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Testing Relativity

MGDruss writes "NASA are proposing an empirical measurement on the ISS which would test general relativity to a precision within the bounds of superstring (and other) theories to predict deviation." We mentioned the Cassini experiment last year.

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  1. Re:Great. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting


    Warp 10 is impossible.

    Only be definition as given in the fantasy.
    Since everything in ST is a fantasy and has no basis in the physical world.

    If the ST writers wanted to write that infinite speed travel was possible, they could and it would be no more fantastic than what you have already.

    Given the physical world. Travel at the speed of light for an object is essentially infinite so there is no basis between the physical world and the ST world to distinguish between what is possible and impossible. Travel greater than the speed of light is not "infinite" but it is not intuitive in the way it is portrayed on ST.
    Get a life.

    The warp scale represents speeds exponentially closer to infinity. According to the scale, 10 is the asymptote representing infinite speed. The single episode of Trek (Voy: Threshold) in which this feat is accomplished is often considered not canon by fans because the writer was a moron.


    Bah. This is a bunch of crap. In the last episode of STTNG there is reference to Warp 13 (in the future Enterprise). This future time was only about 25-30 years from the TNG "present" which means it was in the same time period as the Voyager episodes.
    The scale has been used very loosely in the movies.

    What does this all mean?
    It means that while the ST franchise has produced some enjoyable dramas, it is lame and sad to try to take anything in the ST world and rationalize it or explain it.
    You ST nerds sicken me.

  2. Re:Let's have a little poll. by Zan+Zu+from+Eridu · · Score: 4, Interesting
    If string theory is borne out, it will only be because it's the most ridiculous kludge you can imagine - epicycles all over again.

    Nope, it will be phlogiston theory all over, not epicycles.

    Phlogiston was covered in a real theory, IOW phlogiston explained (wrongly) how the burning process occurs and why some stuff burns and other stuff doesn't. Epicycles OTOH where never a theory, epicycles didn't try explain to the crazy motions of geocentric orbits but only to accurately describe them.

    Even Ptolemy himself knew that epicycles where fundamentally wrong for two reasons: 1) the earth is not exactly at the center of the planets, suns and moons orbits (the center of the orbit is the halfway point between the earth and the equant); and 2) a planet on an epicycle would crash into it's own "heavenly" or "crystalline" sphere on which it was supposed to be mounted. IOW Ptolemy knew that epicycles wheren't compatible with Aristotle's theory nor with Pythagoras'; but he still affirmed that those theories were correct.