After the phase of the enthusiastic statements, questions, criticisms and terse denials, admitted with resignation, it’s opening a more serene space for some general reflection.
I certainly do not want say the classic “I told you so”. In fact, in the Evolutionary Physics, from the very birth of this original vision of Reality, there has never been room for particles faster than light. But, really, that’s not what I would like to point out.
What I would like to draw attention to, because I think it is absolutely relevant and indicative of the state of theoretical research in this new millennium, is the obscurity in which the foundations of physics seem to be immersed.
I do not speak of sophisticated research on the internal dynamics of binary pulsar systems, of whirling blacks holes, clusters of galaxies surrounded by giant halos of dark matter. I’m not talking about cutting-edge research on extremely complex systems, on which we have little data, and we can not submit to laboratory experiments.
I’m talking about speed of light, speed and fragments, even if evanescent, of matter. I’m talking about fundamental physical quantities, on which we can, in certain sizes and with all the physical and technological limitations, make accurate observations and measurements.
In fact, our world is made up primarily of energy (like light), bits of matter (like neutrinos) and momentum (whose most basic measure is speed). It is as if a chef does not know the water, the flour and the act of mixing. It’s not a criticism of science. Or, at least, not in all of science. As in every sphere of life, there is good science and bad science. It is true that the foundation of the scientific method lies in doubt, in the falsifiability of the theories, in the process of overcoming and continuous refinement of the representations of the world, but I think, to the point where we have come, we should have some (and I say “some “) certainties on which to build a sufficiently strong and stable building to accommodate a deeper knowledge, able to evolve into broader and, at the same time, truly unitary representations of Reality.
Returning to the neutrinos, thinking that “something” in the universe can move faster than the speed of light in “vacuum” seems to me a rather unscientific attitude. I would think so even in face of evidences considered irrefutable. Even then, I would be led to think of measurement, systemic or interpretation errors. I feel encouraged to find a valid explanation within the representation of Reality proposed by Evolutionary Physics. Not that this theory represents an inviolable dogma. Certainly, in phenomenological areas less fundamental, or rather elementary, there is room for doubt, for falsification, and there’s always room for new research and development of new and better theories.
But on a few fundamentals, on the basic physical quantities, on the deep nature of Reality, on the motion, mass, energy, we can not have doubts so huge, that, after almost one hundred years by the remarkable work of Einstein and other geniuses of research, allow us to ask if neutrinos are faster than light!
That’s the power of science that illuminates the darkness of ignorance? The reason against superstition? The method against the faith? There is no one who has the courage to say that science, on key issues, is running like a ball on the ring, and that ultimately is not giving the impression of being destined to go in the basket?
How is it possible, after all the tests and meet the best accredited scientific theories, ask yourself the question: “Neutrinos faster than light?”. Unfortunately, it is not the right question. Is not the question which can lead to the answers we seek. Sometimes it happens to ask a “silly” question, the classic banana peel, revealing ignorance. Here, it happened just that. A part of the scientific community is literally slipped on the peel. Although temporarily, and even with the determination to carry out stringent testing, they have focused on a horse that obviously could not win, indeed, could not fly. Because, with their forces and without an appropriate means, horses, donkeys as well, can not fly!Nor is it necessary to dig a tunnel from Geneva to the Gran Sasso to allow neutrinos to transit. It is a waste of valuable resources to make accurate measurements to determine if a fragment of matter moving at speeds as superluminal. Precious resources that could support more useful experiments.
If we define the speed of light in a vacuum as the limiting speed of propagation of any type of perturbations in space-time and if we take this super-verified relativistic dynamics, it makes no “scientific” sense wondering if “something” with mass, however small (the neutrino), can move faster than “something” massless (the light).
The right questions are others. What is the space-time field? From where comes the force that seems to keep the Universe in constant motion and restless mutation? In this context, what is energy, what is mass, motion, electric charge, spin? In terms of physical quantities, of the fundamental dimensions of Reality: force, space and time.
It is in this context that Evolutionary Physics is advancing ambitious proposals, which need to be developed, formalized and verified by new experimental facts, as Science really likes…
More:
Foundations of New Dynamics: the deep nature of Reality – Paolo Scaranari (unfortunately, at the moment, only in Italian: Fondamenti di una Nuova Dinamica: la natura profonda della Realtà)