A look back How Switzerland almost disproved Einstein's theory of relativity
Ever since Einstein: nothing is faster than light. In 2011, an experiment at CERN seemed to prove the opposite - until the supposed breakthrough turned out to be a massive mistake.
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- Einstein explained with the general theory of relativity that gravity is a curvature of space and time and that nothing can be faster than light.
- In 2011, a CERN experiment caused a stir because so-called neutrinos were allegedly measured to be faster than light.
- A year later, it turned out that a loose cable had caused the measurement error - leaving the theory of relativity unchallenged.
Have you ever wondered what the fastest object in the world - or even the entire universe - is? The theoretical physicist Albert Einstein did, and provided a clear answer: nothing moves faster than light. This gave rise to the principle of the speed of light. Is that true? A team at CERN in Geneva seems to have disproved this principle in 2011.
But first a look back: Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm (Germany) and died on April 18, 1955 in Princeton, USA. What connects Einstein with Switzerland: Between 1903 and 1909, he lived in Bern and taught at the University of Bern. His apartment at the time became a cult tourist spot; today it is a museum. Finally, in 1915, Einstein revolutionized science with his General Theory of Relativity.
But what does this theory mean? Many scientists say that laypeople are incapable of understanding the theory. Einstein created it over several years. His train of thought, his formulas and ultimately the theory itself were developed over a long period of time. Nevertheless, there are examples and experiments that describe the core of his theory in a simpler way.
This is what the general theory of relativity says
Imagine the universe is like a giant, invisible trampoline. If you put a marble on it, almost nothing happens. But if you put a heavy ball - like a bowling ball - on it, it makes a dent in the trampoline.
This is exactly how big things in space behave: planets, stars or the sun bend the "space" around them. When smaller things such as the earth or the moon come close to them, they roll around in this dent - this is how gravity is created. Einstein's general theory of relativity therefore says: gravity is not an invisible pulling force, but a curvature of space and time by mass.
However, the theory is not limited to mass and gravity. Many things that we encounter in everyday life can be explained by the theory of relativity. For example, light, or the speed of light. Albert Einstein said that there is nothing faster than light. Is this true, or have we humans just not yet found anything that could be faster?
Revolution in physics
14 years ago, scientists at CERN made a discovery. The "Opera" experiment measured exactly how long it takes neutrinos to travel from CERN, the large particle accelerator in Geneva, to the Gran Sasso Science Institute north of Rome - a distance of 730 kilometers.
The astonishing result after 16,000 measurements: The tiny, almost massless particles traveled on average 20 millionths faster than light. A scientific sensation, as this contradicted Einstein's fundamental theory.
The world of science was stunned. It was said that this was not actually possible. Media around the world reported on the alleged contradiction with the theory of relativity. And rightly so, because this experiment would turn everything that physics has explained upside down. Much of what we thought we could explain today would be destroyed just like that.
A loose cable was to blame
A year later, the bang. What many had already suspected was confirmed - a measurement error had caused the seemingly impossible discovery. The independent ICARUS experiment was unable to confirm the sensation - the neutrinos behaved exactly as Einstein's theory of relativity dictates. The real sensation came a little later: the media reported that a "loose cable" had caused the particles to fly faster than light. Sounds absurd, but it was bitter reality.
However, meticulous research work lay between the initial assumption and the final proof. At the time, it became clear that the slipped cable had neglected the measurement of time - and turned a trivial mistake into an apparent scientific revolution.
The world of physics was perhaps hoping too much for a paradigm shift. Instead, they were brought back down to earth by a simple plug. So Switzerland only almost sparked a scientific revolution back then.
