Recently, an international group of researchers claimed that they have caught particles moving faster than the speed of light, which may change one of the basic rules of the universe formulated by Albert Einstein. Antonio Ereditato, a spokesperson for the group, said that measurements taken over three years showed that neutrinos sent from CERN near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy arrived 60 nanoseconds faster than light would have. This claim, which has been tested for over a century, is one of the most important parts of the so-called Standard Model of physics, which attempts to explain how everything in the universe works.

Gamma Ray Bursts are rare, very powerful explosions that are thought to happen when neutron stars form or merge. The most recent gamma ray burst observed occurred 12.1 billion years ago. If it is true, it will go against Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity from 1905, which claims that the speed of light is a “cosmic constant” and nothing can travel faster. The discovery, which was completely unexpected, could have severe consequences for modern physics and the basic laws of nature, which would need to be rethought if the theory is proven wrong.

Gamma-Ray bursts are one of the brightest things ever seen, and GRB 140419A, observed by the robotic telescope at SMU, is one of the most powerful ever seen. The fact that the explosion was so far away and still surprisingly bright, with 12th magnitude brightness only ten times less bright than what can be seen with backyard binoculars, makes it a huge discovery. The difference in brightness is about the same as the brightest and the dimmest star you can see with the naked eye on a clear, dark night. Robert Kehoe, a professor at SMU, says that “very big” discoveries like this require a great deal of caution until the results are confirmed.

Neutrinos, which are subatomic particles smaller than atoms, move at 300,006 kilometers per second, which is a little bit faster than the speed of light. They are sent out from a special installation at CERN, which is also home to the Large Hadron Collider, an experiment looking into the beginnings of the universe. To reach Gran Sasso, the neutrinos have to travel through water, air, and rock, which makes them an essential tool for studying particles and the universe.

Scientists say that millions of neutrinos move through the body every day, and they are elementary subatomic particles with a tiny amount of mass that are made by radioactive decay or nuclear reactions like those in the Sun. Their existence was first proven in 1934, but they still don’t fully understand them. Neutrinos can go through most things without being noticed, even over long distances and without changing, which is why they are essential in studying particles and the universe.

It is still unclear what the discovery of the faster-than-light movement of neutrinos means, and it has shocked the scientific community. The OPERA experiment is one of the largest and most respected physics experiments in the world, with scientists from all over the world working on it. However, more teams from the United States and Japan have been invited to confirm the discovery, and the data will be made available online overnight for experts to review.