Faster than Light ?

ravingdave · Post by **ravingdave** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:06 pm

Not sure what to make of this. Maybe Dr. Nebel can shed some light

on this ?

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Health ... than_light

David

kmkramer · Post by **kmkramer** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:35 pm

Here's a pre-print of what he is apparently talking about :

http://arxiv.org/abs/0903.0399

Art Carlson · Post by **Art Carlson** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:31 pm

Ho hum.

chrismb · Post by **chrismb** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:54 pm

This is Houshang Ardavan's idea dating back a few decades, as being driven by his son Arzhang Ardavan, rehashed for a new decade.

Just like Polywell, it's already had a good run at investment over many years but hasn't delivered on the fine theory. it's a straight-forward idea, the device has been built but.... doesn't do much.

kunkmiester · Post by **kunkmiester** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:08 pm

They know light travels faster in Bose-Einstein condensates. It's of rather limited use though. I figured it was a good place to do some handwavium for a sci-fi series though.

chrismb · Post by **chrismb** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:09 pm

kunkmiester wrote:They know light travels faster in Bose-Einstein condensates. It's of rather limited use though. I figured it was a good place to do some handwavium for a sci-fi series though.

I thought it was slower. A couple of inches per second in a rubidium BE condensate 'crystal', I thought I'd read somewhere....

For the local speed of light to be faster than c, the medium would have to be less dense than vacuum.

Art Carlson · Post by **Art Carlson** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:35 pm

chrismb wrote:For the local speed of light to be faster than c, the medium would have to be less dense than vacuum.

The (phase) velocity of electromagnetic waves in a plasma is greater than c. (How's that for getting back on topic?)

chrismb · Post by **chrismb** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:01 pm

hmmp... I thought it was group velocity that can go quicker, in such media. I will consider myself corrected.

kunkmiester · Post by **kunkmiester** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:22 pm

I stand corrected. I thought it was faster. Interesting.