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Ye cannae change the laws of physics (or can you?)
The Economist ^
| September 2, 2010
| The Economist
Posted on 09/02/2010 7:16:48 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
click here to read article
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To: KevinDavis
2
posted on
09/02/2010 7:17:28 PM PDT
by
Tolerance Sucks Rocks
(Michelle Obama: the woman who ended "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.")
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The units in which the original measurements were made cancel each other out and the result is 1/137.036, regardless of the measuring system you used in the first place. Oh. Wow. I was afraid of that...
3
posted on
09/02/2010 7:22:22 PM PDT
by
April Lexington
(Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
He found that, the farther out he looked, the smaller alpha seemed to be. Wow. It is worse than I thought...
4
posted on
09/02/2010 7:23:34 PM PDT
by
April Lexington
(Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Dr Webb first conducted such a study almost a decade ago, using 76 quasars observed with the Keck telescope in Hawaii. Not only that, but he was unable to detect even a hint of birth certificate anywhere in Hawaii!
5
posted on
09/02/2010 7:24:51 PM PDT
by
April Lexington
(Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
That may sound trivial. But any detectable deviation from zero would mean that the laws of physics were different there (and then) from those that pertain in the neighbourhood of the Earth. Yes. They actually elect Republicans...
6
posted on
09/02/2010 7:25:46 PM PDT
by
April Lexington
(Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
To: April Lexington
Reminds me of the classic joke about the duality nature of light! Man, I chuckle every time I think of that one.
7
posted on
09/02/2010 7:26:00 PM PDT
by
optiguy
(Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.----- Ronald Reagan)
To: optiguy
Agreed. A real knee slapper!
8
posted on
09/02/2010 7:27:43 PM PDT
by
April Lexington
(Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Understanding the way the universe really works does not diminish my faith in God. In fact, it helps confirm it. So thanks for posting this.
9
posted on
09/02/2010 7:28:07 PM PDT
by
redpoll
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
It would be amusing if what was changing was pi.
10
posted on
09/02/2010 7:32:24 PM PDT
by
DBrow
To: DBrow
Actually, pi is an abstract ratio. The real ratio does change based upon the size of the gravitational or acceleration field.
11
posted on
09/02/2010 7:33:53 PM PDT
by
MHGinTN
(Dem voters, believing they cannot be deceived, it is impossible to convince them when deceived.)
To: April Lexington
If you truncate precision it comes out to 1/137 exactly, and this did cause consternation. It also drove the strong anthropic theories, until the decimals were added.
12
posted on
09/02/2010 7:34:22 PM PDT
by
DBrow
To: MHGinTN
In the accelerating frame, though, measurement of a circle would get pi. If you were in a frame stationary to an accelerating circle, the circle would look oval (if it were oriented correctly).
I don’t think pi changes with gravity, but that’s an interesting concept.
I was thinking of an area of space where if you measured a circle you’d get 3.00000. Lok at all the physical calculations that involve pi! They’d all be different, including the behavior of inductors.
13
posted on
09/02/2010 7:40:35 PM PDT
by
DBrow
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks; SunkenCiv
Bertrand Russell is foiled again.
14
posted on
09/02/2010 7:40:40 PM PDT
by
Perdogg
(Nancy Pelosi did more damage to America on 03/21 than Al Qaeda did on 09/11)
To: April Lexington
15
posted on
09/02/2010 7:41:49 PM PDT
by
Celerity
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
On the infrequent occasions when I have been called upon in a formal place to play the bongo drums, the introducer never seems to find it necessary to mention that I also do theoretical physics.
Now, I need to go to a strip club to think about this.
16
posted on
09/02/2010 7:48:46 PM PDT
by
razorback-bert
(Some days it's not worth chewing through the straps.)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Wow, one of the best written pop physics articles I’ve ever come across.
17
posted on
09/02/2010 7:49:15 PM PDT
by
eclecticEel
(Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 7/4/1776 - 3/21/2010)
To: Celerity
Does anyone have ANY idea what I’m talking about???? I sure don’t...
18
posted on
09/02/2010 7:59:29 PM PDT
by
April Lexington
(Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Made me think of William Sidis’ physics, where he concieved of different areas of space having different physical laws. I think he believed time ran backwards in areas. I don’t think so. It would be hard to crawl into the womb at the end of my life . . .
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
If history is any clue, it will not turn out to be so mysterious, and will probably be so simple even a child can understand it.
But for now, it’s seemingly impossible to understand.
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