Pulses that travel faster than light have been sent over a significant distance for the first time. Alain Hache and Louis Poirier of the University of Moncton in Canada transmitted the pulses through a 120-metre cable made from a coaxial 'photonic crystal'. The achievement raises hopes that data could travel through electronic communications systems at almost the speed of light (A Hache and L Poirier 2002 Appl. Phys. Lett. 80 518).

the rest of the article can be found @ http://physicsweb.org/article/news/6/1/13


Well they didn't really send signals faster thn light, but ............
If we could change the speed of light so tht it is 2X faster thn current c constant:). It would recquire a special enviroment of course, but tht may be the answer for future "faster" thn light communications.

We must be careful here. They are talking about Group Velocity in this article. GV is the rate that changes in the amplitude or envelope of a wave will propagate in a medium. An understanding of phase velocity and group velocity will show that no information has moved faster than 'c'. Relativity remains intact.

From the article:

But as Haché explains, many existing information systems are based on coaxial cables, and the current top speed for data is just two-thirds the speed of light. If the impedance of such cables were adapted, pulses sent at frequencies close to the absorption band could transmit information at speeds approaching that of light.

I understand tht they really didn't make those signals move faster thn light, its only a new technology for a bit quicker communications. But I think tht tht is true tht in diffferent enviroents the c is different.

Maybe there is possible such an enviroment where light goes 2X or more faster thn it does in standart space or earth's athmosphere.(this is not connected wit the subject above)

Maybe there is possible such an enviroment where light goes 2X or more faster thn it does in standart space or earth's athmosphere.(

Perhaps, but not in our universe. The speed of light is an intrinsic property of spacetime. It is the ultimate speed limit. :D

Perhaps, but not in our universe

Maybe the 'photonic crystals' or something similar could have ties to another dimension or universe where light is not the speed limit. Of course on Earth there could be a point where your communication will sound like you're speaking to someone right next to you (info-transfer-rate wise), therefore since I think the Earth is only a few lightseconds from any one point to the other you wouldn't have to send info THAT much faster than light.