Satellite To Test Relatively

dude_from_munich writes "Einstein proposed in 1916 that space and time form a structure that can be curved by the presence of a body. Scientists are finally planning to put Einstein's theory of relativity to test after a project delay of 44 years."

Comments

A quick look at TFA quickly shows....

[Jonas the Bold]

That this is exactly the same as this story.

Eddington's proof

[jedigeek]

As usual the BBC's article is scant on details. There's no mention of Arthur Eddington's (1919) proof of relativity which proved gravity caused light to bend. However,

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/04/040 40 5091215.htm

Is more interesting.

Re:fuzzy math?

[q-the-impaler]

I suppose they meant 2004 - 1959 (since that is when the experiment was proposed)

Relatively?!?!?!

[Anonymous Coward]

What the hell is 'relatively'? And what does it have to do with Einstein? Is this some unknown postulate about his family?

Or perhaps you meant RELATIVITY?

Re:Of course GTR has been confirmed many times

[PurpleFloyd]

Not only has it been confirmed many times, but it's even been confirmed by satellite. Take a look here for an interesting article which explains how the GPS satellite system must correct for relativity, and how it does so (and in doing so verifies the time-dialation postulate of Einstein's theories).

Of course, the GPS system is not anywhere near the first proof of this or many other relativistic phenomena; atomic clocks on board jetliners can test whether gravity affects the speed of a clock (it does) and other phenomena. Another example is found in cosmic rays; many short-lived particles, formed in the Earth's upper atmosphere when high-energy rays hit the atoms in air, would be unobservable if not for time dialation; "common sense" predicts that they would decay only a few meters from their starting position, but relativity tells us that since the particles are moving extremely fast, their decay rate will be slowed enormously from our frame of reference, and the particles will still be observable from the ground.

If you know where to look, proofs of general and special relativity are all around us. All you need in most cases is an atomic clock or good cloud chamber, yours for not more than a few million dollars.