A quick digression: here’s a talk I gave last week at a screening of the movie Gravity, about what Physics they got right and wrong.
(Usual disclaimer that the movie theatre spotlight looks fine in person but doesn’t work on camera. But you can see the slides, and no one needs to see me anyway)
“ You loved me the other day. You wanted me to sit beside you…Didn’t I feel it- didn’t I know? There’s something between us - a sort of pull. Something you always do to me and I to you.“
Earlier in the year, physicists made headlines claiming that they may have detected gravitational waves—only to announce, some time later, that it had just been dust.
How could such a blunder be made? How could their detection equipment not immediately distinguish between a fundamental discovery and some specks of debris? Turns out: pretty easily.
Gravity is the force that affects us every second of every day, even if we’ve forgotten to notice it, but it’s by far the weakest of the four fundamental forces (gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force). You can test this easily at home—pick up a piece of metal with a magnet, or some scraps of paper with a negatively charged comb.
As well as being the weakest, gravity is perhaps the least understood. Two fundamental ideas have been proposed: Newton explained that gravity is an attraction between two bodies, then Einstein’s General Relativity modified this explanation, postulating that matter actually causes warps in space-time, like balls sitting on a rubber sheet, and this distortion is felt as gravitational influence.
As an object with mass moves, the curvature of space-time changes accordingly to remain ‘around’ the object. If an object accelerates, it can cause ripples in the curvature of space-time—but only if its motion isn’t perfectly spherically symmetric. Consider a supernova: if the star was exactly spherical, when it explodes it will not produce a gravitational wave, but a star that is even slightly asymmetrical will. These disturbances propagate outwards as a wave. (Check out some potential sources of gravitational waves here.)
We’re familiar with the idea that the electromagnetic force travels as a continuous wave, with an electric and magnetic component propagating at right angles to each other, transporting energy as electromagnetic radiation.
In a similar way, we expect gravity to be expressed as a gravitational wave, though these waves aren’t oscillations of electric and magnetic fields: they’re oscillations of space-time. These waves would have a maximum speed of c (the speed of light), so technically, if our Sun suddenly disappeared, the Earth would keep happily orbiting for another 8 minutes, until the gravitational ‘information’ reached us.
But here’s the issue: though gravitational waves are supported by mathematics, we haven’t actually been able to observe any yet. Their intensity drops off as it get further away from its source, so by the time they reach Earth, they are predicted to be very small, with frequencies in the range of 10-16 to 104 Hertz. For decades, researchers have built and worked on ever-more-sensitive detectors, but since gravitational waves are weak, there is a huge amount of interference to be weeded out, and no definite detections have been made yet. The European Space Agency is currently developing a space-based gravitational waved observatory called LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), which would eliminate a lot of interference, but unfortunately may not be launched for decades.
Detecting gravitational waves would be revolutionary, not just because it would confirm theories about general relativity and the nature of gravity, but because gravitational waves can penetrate parts of space that electromagnetic waves can’t. In the future, we could use gravitational wave ‘telescopes’ instead of optical and radio telescopes, and have a new ‘view’ of exotic objects like black holes and of times near the very beginning of the universe.
As for the scientists whose breakthrough turned out to be dust—well, what can you expect from a telescope named BICEP?
To me you are like gravity. Whenever I‘m flying too high, you‘re pulling me back onto the ground. And whenever I‘m away for too long you pull me back in.
Out of focus - eye to eye - until the gravity‘s too much.
They were High Society Collective. Three outta four have at least 1 classic solo album to their credit in addition to their seminal “Circa MMXI: The Collective” from 2011. So what was/is Natalie’s solo shortcoming? No official album to her credit, only mixtapes and EPs. As for the rest?
I don’t know if there’ll be another crew like this in hiphop. Meanwhile, check out the links and peep the tunes. you’ll be amazed at what you’ve probably missed out on.
Three times the #charm.. I didn’t want the #rain here in #LA to get me down & #blue so I made my own #happyday! Needed some #drama so why not create it with my #eyeshadow…? I received so many #compliments on my #makeuplook- I #love to push the envelope with my #makeupartistry* I used @makeupgeektv #gelliner in #fame as eyeshadow with #urbandecay #stila eyeshadow’s #flamingo & #chiffon #liqiudtomatte #lipstick @gerardcosmetics in #gravity #lockittattoofoundation #kvdbeauty #beauty #fulllips
“We created zero-gravity zones on Earth for recreation, but reconsidered after learning their downsides. Plants grew tall and spindly with no need for structural support. Ants formed bridges through the air to reach our hidden food. Jumping spiders soon learned they could fly.”
-QuietPineTrees
I love writing microfiction, and Unbound is an unconventional publisher that accepts my own brand of weirdness. They can experiment on authors like me by crowdfunding the first run of new books. This is a dream of mine, so please, consider pledging.
Blackberry: Bittersweet aggregate fruit full of phytochemicals
Clearberry: Smoky-sweet drupe rich in antigravitons, used for short-term weight loss
Grayberry: Tart true berry full of the memories of those who once trod these fields”
-QuietPineTrees
Plants hold many secrets, not always plain to modern, casual observers. I’ve collected all my notes on weird horticulture in my new book! Pledge now for a copy signed by my own human hands!
is a levitating light. A shatterproof light bulb which hovers by magnetic levitation and is powered wirelessly through the air. There are no batteries and its low voltage LEDs makes it completely safe and harmless.
Each base is elegantly designed, crafted in Sweden from sustainable oak, ash and walnut.
The Light Bulb has been considered the most important invention since man-made fire but not so much has changed in design since Edison’s time 135 years ago.
We’d like to change this, so we’ve designed a new way to experience your light. One which is free from the constraints of gravity.
The hardware and electronics consist of an electro-magnetic base, sensors and a power adapter.
