LIGO Fails To Detect Gravity Waves

planckscale writes "Last weekend, LIGO (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) did not detect gravitational radiation in association with a gamma ray burst (GRB). The non-detection was actually a valuable contribution, as it helped to distinguish between competing models for what powers GRBs. The detector is due to be upgraded this year for even more accurate measurements. The interferometer is constructed in such a way that it can detect a change in the lengths of the two arms relative to each other of less than a thousandth the diameter of an atomic nucleus."

Comments

Re:Fails?

[LaskoVortex]

Your analogy falls apart before it even gets out of the gate.

First of all, we can detect global warming. The average temperature of the earth is rising. We have an accurate device for this: a bunch of thermometers all calibrated and sitting all over the world. We also have an accurate device for measuring gravitational waves. Both work fine.

Now, if you had said, "failure to detect elevation of carbon dioxide levels can not account for global warming", then your analogy might hold (despite the fact that CO2 levels do seem to be rising). I.e. the proper analogy would be "the absence of an observation means we don't understand a particular phenomenon".