Re: breaking the light barrier

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

The article is interesting, mostly because Cindy can use it.  The last
paragraph says that electrons usually travel at 2/3 the speed of light
in materials...seems to me that the random velocity has not be
distinquished from the drift velocity.

cheers

On Thu, 19 Sep 2002, Larry Smith
wrote:

> At 3:45 PM -0600 9/18/02, EDUCAUSE@EDUCAUSE.EDU wrote:
> > BREAKING THE SPEED OF LIGHT, ON A BUDGET
> > Researchers at Middle Tennessee State University have created a device
> > that can send electric signals at four times the speed of light, and
> > they did so with commonly available components costing $500. This is
> > not the first time electric signals have exceeded the speed of light,
> > but it is the first time it's been done without extremely expensive
> > equipment. The device, which one researcher was able to assemble from
> > parts in just 40 minutes, can create a pulse of energy that, measured
> > by an oscilloscope, moves at 4 billion kilometers per hour. Bill
> > Robertson, one of the researchers, hopes that students and other
> > researchers can use the device to cheaply test some of the basic
> > theories of modern science.
> > New Scientist, 16 September 2002
> > http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992796

Joseph J. Bellina, Jr.               574-284-4662
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556