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Is the Earth in a Vortex of Space-Time?

Posted by Zonk on from the pinwheel-pinwheel-spin-me-around dept.

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."

6 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm by woolio · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    How much does Anna Nicole Smith distort this vortex?

  2. I guess this proves Intelligent Design... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    FINALLY. Proof in Intelligent Design! After all, we know those who lack intelligence can't design a vortex that would last so long.


    All kidding aside, check out the thought-provoking letter by Thomas Paine, a deist, near the 2nd half of this article. Paine puts forth one of the most rational arguments regarding the Bible and touches upon Intelligent Design.


    http://www.deism.com/biblevotes.htm


    Given Paine's arguments, I find it amusing that Intelligent Design is being promoted by Christians today.


    Thomas Paine, like Ben Franklin and sixteen presidents of USA was a deist.


    Here's a couple lists of famous people who were deists. Ones that might score some points with geeks include: Aristotle, Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, Victor Hugo, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking.


    http://www.deistnet.com/deismfam.htm
    http://www.nndb.com/lists/461/000107140/

  3. Re:Purple Nurple Probe by Solder+Fumes · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I'm going to go out on a limb here and say "No." Actually, this ain't a limb, shit, it's a fucking continent!

  4. Explains alot... by craznar · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    My computer crashes, my increasing weight - I can know explain all because of this.

    Screw the diet now.

    --
    EMail: 0110001101100010010000000110001101110010 0110000101111010011011100110000101110010 0010111001100011011011110110
  5. Quick - step back! by kperson · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You are so close to the event horizon of the space-time vortex that letters are being sucked out of your post! Here, grab my hnd -- I'll pul you bck -- o sht! Nw IM to clos..!

  6. Re:uhh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Uh, that's not evolution. That's interbreeding. Bad things usually happen with interbreeding. A mule is the result of interbreeding a horse with a donkey. http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/mule The mule has more strength than a donkey, but can no longer reproduce. Ligers (yes, they're real) are a result of interbreeding a male lion with a female tiger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger These are also incapable of reproducing.

    Interbreeding can produce a new species (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbreeding) but this happens with direct human intervention. Even closely related species do not interbreed with each other. Interbreeding is the result of human intervention ONLY.