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Scientists admit fault

June 8, 2012

Researchers have told the International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics in Japan that results challenging a major Einstein theory in 2011 were wrong.

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Image: AP

Scientists have admitted that an experiment last year that had challenged Einstein's theory on the speed of light was flawed.

Researchers at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) caused a storm in 2011 when they published experimental results, suggesting that neutrinos could out-pace light by about six kilometers (3.7 miles) per second.

The findings threatened to upend modern physics and debunk Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity, which dates back to 1905. Einstein's theory describes the velocity of light as the maximum speed in the cosmos.

But CERN said the earlier results were wrong and placed the blame on faulty equipment.

za/sms (dpa, AFP)