Is the Earth in a Vortex of Space-Time?

da6d writes "Apparently, we'll soon know for sure.... NASA has announced in an article that 'A NASA/Stanford physics experiment called Gravity Probe B (GP-B) recently finished a year of gathering science data in Earth orbit. The results, which will take another year to analyze, should reveal the shape of space-time around Earth--and, possibly, the vortex.'" More from the article: "If Earth were stationary, that would be the end of the story. But Earth is not stationary. Our planet spins, and the spin should twist the dimple, slightly, pulling it around into a 4-dimensional swirl. This is what GP-B went to space to check."

Comments

Space

[nycheetah]

Live long and vortexed?

Re:Space

[Anonymous Coward]

The earth and its surroundings are in an "alternate time" (with respect to the Universe). There are not too many years left for the synchronization of both times, and before that, there will be many unusual events preceeding this. All these sounds like SciFi, but our lives are more SciFi that we think. Check messages from Bible, ET, and be aware of the catastrophic trend we are all in, political and geological, and it will start making sense. Till 2012. -G.

Re:Space

[zardo]

They need and ice cream flavor called the 4-dimensional swirl.

A time, cube perhaps?

[invisigoth]

Is Dr. Gene Ray behind this discovery?

http://www.timecube.com/

uhh

[flamesrock]

"If Earth were stationary, that would be the end of the story. But Earth is not stationary."

Are you on crack!? The earth is stationary. It is the sun that's moving.

Re:uhh

[Belseth]

"If Earth were stationary, that would be the end of the story. But Earth is not stationary."

Are you on crack!? The earth is stationary. It is the sun that's moving.

It's the fact that it's flat that gives it the illusion of motion.

Re:uhh

[Ninjy]

It's the fact that it's flat that gives it the illusion of motion.

The crack probably helps.

Re:uhh

[MarkRose]

It's the fact that it's flat that gives it the illusion of motion.

No, it's flat because it's stationery, duh!

Re:uhh

[Circlotron]

That's right. Ask any astronomer what time the sun rises and set today and he won't for a moment think you are being silly.

Re:uhh

[metlin]

No, it's flat because it's stationery, duh!

Who says stationery have to be flat!?

My new Sharpie has some sweet curves.

And don't even get me started on my red stapler...

Re:uhh

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

No, it's flat because it's stationery, duh!

No. The Earth is too complex to have just ended up flat with the sun spinning around it. A higher power must have had a guiding hand. So we should instruct kids on the Intelligent Flat Earth Design Theory over the Newtonian-Einstienian theories of gravity, which are after all, completely unprovable.

So...

[joetheappleguy]

If the Earth is in one of those time vortex things do I get paid overtime?

Re:So...

[eclectro]

If the Earth is in one of those time vortex things do I get paid overtime?

No, but if there is a sucking sound your job is being outsourced.

well at least

[Compaq_Hater]

that explains the Bermuda Triangel huh ?, Maybe we will find flight 19 and a bunch of missing Millitary too.

CH

Re:well at least

[guttentag]

that explains the Bermuda Triangel

No, "Our planet spins, and the spin should twist the dimple, slightly" explains leap years, daylight savings time, and the previously inexplicable 1.42-minute-per-month gain on my employer's time clock.

"A three-sided vortex (once limited to the greater Bermuda area but in recent years expanded to be anchored at Crawford, TX, Washington, DC, and Baghdad due to depletion of the ozone layer) into which pour vast sums of the rest of the world's time and money" explains the Bermuda Triangle.

It's all relative

[The Nine]

If Earth were stationary, that would be the end of the story. But Earth is not stationary.

I see they found that universal frame of reference they were looking for.

Another dimension

[AlphaLop]

So, it looks like someone finally flushed the glactic toilet on this backwater planet based on the artists rendition.

On the bright side if we did get flushed through the vortex at least we would no longer be located in the unfashionable western edge of the galaxy.

Re:Another dimension

[nmb3000]

So, it looks like someone finally flushed the glactic toilet on this backwater planet based on the artists rendition.

Who cares as long as the galactic water is spinning the right direction. If it's not we'll have to do something about that to make sure the Galaxy flushes correctly.

(Yes, I know it's a myth so don't go posting Wikipedia links or others telling me).

Whoa!

[memeplex]

My Cortex is in Gore-Tex contemplating the Vortex. I'm getting a complex! I need a cold compress! I need to undress. I'm relatively impressed. Er... where's Eminem when you need him? Am I off-topic here?

Purple Nurple Probe

[Helpadingoatemybaby]

So if I'm to understand this correctly, the spin of the Earth twists the nipples of spacetime?

cool

[The Clockwork Troll]

I hope this gets proven because then Tempest will go down in history not as a video game but rather an interactive documentary on gravity.

Just In Case

[bahwi]

Well, if there's something wrong, it's best to not be caught without your Visual Guide to Surviving Timeless Space.

Re:The engineering story

[dancallaghan]

Pretty awesome ... sounds like a very expensive little piece of quartz. Just keep that cylinder guy away from it!

Re:Hmmm

[Belseth]

How much does Anna Nicole Smith distort this vortex?

The equation is 40DD=MC2.

What about the bible ?

[blackpaw]

I hope they gave equal time to bible researchers, all answers can be found there.

Re:Stephen Hawkings

[Alsee]

The word 'inconclusive' comes to mind.

Not as often as the word 'hooters'.

-

OK, so what happened to Gravity Probe A?

[Anonymous Coward]

Did NASA lose it?