IF verified by further evidence and research, the recent findings of the CERN institute in Switzerland could shake the world of physics as we know it. It is being claimed by scientists at CERN that sub-atomic particles known as neutrinos can transcend the speed of light. Apparently neutrinos pumped out from Geneva to a laboratory in Italy were recorded, over several years, to have travelled faster than the speed of light, which stands at a little over 186,000 miles per second. If the findings are found to be valid, a review of Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity, which serves as the bedrock of much of modern physics, would be certain. How science interprets the cosmos, and nature at large, would also be in question. So far it has been believed, by Einstein and other scientists who adhered to his beliefs, that nothing can move faster than the speed of light. Now there is a chance the theory, whose predictions have been comprehensively tested, could be re-evaluated. Absolute proof is still pending but a positive verdict would be revolutionary.

Even the scientists involved in the study advise against rushing to conclusions, for there are no absolute truths. Prof Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant minds in physics, has also favoured caution, saying that “it is premature to comment” on the veracity of the faster-than-light neutrinos claim. Everything is very long-term at this stage, and understandably so, for the idea is novel and needs grasping and independent verification. But if true it could mean that information may be sent back in time, for better or worse. That is a truly startling concept. Human time travel, on the other hand, does not seem even remotely achievable in several decades to come, one reason being that no one has any idea how to construct a time machine.