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Fermilab To Test Holographic Universe Theory
eldavojohn writes "Scientists at Fermilab have decided that it's high time they build a 'holometer' to test the smoothness of space-time. Theoretical physicists like Stephen Hawking have proposed that space-time is not smooth but it's been a lot of math and no actual data. The Fermilab team plans to build two relatively small devices that act as 'holographic interferometers' to measure the shaking or vibration in split beams of light traveling through a vacuum. If the team finds the shaking in their measurements and records them, the theory of a holographic universe will have some evidence of non-smoothness in space-time and perhaps a foothold in bringing light to the heavily debated theoretical physics."
You cannot prove any theory without axioms (assumptions). You can, however, test a myriad of different scenarios which are all interconnected and ensure that a single theory adequately describes the data you take. As a theory, it provides predictions which can be falsified. When the physical range of a theory's predictive power extends beyond our ability to construct experiments then you pretty much have to find another job. But at no time have we proven anything. We have tested in as many cases we can think of for ways in which our theories fail. So in short yes we have to test our theories outside of earth (there are ways of doing this by observing phenomena throughout the universe of which the CMB is a perfect example).
I think you meant to link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJOVUF-HaDw#t=0m40s