Physics Updates Ahead of Cross Country Championships

Physicists are almost always ahead of the rest of us in life.  Understanding the minute interactions of quantum particles somehow gives insights into the larger world others are not privy to.

The whole Field of Physics has been very busy lately and I feel some BIG changes are ahead for this world.  That's even if the superluminal neutrino is a figment of man's fallibility and Higg's elusive boson is never found.

First up is a fun little exercise from the experimental side of things.  The Experimental Physicists are looked down on by their Theoretical brethren, but can always be consoled by being better than the lowly Chemists (just kidding!).  Think of Sheldon and Leonard on The Big Bang Theory, if you will.  Answering the very important question of "How many layers of bubble wrap would be needed to survive a fall from the 6th story of a building?" takes quite a bit of work.  But there is lots of cool equations and admonitions to Not Try This At Home.  It's a lot better to be the Theoretical scientist involved in this query, not the Experimental one!

Next we must discuss the possibility of the superlumnial (faster than light) neutrino.  When I asked the question "If a superlumnial neutrino was a car and turned on its lights would anything happen?", I knew the answer was pretty complex. I asked two PSU Physics greats to reply and I got two neat answers.  Ron Moore replied that if you were in the car, the lights would work exactly as you would expect.  But those outside the car would observe things quite differently.  Remember, Relativity is quite relative.

Brian Boyer answered in a more straight-forward manner.  "The Law is the Law!", meaning that there is nothing that travels faster than the speed of light, so answering the question is moot, which it probably is.  I would like to see the cop who tried to stop the car driving without lights, however.  Here's several links to understanding why Brian is most likely correct,  here,  here, and here.  Not that Ron is wrong either, pondering the unfathomable is definitely in the realm of the brilliant.*

* I received B's in both Physics classes at PSU and cannot discuss QED (quantum electrodynamics) with any proficiency at all, despite being quite intrigued by it all.