Solar System in a Can May Reveal Hidden Dimensions

dylanduck writes "A model solar system, made of tungsten and placed in space, could reveal hidden spatial dimensions and test alternative theories of gravity. If the system's 'planets' moved slightly differently to the way predicted by standard gravity, it would signal the presence of new physical phenomena." From the article: "Once at the Lagrange point, the artificial solar system would be set in motion inside the spacecraft. An 8-centimetre-wide sphere of tungsten would act as an artificial sun, while a smaller test sphere would be launched 10 cm away into an oval-shaped orbit. The miniscule planet would orbit its tungsten sun 3,000 times per year."

Comments

What if

[Raindance]

I wonder if our universe is just a hidden spacial dimension test for a super-advanced alien civilization... still trying to figure out string theory.

Re:What if

[stunt_penguin]

Tom Cruise seems to think so.

Re:Gotchas, we got em

[pilgrim23]

the old L5 Society wanted to place a module they called a High Orbital Mini-Earth there... sort of a H.O.M.E. on LaGrannge.....

Simpson's...

[grumling]

"Well, we're running an experiment to see the effects of gravity on these little screws."

Re:Risky

[ScrewMaster]

No big deal, plenty more scientists where they came from. I'd be more concerned about them creating a great big black hole, and us never being heard from again.

Re:Gotchas, we got em

[sharkey]

I hear they gotta lotta nice girls.

Re:NS strikes again

[Anonymous Coward]

Frick, what did they do, make you waste a half day on an interview and then not run the story or something? The article, the experiment, and the researchers are all legitimate, you make it sound like this was a UFO sighting or someone sticking a piece of metal in their arm and calling themselves a cyborg or something.

Re:What's tungsten?

[JourneyExpertApe]

Read more about bots here.

Wow...

[Jugalator]

I nominate this for the strangest news article title of 2006.

Re:Gotchas, we got em

[Ohreally_factor]

I think that the experiment will have at least one protocol governing researchers shuffling their feet on the carpet.

Re:High School Physics

[Ctrl-Z]

Shhh... he's trying to show off his big brain.

Re:Outside effects?

[GTMoogle]

For different reasons, the grandparent post and I would both argue you should attend mass. :)

Re:What's tungsten?

[Anonymous Coward]

Learn more about funny here.

Home on LaGrange

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh, give me a locus where the gravitons focus
Where the three-body problem is solved,
Where the microwaves play down at three degrees K,
And the cold virus never evolved.

Home, home on LaGrange,
Where the space debris always collects,
We possess, so it seems, two of Man's greatest dreams:
Solar power and zero-gee sex.

We eat algea pie, our vacuum is high,
Our ball bearings are perfectly round.
Our horizon is curved, our warheads are MIRVed,
And a kilogram weighs half a pound.

Home, home on LaGrange,
Where the space debris always collects,
We possess, so it seems, two of Man's greatest dreams:
Solar power and zero-gee sex.

If we run out of space for our burgeoning race
No more Lebensraum left for the Mensch
When we're ready to start, we can take Mars apart,
If we just find a big enough wrench.

I'm sick of this place, it's just McDonald's in space,
And living up here is a bore.
Tell the shiggies, "Don't cry," they can kiss me goodbye
'Cause I'm moving next week to L4!

Home, home on LaGrange,
Where the space debris always collects,
We possess, so it seems, two of Man's greatest dreams:
Solar power and zero-gee sex.

Re:Outside effects?

[Ohreally_factor]

Are you implying that I'm dense? =)