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Ant
15-01-2003, 16:10
You know how if the sun stopped shining, it would take something like 8 minutes before we knew it had gone pop? (for the technicalities of this discussion!)

Well my my mate was telling me down the pub the other night that it would also take exactly the same amount of time before the earth came out of its orbit (i.e. gravity). Apparently scientists have proven this theory - exacty how can you prove the speed of 'gravity'?? Sorry, it just intrested me, that is all.

Goodnight.

:)

Edit: it's 8 minutes not 13 as I previously put - well it was after a few Stellas. ;)
Jez
15-01-2003, 16:16
The boffins have just managed to prove it - probably by observing stuff and doing lots of complicated maths.

It was in the news a while ago: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2639043.stm

and here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2238452.stm
Ant
15-01-2003, 16:18
Intresting stuff :) That Einstein bloke's a bit good int he! :D
Nick_Walczak
15-01-2003, 16:24
I thought it was 8 hours? http://www.tournament.com/forums/images/smilies/nerd.gif
JonnySpeedbump
15-01-2003, 22:00
Fan-bloomin'-tastic!

If Gravity has a speed it is also probable that it has mass and can be broken down into individual particles (as photons are to light).
If it is a physical substance then it can be repelled and/or it's properties could be changed to create a countering effect or 'anti-gravity'.

Basically, enjoy your 4 wheeled chariots while you can because I can see us flying about in 'Hover-cars' within our lifetimes! :D

Jonny
Jez
15-01-2003, 22:13
Just cos gravity has got a speed doesn't mean its got a mass - light (photons) has (have) no mass.

Gravity is probably a wave of some sort, in which case it can be cancelled out like light :)

Hmmmm.... gravity lasers and tractor beams...
Ant
15-01-2003, 22:18
Light-sabres?

...even though I hate Star Wars...
Martin T
16-01-2003, 00:12
Originally posted by Jez
Just cos gravity has got a speed doesn't mean its got a mass - light (photons) has (have) no mass.

Gravity is probably a wave of some sort, in which case it can be cancelled out like light :)

Hmmmm.... gravity lasers and tractor beams...
Einstein proposed that the basic unit of gravity was the graviton. He has yet to be proven wrong. Like all subatomic (or incredibly high speed) particles, they have a kind of wave particle duality. The reason that Gravity and Electormagnetic radiation can travel at the speed of light is that they have no mass.
One thing to bare in mind with ALL of the sciences, is that they will never know what is actually going on - its just that our models will get more and more accurate. The problem is that what is actually going on is so different to how we percieve the world that it takes some kind of genius to understand it.