Guest Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 This was a huge find in the physics world. http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/gravitational-waves-detected-100-years-after-einsteins-prediction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unixknight Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 I was reading about that a few days ago, and it rocks my face off. They say this is a leap forward as significant as the invention of the optical telescope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordorbund Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Ha! Nice try Einstein, but you missed it by 100 years! That's even more embarrassing than Haley and his comet that doesn't arrive until 75 years later! Religionists are openly mocked when their predictions (usually around the second Advent) are tardy. It's high time we give the intelligentsia scientifica the same treatment. Blackmarch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 1 hour ago, unixknight said: I was reading about that a few days ago, and it rocks my face off. They say this is a leap forward as significant as the invention of the optical telescope. They are wrong. This "gravitational waves" discovery, if it pans out, will be a nice confirmation of a theory that is already firmly established. It is nowhere close to the development of something as revolutionary as the telescope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unixknight Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Ah, but the instrument itself can now be used to detect other activity that we have no way of observing with telescopes. By confirming Einstein's math, we now know we can trust the readings from this instrument because we've been able to test it on the black hole collision. That's what they're referring to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 I'd argue somewhere in between. Something that is purely theory for generations that now has physical evidence is still a big find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zil Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 32 minutes ago, Vort said: This "gravitational waves" discovery, if it pans out, will be a nice confirmation of a theory that is already firmly established. It is nowhere close to the development of something as revolutionary as the telescope. Yeah, I don't know what all the fuss is about. I notice gravitational waves every time I have to get up off the couch... unixknight and NeedleinA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 16 minutes ago, zil said: Yeah, I don't know what all the fuss is about. I notice gravitational waves every time I have to get up off the couch... I'm not going to say the obvious joke. But I'll just let it float there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) I'm not versed or interested enough to tell how big this news story is, or how important or revolutionary. But I must admit, this part of a news release is very cool: "Being 1.3 billion light years away means that these black holes collided 1.3 billion years ago. The gravitational waves have been travelling through space for 1.3 billion years. When they arrived at Earth on 12 Sept. 2015, they caused the LIGO machinery to move by 1/1000 of the width of a proton particle. LIGO detected it. Amazing." Yeah, ok - that is pretty amazing. I still want my personal jetpack and free energy. Edited March 3, 2016 by NeuroTypical unixknight 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unixknight Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Duuuuuude we can measure something moving 1/1000th the width of a proton? Blackmarch, NeuroTypical and zil 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 4 hours ago, unixknight said: Duuuuuude we can measure something moving 1/1000th the width of a proton? have you seen the video capture of a photon packet being filmed traveling from one point to another? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 I just want them to figure out how bend gravity without having to use relativistic speeds or insanely dense matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David13 Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Whoop de dee. I think I'll have a candy bar now. dc Blackmarch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unixknight Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 16 hours ago, Blackmarch said: have you seen the video capture of a photon packet being filmed traveling from one point to another? I have now! The Coca-Cola bottle one is amazing... Blackmarch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.