Gravitational Anomalies

[zavvy]

<b>Gravitational Anomalies </b><br /><br /><i>An unexplained effect during solar eclipses casts doubt on General Relativity</i><br /><br />LINK<br /><br />“ASSUME nothing” is a good motto in science. Even the humble pendulum may spring a surprise on you. In 1954 Maurice Allais, a French economist who would go on to win, in 1988, the Nobel prize in his subject, decided to observe and record the movements of a pendulum over a period of 30 days. Coincidentally, one of his observations took place during a solar eclipse. When the moon passed in front of the sun, the pendulum unexpectedly started moving a bit faster than it should have done. <br /><br />Since that first observation, the “Allais effect”, as it is now called, has confounded physicists. If the effect is real, it could indicate a hitherto unperceived flaw in General Relativity—the current explanation of how gravity works.<br /><br />That would be a bombshell—and an ironic one, since it was observations taken during a solar eclipse (of the way that light is bent when it passes close to the sun) which established General Relativity in the first place. So attempts to duplicate Dr Allais's observation are important. However, they have had mixed success, leading sceptics to question whether there was anything to be explained. Now Chris Duif, a researcher at the Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands, has reviewed the evidence. According to a paper he has just posted on arXiv.org, an online publication archive, the effect is real, unexplained, and could be linked to another anomaly involving a pair of American spacecraft. <br /><br />Three different types of instrument have been used to detect the Allais effect. The first are conventional pendulums, such as the one Dr Allais used originally. The second are torsion pendulums, which work by hanging a bar that has weights at each end from a wire. As the wire twists back and

 

[siarad]

Wow thanks that adds to my fascination over mysterious gravity.

 

[jitte]

Great story. I hope this leads to an answer to the question of the Pioneer spacecraft slowing.<br /><br />Pioneer spacecraft slowing<br /><br />-------------------

 

[jitte]

Here's a link to the PDF by Chris Duif.<br /><br />A review of conventional explanations of anomalous observations during solar eclipses.<br />http://www.arxiv.org/ftp/gr-qc/papers/0408/0408023.pdf<br /><br />----------------

 

[silylene old]

A quick google search found 1,570 observations of people feeling light-headed during an eclipse.<br /><br /><b>Results 1 - 10 of about 1,570 for eclipse light-headed.</b><br /><br />Thanks, now I understand why!<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> j/k <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Though I'm way out of my depth when it comes to relativity, I thought it might be fun to point out that better data for studying relativity will soon become available.<br /><br />First off is Gravity Probe B, which will attempt to determine whether frame dragging (predicted by relativity) actually happens. It will use amazingly sophisticated and precise gyroscopes to do it. I don't pretend to understand it fully, but my physicist brother gets all excited when he talks about it. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Secondly is MESSENGER. Mercury's peculiar orbit is considered to be evidence in favor of relativity. But the MESSENGER probe will permit more detailed measurements of the near-Sun environment, so that should be very interesting. Unfortunately, due to the enormous difference in energy between the Earth's orbit and Mercury's orbit, it won't arrive until 2011, but it should be operating in a noticably relativistic environment by 2008, when it will make its first flyby of Mercury. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[siarad]

I was just into my twenties when Gravity Probe B started, now I'm past retirement. That's dedication to a project <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[zavvy]

<font color="yellow">Wow thanks that adds to my fascination over mysterious gravity. </font><br /><br />I think the subject of the 'Allais effect' tends to make a lot of people nervous because it seriously brings into question the validity of General Relativity...<br /><br />Even Einstein was having doubts about it in his later years...

 

[jatslo]

<font color="yellow">First of all, an economist, Dr. Duff, has no real expertize in such questions as relativity. I've seen & heard these humanities majors and their knowldge of the sciences is abysmal or worse. <br /><br />Duff is not going to overthrow Einstein's relativity. He writes he's found something. What he's found is probabay that he doesn't know much physics, in all likelihood. <br /><br />I'll wait for independent confirmation from trained, publishing (in good reliable science journals, NOT the Economist) physicists, first of all. <br /><br />95+% of hypotheses of this type are flat out wrong. Coming from artsy craftsy, humanities majors makes it all the more unlikely. <br /><br />We can wait and no one in his right scientific mind would jump on this bandwagon. The Baloney detector is going off the scale on this subject.</font><br /><br />Okay, if you say so?!?!?!?!

 

[glutomoto]

Re: This one is worth the read: http://www.arxiv.org/PS_cache/gr-qc/pdf/0408/0408051.pdf<br />Key statements: “Our analysis shows that, the semiclassical limit, when Einstein’s equations hold to the lowest order, the entropy is contributed only by the boundary term and the system is holographic.” “The de-formation field corresponding to time evolution hits a singularity on the horizon, which is analogous to a topological defect in a solid. The entropy is the price we pay for this defect.” <br /><br /><br /><br />I think my Baloney detector got jammed up by all the gobboldy ****.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>