this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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[–] atro_city@fedia.io 57 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So what does this all mean? Is a time machine just around the corner?

Sadly, no. Our experiment is fully explained by standard physics.

But it does show that negative dwell time is not an artefact. However paradoxical it may seem, it has a directly measurable effect on the atomic cloud that the photon traverses. And it reminds us that there are still lands to discover on the odyssey that is quantum research.

I was awaiting on an explanation... now I'm just left wondering.

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 48 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

That is how %100 of physics articles with cool names feel like, you usually end up with something like "we measured a slightly different voltage which in this context is a signal for the existence of parallel universes"

[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 37 points 2 weeks ago

Negative time as experienced by most people at the DMV.

[–] sorter_plainview@lemmy.today 21 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So what does this all mean? Is a time machine just around the corner?

Sadly, no. Our experiment is fully explained by standard physics.

But it does show that negative dwell time is not an artefact. However paradoxical it may seem, it has a directly measurable effect on the atomic cloud that the photon traverses. And it reminds us that there are still lands to discover on the odyssey that is quantum research.

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

However paradoxical it may seem, it has a directly measurable effect on the atomic cloud that the photon traverses

So ... a proton exits this 'atomic cloud' before it enters?

[–] Inucune@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Are we potentially getting close to detecting if a tackyon exists?

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Seems pretty standard model still, more interesting behavior hiding in the indeterminance principle. Still, negative time hints at negative energy which could certainly change the game.

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

negative time hints at negative energy

Energy = mass, and negative mass would have some really bonkers paradoxical behavior...

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 6 points 2 weeks ago

Including the aforementioned time travel via stabilization of wormholes ala Morris–Thorne...

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
[–] Watermark710@piefed.social 8 points 2 weeks ago

It's a gif from the movie Tenet, which is about negative time.

[–] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 weeks ago

I think it's the movie Tenet

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

No, it's a video of the moment the two scientist measured negative time....

It's from the Movie TENET

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 12 points 2 weeks ago
[–] korda@aussie.zone 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh no, it’s the plot from Outer Wilds! Don’t go breaking spacetime.

[–] KingGimpicus@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

Well, part of the plot anyways. Im pretty sure we save spacetime from the big cold dark in the end. Or something.

[–] mycodesucks@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 weeks ago

Here is the paper from 1993 when this was originally tested.

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.708

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Me when I start working a double.

At least no one has invented triples yet...

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Triples exist and they're safe

[–] Zron@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

I see you’ve never been on call

[–] Libb@piefed.social 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Haven't many people experienced that? It's called scrolling on social media, right?

[–] Get_Off_My_WLAN@fedia.io 12 points 2 weeks ago

I think that's time dilation, when your 10 minutes on the phone was actually an hour.