It seems 'Big Al' was right yet again, 101 years after publishing the general theory of relativity. It seems if we listen very, very carefully, time-space has ripples that we can now detect from Earth, apparently generated by black holes in close proximity actually compressing space- time.

Score another one for relativity and 'in your face, quantum mechanics'!

I am also rather surprised Conrad did not bring this info. to the forum first; he seems to be the 'eye on the sky' guy for ZGGTR. 

Brian

Uhhh, from the subject line I was expecting some interesting porn...

The question now is it possible to surf these gravity waves. Maybe there could be a Beach Boys song about it.

It has really be a quite outstanding month for new discoveries/ideas in astronomy and astrophysics.

The question now is it possible to surf these gravity waves. Maybe there could be a Beach Boys song about it.

Maybe if you had a VERY, VERY small surfboard!


It's an amazing discovery!

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It's an amazing discovery!

Indeed.  The discovery has great gravity

Indeed.  The discovery has great gravity

A weighty situation.

 

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In this case it would be: "Catch a wave and your sitting on top of the universe". Doesn't have the same ring and the heavenly bodies wouldn't be the same either. 

In this case it would be: "Catch a wave and your sitting on top of the universe". Doesn't have the same ring and the heavenly bodies wouldn't be the same either. 

More like, "Catch a wave and you'll be sitting on top of the short list for a Nobel prize".   

Weren't we always taught space is avacuum and sound doesn't travel in a vacuum?

No house appliance jokes...I know, that sucks.

Well 'hearing' them is not strictly correct, it is just that that is the closest word that sorta', kinda' fits.

What we are apparently sensing is ripples traveling through space- time. And of course by 'we' I mean the smart people who are working on this project, as well as simpletons like me trying to follow along and claim some of the thunder 'cause it was distant relatives who actually used the theory and did the work (hey- we are all 'cousins' no matter which view you want to take, Intelligent Design or Evolution, right? Yes it is a vacuum but space- time is something in and of itself even though it is 'empty'. So there are no ripples in anything tangible, but the vehicle itself (space- time, or 'reality') is rippling just as water does when a stone is thrown into a still pond.

The two really important aspects to this, at least as far as I can follow along, is that it again proves yet another facet of the original theory of relativity, and it also provides the means to move through space- time in a non- linear way, opening the door to compressed travel (compressing or folding space so that traveling 1 mile in a straight line moves one, say, 100 miles between two points) and also time travel. Combine the two and it may be possible to travel what appear in our reality to be great distances by moving a small distance and possibly, in less time than.... well, than the time it actually took.


Brian

Weren't we always taught space is avacuum and sound doesn't travel in a vacuum?

No house appliance jokes...I know, that sucks.

Weren't we always taught space is avacuum and sound doesn't travel in a vacuum?

No house appliance jokes...I know, that sucks.

I just had to do it...
always loved this


better evidence...

  two times! I had not seen that one before. Mr. Larson had (has?) a gift, too bad he retired.

Brian

I just had to do it...
always loved this



<snip>

 

that from the '70s was always a favorite of mine, I have a couple books with them in it... he was a real nut.... just like you and I.

I want me some warp drive....  "Fascinating"

I have a couple books with them in it...

Me too.

I guess we can go off topic now??.... or will that cause a ripple in the space-time fabric?

Two of my favorites were: "Ewwwwwwwww!" 

and .."The 4 basic personality types"..my wife says to this day that I'm number 4.

I'd scan 'em and post 'em but these books are big and it's hard to search for a particular one when
I keep stopping to read all the others. Could take a while and by then I might have new favorites.

edit: found one online