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Gravitational Wave Detection Imminent?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the weighty-breakthroughs dept.

Seumas Hyslop writes "The UK Telegraph is reporting that we may finally have equipment that are sensitive enough to measure gravitational waves, which are incredibly small and have evaded detection despite the theories that they are present as a way of explaining gravitational effects. Basically, a laser beam is split into two branches that are sent down two identical 2000 feet long tubes and back again via mirrors. Assuming the two arms remain exactly the same distance, they will cancel each other out. But the scientists think that the beams will interfere with each other owing to the effect of gravity, meaning the length of the branches is altered and a gravitational wave has been detected."

8 of 326 comments (clear)

  1. what the FUCK are you talking about? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    i don't get it

  2. Immanent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Please tell me this is some kind of joke. How about spellchecking for the posters?

  3. Welcome by 602 · · Score: 1, Troll

    I, for one, welcome our Gravity overlords!

  4. Re:fix the title by ari_j · · Score: 0, Troll

    Only the most diehard Slashdot moderators mark this kind of post with a lower score than an AC's FP. Do you dipshits not know what a troll is anymore? Offtopic, redundant, and possibly flamebait, sure - this one embodies those. It is not a troll. Obviously, the moderators are just as literate as the story submitters and editors are.

  5. Re:Food For Thought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    You're an idiot

  6. Re:hehe by dorkygeek · · Score: 0, Troll
    Because it's also bad moderation.

    --
    Windows is like decaf - it tastes like the real thing, but it won't get you through the day.
  7. Re:Thnak Yuo! by Petey_Alchemist · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yeah.

    It's a good thing the /. mods and admin haven't abused their points by labeling anything and everything offtopic or flamebait.

    I'm a /. newbie, but I think my disillusionment with this website is "immanent".

  8. Hey Kip Thorne!!!! Where are you????? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Hey Kip Thorne!!!! Where are you?????
    http://www.its.caltech.edu/~kip/
    http://www.astro.caltech.edu/people/bluebook/thorn e.html

    These guys used the earth instead of a STUPID block of metal!

    Pretty obvious huh? TOO BAD YOU DIDN'T THINK OF IT! Hahahaha!

    And gravity is a push from all the magnetic energy at all the trillions of frequencies that are out there in space so this is a complete waste of time.

    Get a clue people!