That NYT article seems to contradict itself. Here is says:
<< The backward wave, traveling at 300 times c, arrives at the near side of the chamber just in time to meet the incoming wave. The peaks of one wave overlap the troughs of the other, so they cancel each other out and nothing remains. What has really happened is that the incoming wave has "paid back" the cesium atoms that lent energy on the other side of the chamber. >>
Which seem to indicate that there is this backward light wave traveling at 300 times c. It's a light wave because it cancels out the incoming light wave.
Then it says:
<< The cesium chamberhas reconstructed the entire pulse shape, using only
the shape of the precursor. So for most physicists, no fundamental
principles have been smashed in the new work. >>
Hmm, how does a wave travelling at 300 times c not "smash" fundamental physics principles? Perhaps I just don't understand the article.
- bones
<< The backward wave, traveling at 300 times c, arrives at the near side of the chamber just in time to meet the incoming wave. The peaks of one wave overlap the troughs of the other, so they cancel each other out and nothing remains. What has really happened is that the incoming wave has "paid back" the cesium atoms that lent energy on the other side of the chamber. >>
Which seem to indicate that there is this backward light wave traveling at 300 times c. It's a light wave because it cancels out the incoming light wave.
Then it says:
<< The cesium chamberhas reconstructed the entire pulse shape, using only
the shape of the precursor. So for most physicists, no fundamental
principles have been smashed in the new work. >>
Hmm, how does a wave travelling at 300 times c not "smash" fundamental physics principles? Perhaps I just don't understand the article.
- bones