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Fine-Structure Constant Maybe Not So Constant

Posted by samzenpus on from the variety-is-the-spice-of-life dept.

Kilrah_il writes "The fine-structure constant, a coupling constant characterizing the strength of the electromagnetic interaction, has been measured lately by scientists from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and has been found to change slightly in light sent from quasars in galaxies as far back as 12 billion years ago. Although the results look promising, caution is advised: 'This would be sensational if it were real, but I'm still not completely convinced that it's not simply systematic errors' in the data, comments cosmologist Max Tegmark of MIT. Craig Hogan of the University of Chicago and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill., acknowledges that 'it's a competent team and a thorough analysis.' But because the work has such profound implications for physics and requires such a high level of precision measurements, 'it needs more proof before we'll believe it.'"

2 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Re:first constant post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Slashdot is old.... you know.

  2. Re:first constant post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Fucking niggers. They laugh at anything don't they? this should get at least a -1 nigger (: