In this author's opinion, there are few avenues of future scientific research which hold as great a potential today for improving human life on this planet as this subject area. It has long been known that cosmic ?rays? frequently pass though human bodies from conception throughout their lifetime with many possible consequences. Such rays have unbelievable energy. For example, cosmic rays have been sensed half-a-mile underground in a U.S. iron mine [3]. The changes in number of higher energy cosmic rays (called muons) there appeared to closely match temperature variations in the upper atmosphere -- which in turn are predictors of winter severity. Lower energy (lower speed?) particles following decay of other cosmic rays are called mesons. So cosmic ray knowledge might help forecasting and/or reduction of harsh weather. Also, the frequency of cosmic rays passing through astronauts in space is also known to be greater than on Earth and that probably limits time of people in space travel. The possible connection of cosmic rays with miscarriages, cancer commencements, and a host of other human ailments remains unknown, as do the possibilities for minimizing their occurrence.
To date, the primary reason for the lack of experimental study of their effects was that we had no way of knowing when and from whence they come and thus little chance for their systematic study. Now that scientists believe ?cosmic rays? may not be radiation at all, but particles at high speeds, science may soon be able to study the nature of such super-luminal particles and possible methods for reducing their many bad effects. Also, they may well be on the way to rejecting SRT's flawed conclusion that objects are limited to light speed.
Another area of high interest is the newly-recognized existence of highly energetic gamma ray bursts from gamma ray clusters (GCR). Some of those GCR's in astronomy last only a few seconds or minutes but are thought to have as much energy as our sun produces in its entire lifetime. Sadly, the long-held acceptance of SRT's statement that objects cannot exceed light speed c did indeed delay the research into how GCR's can have so much energy. As the capability for super-luminal speeds of particles is better recognized and used in research, who knows what new observations and explanations will be reached?
Yet another possible benefit of super-luminal speeds might be in the transfer of solar energy in great quantities from large collector solar-cell equipped satellites. If related problems are solved, that might help solve the world's limited energy shortages--assuming that adequate safety controls can be implemented. And, there undoubtedly will be many other areas of interest --once existence of superluminal particles is recognized and if controlled methods of their production and use in experiments can be found.
- Sky & Telescope, Vol 81, No. 2, Feb 1991, p. 153-157, ?Light Echoes of Nova Persi? by James Felton; also, ?Echoes of the Supernova? Sky & Telescope? Jan, 1990, p. 22:; also:?Faster than Light? by Eric Sheldon, in ?Sky & Telescope?, Jan., 1990, p.25-29
- Kuhn, Thomas, ?The Structure of Scientific Revolutions?, Chap X, XI, XII, Univ of Chicago Press. 2nd Ed. 1970.
- Internet articles on ?Cosmic Rays? in: Enviropedia; Wikipedia; and: ?30th Int'l Cosmic Ray Conference July 3-2, 2007 in Mexico in http://ww.icrc2007.unam.mx/.
