[vannrox]

WOW!

[IncPen]

I hate to say I told you so...

[PatrickHenry]

Cosmic ping.

[This ping list is for the evolution -- not creationism -- side of evolution threads, and sometimes for other science topics. To be added (or dropped), let me know via freepmail.]

[Mister Baredog]

Yea yea whatever(humor)

[RightWhale]

this measurement constrains the quantum gravity theory to certain parameters

These pesky observational astronomers, always putting constraints on otherwise perfectly good theories.

[Cicero]

If this continues to prove out, they'll have to rename the Max Planck Institute.

[aristeides]

Wasn't Einstein very unhappy with quantum theory?

[merrin]

Quantum bits. Faugh!

When I was a kid, things were made of atoms, and I don't remember anyone complaining!

[freedom9]

I keep reading suppositions that denote time a quality when it is no more than an observance.

Time is nothing more than measurement relative to observation.

[friendly]

Human curiosity (and human nature) always seeks neat models. The history of science demonstrates the hubris, however, in assuming that our models are absolute.

In this experiment, what is clearly proven (to me) is that there is a far deeper structure to the Cosmos than can be specified by quantum theory. The Eye of God and the photographs of Hubble behold a clarity beyond our understanding.

[soycd]

I knew it!!!

This is why my beer is always empty before I'm done being thirsty.

[Starstruck]

To look for the quantum blurring effect the European team used a parameter from optics, the Strehl ratio, to calculate how sharply the telescope should be able to resolve an image of the distant light source and its first Airy ring - a signature of the interference of the rays of light entering a telescope.

They are now asking that not enough time has been spent looking for these effects. They are saying that the blurring inspectors be given another miilion years or so to confirm the blur.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Does this mean that that guy who says he traveled in time actually did?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

This may be one way to prove we actually exist as we perceive we do, rather than being stuck in some sort of virtual reality machine.

If we were stuck in a virtual reality machine using highly advanced forms of current technology then the computer would have a clock cycle (corresponding to a quantum of time) and resolution (corresponding to quanta of distances.)

But it seems this is not the case. We are not stuck in The Matrix!

Unless of course those sneaky computer bastards are using asynchronous clocking!

[AndrewC]

Since the expected blurring "signature" of quantum space time isn't seen, however, it might mean that time isn't made of quantum bits, and neither are space or gravity.

Great. Now what? Where did this come from?

[gorebegone]

[Trailerpark Badass]

Huh?

[Nick Danger]

This sucks. The idea that the Universe is a finite-state machine was one of my favorites. I had no evidence for it of course, but it was a cool idea.

[djf]

It seems to me a quantum fluctuation might affect the brightness, but not the sharpness.

[MilleniumBug]

Time to dust off my old college paper on the long range stabilization of interstellar vacuum fluctuations by cooperative macroscopic effects of virtual rotating wormholes. Maybe they'll pass it now.

[bluecollarman]

How will this affect "StarTrek" ? Can we still go Warp?