Author(s) of Article: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (reprinted with editorial adaptations from Science Daily)
Source of Article: Science Daily:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110923084425.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110923084425.htm
Date Article Written: September 23rd, 2011
Summary:
Scientists with the “OPERA” experiment, which observes a neutrino beam, are presenting surprising results; the experiment appears to be showing that neutrinos travel faster than light. This experiment took place in CERN, 730 km away from Italy’s INFN “Gran Sasso Laboratory”. Without this experiment, we would still think that light is the fastest thing in the universe, but no particles are faster; they travel 730 km in less than 10 nano seconds. The result is based on the observation of over 15000 neutrino events and “appear to indicate that the neutrinos travel at a velocity 20 parts per million above the speed of light, nature's cosmic speed limit” “OPERA” states. OPERA is a scientific collaboration; they are the ones who made this experiment.
This article connects to our unit because it talks about particles, which we are studying (molecules, atoms and other things are particles). If we did not know that neutrinos travel faster than light, we would be thinking wrong, because now scientists know that light is not the fastest thing in the universe. I chose this article because I am interested in science and all other things which are connected to science. I found this article on the Internet, I searched for scientific current events, and “Science Daily” popped up, I thought this was the website I was looking for. I think “Science Daily” is a reliable resource because all of the articles on there are written clearly, they are true and they are also current. I know this because lots of people use “Science Daily”. I learned that light is not the fastest thing in the universe. While, I read the article, I felt that scientists made a new and important discovery.
