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Pulsar Test Proves Einstein at least 99.95% Right

physorg.com — An international research team has used three years of observations of the "double pulsar", a unique pair of natural stellar clocks which they discovered in 2003, to prove that Einstein's theory of general relativity - the theory of gravity that displaced Newton's - is correct to within a staggering 0.05%.

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  • RatherDashing, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16In engineering we call this the "fudge factor"
    • goat77, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12 It proves that one of Einstein's theories is 99.95% right, not that 99.95% of Einstein's theories are correct. I'm not trying to discredit Einstein, but it's not like he was ALWAYS right.
    • radicaldementia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15@goat77

      You're right, in fact Einstein spent much of his life working on things like perpetual motion and disproving quantum mechanics, research that really went nowhere.
    • Scruffydan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Science tends NOT to prove things, but rather to provide support for a theory.

      Science can however disprove a theory.

      the 95% bit of it seem like confidence intervals and nothing more
    • f0dder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7For Chemical & Mechanical engineering fudge factor of 30% were common.

      .05% over that distance for that system is pretty darn good.
    • LucasVB, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8A common error is when people use the term "proof" with "theory". You can't really prove a theory, you can only confirm it. You can disprove it, though, like it was put in this quote attributed to Einstein: "No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong."

      On the other hand, there are theorems, which CAN be proved or disproved. But that's a realm of pure mathematics.

      And yes, I am being anal with semantics, but again, a lot of crap arguments against science and theories are just stupid, stupid semantics...

      --
      Also, I'd really like some more insight on this expression, fudge factor. Anyone care to explain it further?
    • djdole, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Gee goat77, are you at least 99.95% anally retentive about the wording of this article?
      Who said he was always right? No one was even trying to make that argument.
      They (both the submitter and the article) specifically state that it's in regards to his theory of relativity.

      @Scruffydan
      You make a good point.
      This doesn’t truly PROVE anything, but it does solidly support it.
    • goat77, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Gee "Djdole", it seems you just provided overwhelming evidence for my theory that you are 99.5% a total dick.
    • Clearz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"the pulsar's separation is seen to be shrinking by 7mm/day"

      Them guys must have one hell of a telescope and a ruler to messure that.
  • chicken101, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Einstein is a demi-god in my book.
    • cliffy2000, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6If he's a demi-god then who's a god? And more importantly, where's Feynman in this pantheon?
    • masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7@cliffy2000:

      Nikola Tesla, perhaps?
    • Llanowar, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4"If he's a demi-god then who's a god?"

      Well... George W. Bush of course.... he is the only one smarter than Einstein.

      /sarcasm
    • phenolholic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4god = max planck. schrodinger would be jesus.
  • Rikushix, on 10/12/2007, -15/+2They should do away with that last .05 percent and just say he's right, point blank.
    • sh0k, on 10/12/2007, -1/+25"They should do away with that last .05 percent and just say he's right, point blank."

      I don' t think science works like that.
    • goat77, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12wrong comment damnit bury.
  • coldphoenix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3If only we could find some way to bring that brilliant man back to life, oh the possibilities...
  • mr_mechanics, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3I wanna be the ***** that brings up the quantum understanding of gravity...
  • Andy3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The article sounded super interesting but my backgound is not sciences. Can someone put it in laymans terms what i just read? No smartass response's please. Im really curious thats all. Thanks.
    • bjammin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Err well basically an international research team has used three years of observations to prove that Einstein's theory of general relativity - the theory of gravity that displaced Newton's - is correct to within a staggering 0.05%.

      Sorry I couldn't help the smartass comment.
    • mr_mechanics, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3General relativity makes a lot of predictions on the effects of gravity in extreme conditions (such as a double pulsar). It is very difficult, however, to actually test his predictions due to the complexities in observing phenomenon in such extreme conditions. This article says that in a very extreme environment (the double pulsar), general relativity predicted was what observed to an obscenely high degree of accuracy.
  • jonabbey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I thought General Relativity had been confirmed to a much, much greater degree of precision than 0.05% previously. Observations of Mercury, etc.

    Or was that just Special Relativity?
    • Aldrenean, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Special Relativity is what you're thinking of; it's actually been proven. General has not.
    • bejitunksu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You can't prove anything in science, only disprove.
  • diggduggjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7When people try to minimize the accomplishments of Einstein, it reminds me of a conversation with hyper conservatives that remarked (on gay marriage rights) that no single person is important to history. That we all could live without gays, for they cannot reproduce (***** at its best). Just like many would say we would live wonderfully without Jews.

    The simple fact is Einstein discovered this first. That does not imply there was a close race and someone would have figured this out moments later. It could have been decades later. Relativity is used routinely in GPS systems. It is only a theory that allows the military to have unprecedented accuracy. Einstein benefited all of mankind. He had problems with quantum mechanics, but each of us has something special to offer humanity. Do not fault Albert where he may have failed, but celebrate where he gave us a great leap in knowledge. It is fantastic that we discovered how well his theory works. We all will be enriched by it.
    • Esstee, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Gay's and Jews... hmmm

      He was a hell of a smart man in his own field.

      It's interesting that there was an offset too. Way smart in one area and way not smart in others. He certainly has my respect for his capacity to resolve things.
    • DrDabbles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Sadly, had he not allowed his unyielding belief in God and his disbelief of Quantum Physics get in his way...we could possibly be even further down the road of understanding. Imagine what could have been had he just opened his mind to the possibilities instead of blinding himself to them.

      The question I am left with is the .05% factor with the Shapiro effect. The article isn't clear where that discrepancy came from...the radio observing the neutron stars or the stars not behaving as expected? That would be interested to know. Because if 1+1 = 2 only 99.95% of the time, then 1+1 != 2.
    • macatak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah thats pretty stupid. It would be hard for the gays and jews to live without gays and jews.
    • bejitunksu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@DrDabbles
      It isn't quite as simple as 1+1.
  • u8myfoood, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1there is a reason y we use the term Einstein to mock others!
  • schnitzi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4From the article: "Gravitational radiation and orbital decay: The two co-rotating neutron stars lose energy due to the radiation of gravitational waves. This results in a gradual spiralling in of the two stars towards each other until they will eventually coalesce into one body."

    ...and any astronomer worth his/her salt would give his/her left nut/ovary to be there when it happens!
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