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Einstein's Theory Passes Strict New Test

Posted by timothy on from the ha-ha-england-ha-ha dept.

FiReaNGeL writes with an excerpt from a story at e! Science News: "Taking advantage of a unique cosmic configuration, astronomers have measured an effect predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity in the extremely strong gravity of a pair of superdense neutron stars. Essentially, the famed physicist's 93-year-old theory passed yet another test. Scientists at McGill University used the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) to do a four-year study of a double-star system unlike any other known in the Universe. The system is a pair of neutron stars, both of which are seen as pulsars that emit lighthouse-like beams of radio waves."

16 of 243 comments (clear)

  1. Pulsars by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    An overview presentation of the capabilities of Pulsars has been uploaded to Youtube.

  2. And yet... by FlyingSquidStudios · · Score: 4, Funny

    Einstein has yet to prove why hot dogs and hot dog buns come in inequal quantities.

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    1. Re:And yet... by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Funny

      Einstein has yet to prove why hot dogs and hot dog buns come in inequal quantities.

            I guess relativity explains that again. It depends on your country. In my country, you get 8 buns in a package and 8 sausages in a package. However my country is probably closer to the equator than yours, therefore our frame of reference is a lot faster than yours. Therefore the parity increases as a function of velocity. I would probably have to weight the buns and sausages to figure out any discrepancies in mass, but presumably the optimum is reached asymptotically when approaching the speed of light.

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  3. Re:And that, boys and girls, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Um... now why didn't they think of that?

  4. Strict new test? Psh! by neokushan · · Score: 4, Funny

    If they want to REALLY test a theory, they should just post it on slashdot. You know, because mass opinion is what really matters, regardless as to what's right and wrong.

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    1. Re:Strict new test? Psh! by Dunbal · · Score: 5, Funny

      If they want to REALLY test a theory, they should just post it on slashdot.

            No, silly, that's just how you test the server.

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  5. Re:For us plebs... by pudro · · Score: 2, Funny

    Lame /. posts produce wobble?

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  6. For years testing a theory... by asCii88 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... and still they are gonna go without any real proof that the LHC won't kill us, and turn it on.

    Ironic, ain't it?

  7. Re:And that, boys and girls, by megaditto · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think what he's saying is that since these scientists's job to to disprove relativity, or kill cancer, or cure AIDS, and they failed at their job, then they should not get their paycheck next month.

    Seems perfectly logical to me.

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  8. Re:hypothesis - 1 of 4 scientific terms by sdpuppy · · Score: 1, Funny
    Moderators, mode this guy up. This is the best explanation of the distinction between fact/law/hypothesis/theory that I've seen.

    At least in theory.

    No wait that s my hypothesis - oh geez....

  9. Re:And that, boys and girls, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    This was also predicted by those who are researching the invisible pink unicorns. This experiment is a boon for fighting Global Warming and the disappearance of pirates from the world ecology.

  10. Re:And that, boys and girls, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, this upholds the theory that pink unicorns, which are known to exist, are invisible, otherwise this experiment would have revealed them. Further proof of the existence of invisible pink unicorns!!!

    Here's an experiment you can do yourself. Find a dark room, such as a bathroom stuck between two other rooms and therefore windowless. Close the door and keep the light off. Reach out your hand. Do you feel anything? Holy Crap, you just found an OMGPONIES! Turn the light on, quick! Did you see the OMGPONIES!? No, you didn't. Further proof that OMGPONIES!s, known to exist, hate artificial lighting, and run very fast. Isn't that amazing?

  11. Re:Can't be right by ceoyoyo · · Score: 2, Funny

    A statistician said that. You know what they say about statistics, right?

  12. Re:Einstein: Really Smart by Boronx · · Score: 2, Funny

    Einstein was a patent clerk, so he probably just slipped a patent or two in there when his boss wasn't looking.

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  13. Re:Can't be right by Enlightenment · · Score: 2, Funny

    There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and absurd generalizations that fail to take into account the manifold subtleties of their subject?

  14. Re:And that, boys and girls, by dintech · · Score: 4, Funny

    Further proof that OMGPONIES!s, known to exist, hate artificial lighting, and run very fast.

    Be careful my friend! You won't survive many unlit areas because you confusing fluffy pink unicorns with grues.