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The Speed Of Gravity Revealed

Posted by timothy on from the blink-and-you'll-miss-it dept.

redwolfoz writes "New Scientist is reporting that the speed of gravity has been measured for the first time. 'The landmark experiment shows that it travels at the speed of light, meaning that Einstein's general theory of relativity has passed another test with flying colours.' Researchers made the measurement of the fundamental physical constant with the help of the planet Jupiter. One important consequence of the result is that it will help constrain the number of possible dimensions in the Universe."

12 of 734 comments (clear)

  1. Wow. by Skyshadow · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow, that's pretty cool. Now if we could only figure out why and how gravity works, we'd be in business.

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    1. Re:Wow. by 56 · · Score: 5, Funny
      Gravity works because we believe in it. Just stop believing in it and it will stop working.

      Not working? You must not be trying hard enough.

    2. Re:Wow. by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 5, Funny

      Gravity works because we believe in it.
      Thats the Hanna-Barbera Law of Special Relativity.

    3. Re:Wow. by Rauser · · Score: 5, Funny

      To test this, you just have to throw yourself at the floor... and miss!

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    4. Re:Wow. by salimma · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's easy. just tie a cat feet-to-feet and a buttered toast, buttered side up, on your head, and jump.

      The cat has to land on its feet, the toast has to land on the buttered side, so you can't fall!

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  2. Flying Colours by EuroChild · · Score: 5, Funny

    But of course, travelling at the speed of light, all the flying colours just appeared red due to the red-shift.

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  3. Practical Applications by handy_vandal · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure, this experiment will "help constrain the number of possible dimensions in the Universe" ... but will it lead to new weapons?

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  4. Speed of Darkness... by edashofy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, now we have the speed of light AND the speed of gravity! If we can find out the Speed of Darkness, we'll be all set!

  5. it's not circular argument by RelliK · · Score: 5, Funny

    I prefer to think of it as having no loose ends...

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  6. Awwwww, yeah! by flacco · · Score: 5, Funny
    One important consequence of the result is that it will help constrain the number of possible dimensions in the Universe.

    YESSS! In your FACE, Infinite-dimension Universe theorists! You SUCK!

    Yeaaaaah! Gimme one up top, bro!

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  7. Officer... by batobin · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...you see, it's all component forces. If you look at the free body diagram of my car travelling on the road, you'll see the normal force, force of gravity, and my velocity in the x direction. As I mentioned, one of these component forces is gravity, labelled FsubG. It was recently discovered, and posted on slashdot, that the speed of said force is 3x10^7m/s.

    And THAT'S why, officer, your radar reported that I was going 60 in a 40 zone!

  8. What the physics geeks really think by hayden · · Score: 5, Funny
    I think this quote sums it up pretty well.

    "Remember the Unified Field Theory? Well, forget it. Physicists have pretty much thrown in the towel on unifying gravity with the other elemental forces, so now we have the Standard Model, which says that everything works together in intricate harmony except gravity, which is on holiday in Tasmania and need not concern us further."
    - Jon Carroll on the Higgs Boson

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