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Solar System in a Can May Reveal Hidden Dimensions

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the you-can-get-them-in-cans dept.

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."

6 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. What if by Raindance · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:What if by stunt_penguin · · Score: 4, Funny

      Tom Cruise seems to think so.

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  2. Re:Gotchas, we got em by pilgrim23 · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.....

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  3. Re:What's tungsten? by JourneyExpertApe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Read more about bots here.

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  4. Re:High School Physics by Ctrl-Z · · Score: 3, Funny

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

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  5. Home on LaGrange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
    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.