Also interesting: quantum tunnelling, 1.7 faster than the speed of light.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Faster...ons-a015570666
Quoting from that article:
Quote:
This result doesn't necessarily violate the notion that cause precedes effect. To send a message or cause a real effect, a shutter must be opened or something else happen to create a sharp break in a wave packet. A wave packet's peak can never overtake this boundary.
The front velocity -- how quickly the boundary travels -- never exceeds the speed of light, Chiao says. It's this speed that conveys information and ensures that cause comes before effect.
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With quantum mechanics, you can tunnel, but nothing useful will ever travel faster than light. It's complicated to explain, but that's it I'm afraid. And sub atomic particles, or even small atoms can routinely tunnel small distances, but the larger or more numerous the particles the less likely it will occur. i.e., there's about a 1 in 10^80 chance that I can tunnel through the wall in my house. So it's possible, but not likely.
07-03-2009
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