General Relativity Is At Least 99.95% Right

ultracool writes to mention a ScienceDaily piece on compelling proof of general relativity. A team at the University of Manchester have used three years' worth of data on a pair of pulsars as a litmus test, against which they've benchmarked Einstein's theory. From the article: "Though all the independent tests available in the double pulsar system agree with Einstein's theory, the one that gives the most precise result is the time delay, known as the Shapiro Delay, which the signals suffer as they pass through the curved space-time surrounding the two neutron stars. It is close to 90 millionths of a second and the ratio of the observed and predicted values is 1.0001 +/- 0.0005 - a precision of 0.05%. A number of other relativistic effects predicted by Einstein can also be observed. 'We see that, due to its mass, the fabric of space-time around a pulsar is curved. We also see that the pulsar clock runs slower when it is deeper in the gravitational field of its massive companion, an effect known as "time dilation."'"

Comments

Who do you trust more, Einstein, or astronomy?

[physicsphairy]

I think what they mean to say is that "Reality is at least 99.95% right."

Let's not go attempting to invalidate any theories I've spent hundreds of hours trying to understand, ok?

Re:Who do you trust more, Einstein, or astronomy?

[WilliamSChips]

The Hitchhiker's Guide is always right. Reality is often inaccurate.

time dilation

[Anonymous Coward]

all we need are 20 pounds of trash and 1.2 jigawatts from the town square clock at midnight!

Re:time dilation

[cp.tar]

Not really.

What you need is to sit bare-assed on a hot furnace. Look at your watch and take note as to how slowly the seconds pass.

See?

99.95% acurate?

[A Brand of Fire]

I think 99.95% is about as close to dead-on-balls-accurate as it gets with our current knowledge of the universe; I mean, there's always a margin for error in absolutely everything, it's just one of the facts of the chaotic universe in which we live. Still, it just goes to show how far ahead of the game (and of the times) Einstein was.

Einstein's still my hero. He's the Samuel L. Jackson of science.

Re:99.95% acurate?

[MichaelSmith]

Chuck Norris?

Re:99.95% acurate?

[Jesapoo]

Mr. T?

Re:99.95% acurate?

[mikael]

'Dog' the Bounty Hunter?

Re:99.95% acurate?

[LouisZepher]

Still, I think Oedipus beats him in regards to that title...

Re:99.95% acurate?

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

General and Special Relativity. When you absolutely, positively, have to limit the speed of every last mother-f'er in the room, accept no substitutes!

Sooo....

[hyfe]

So, The General Relativity Theory is relativly correct?

(sorry)

hey

[maynard]

in this shop we shoot for five nines!

Re: General Relativity Is At Least 99.95% Right

[ThatsNotFunny]

It's errors are completely quantifiable.

I point out your mistake not to be a grammar nazi, but because of the incredible irony.