German physicist duo claim to break speed of light

Two German physicists from the University of Koblenz claim to have broken the speed of light.

London, Aug 16 : Two German physicists from the University of Koblenz claim to have broken the speed of light.

According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second.

However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, say have possibly breached a key tenet of that theory.

They say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons - energetic packets of light - travelled "instantaneously" between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to three feet apart.

The duo say being able to travel faster than the speed of light would lead to a wide variety of bizarre consequences.

For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving, they said.

The scientists said they were investigating a phenomenon called quantum tunnelling, which allows sub-atomic particles to break apparently unbreakable laws.

"For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of," the Daily Telegraph quoted Dr Nimtz as telling New Scientist magazine.

ANI