer space you'd be able to travel backwards in time. This makes no sense therefore the theory of relativity seems stupid to me...


It makes sense. I don't see what you find stupid about it. If you are constantly accelerating, you will get faster and faster and faster. Eventually, you will reach the speed of light. The question then is, is it possible to go past this?
gamer66618
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gamer66618
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Nomad

Anyway, so I was talking about nuclear fusion, so I thought that it would be appropriate to bring it to this thread but talk about how it operates rather than what its environmental impacts are.

I'll start off the discussion: Nuclear fusion is achieved when two atoms collide together to form a new atom. This releases energy. In nuclear fusion reactors they superheat hydrogen to 100 million degrees celsius and it turns into a plasma. Then by fusing the isotopes of hydrogen deuterium and titrium, we get energy out of it. they reckon it will be perfect in approximately 30-40 years depending on funding and breakthroughs of technology...

Any questions...?

Kasic
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Kasic
5,556 posts
Jester

Any questions...?


Yes. What is this?

"fgyhgfhgjk"

I'll start off the discussion:


You don't start a discussion by giving us some random fact. You ask what we think of it, or if we think there may be a better option, or if perhaps it's unsafe, or if we need to find an alternate energy source before nuclear fusion is ready to be used in a world wide scale, etc. You gave us nothing to discuss.
master565
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master565
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Nomad

The theory of relativity is hardly a theory, read this article.

Basically the article is saying that science, especially physics, has adopted a very very strict definition of fact and law, and won't declare anything a law anymore unless every single possible case across the entire universe has been tested. You won't find a physicist in the world who says that the theory of relativity is false, especially without undeniable proof to back it up, and these neutrinos are right now aren't solid proof and therefor the theory is still universally accepted.

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