6.23.2006
Faster than light and backward
Here is "the latest example of logic-defying tricks that physicists can now perform with light" -- such as, oh, making a pulse of light travel backward -- and faster than the speed of light. Or, making a pulse of light fired into an optic fiber exit one end the fiber -- "seemingly out of nowhere" -- before it actually entered the other side. (This mystifying news comes via a recent New York Times article which, if you read fast enough, you will have completed before it was published).Here on Space Law Probe we love physics but at this rate we may have to stop calling things like the speed of light laws of science. At some point we will realize 186,000 miles per second (or, 670,000,000 miles per hour) is merely, you know, a suggestion.
Sadly, lawyers study law rather than cool cosmic tricks for getting around laws; this makes passing the bar exam, for example, more difficult for us than it would be for scientists.
By the way, speaking of speed, some folks over at the Rocket Dungeon may want to raise the speed limit in Texas so travelers can get to the X Prize Cup faster. Well, why not? Leave it to those crazy guys who build rockets for fun to legislate state speed limits. Beats lawyers, anyday. Or worse, lawless physicists. Yeeeha! ;)
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Have a super weekend, everyone.
Drive carefully ;)
