C, is it a constant?

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-01-23 05:22pm

Modern satellite communication and navigational systems would not work without understanding of General and Special Relativity. Every time the Air Force puts a JDAM through an air conditioning vent, Einstein is validated, and bad people die.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-23 06:12pm

Durandal wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:So does anyone think that the gravity propogation speed is more or less than c? Just to give another question.
Einstein predicted that it propogated at c. I don't think I'm qualified to argue with him, even when he's a corpse.

And Newton said otherwise.

We need a third party, maybe someone called Bob can say it goes at 54mph in urban areas and 78mph in country with 122,000mph in nebulae.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-01-23 07:25pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Durandal wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:So does anyone think that the gravity propogation speed is more or less than c? Just to give another question.
Einstein predicted that it propogated at c. I don't think I'm qualified to argue with him, even when he's a corpse.
And Newton said otherwise.

We need a third party, maybe someone called Bob can say it goes at 54mph in urban areas and 78mph in country with 122,000mph in nebulae.

While we don't have people making those exact claims, we have people just like them. They're called creationists.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-23 07:37pm

Durandal wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Durandal wrote: Einstein predicted that it propogated at c. I don't think I'm qualified to argue with him, even when he's a corpse.
And Newton said otherwise.

We need a third party, maybe someone called Bob can say it goes at 54mph in urban areas and 78mph in country with 122,000mph in nebulae.
While we don't have people making those exact claims, we have people just like them. They're called creationists.

I was thinking more of slack jawed yokels, but then I found no difference...

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2003-01-23 10:17pm

This is why I'm a software engineer - I don't have to deal with theories or complex calculations!

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-01-23 11:27pm

Oh yeah, I picked up a small gem in physics today. Apparently, the speed of light is now a defined quantity, meaning that it has no error associated with it. The chances of it decaying or changing are pretty slim.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2003-01-24 08:10am

Cool. They got an exact value for it? (as opposed to the standard rounding to 3.0 x 10^8 m/s)

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-24 08:25am

Durandal wrote:Oh yeah, I picked up a small gem in physics today. Apparently, the speed of light is now a defined quantity, meaning that it has no error associated with it. The chances of it decaying or changing are pretty slim.

That's good as I always hoped. I'd hate the idea of c altering over time, it would really screw things up and maybe help Creationists argue better (an unlikely event).

That's why I also love and hate the idea of different universes, the laws of physics we are still scraping at could be entirely or subtly different which could be cool but also annoying... if we could go there.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-01-24 11:08am

It's still rounded to 3E8 m/s for most uses, but now the actual number has no error associated with it. The error used to be +/- 1.1 m/s, I think. Now, it's a certain value.

Even if c was different at one point in the past, it can't have been off by that much. Here's an article I wrote on the subject:

http://www.daltonator.net/durandal/topi ... decay.html

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2003-01-24 01:16pm

Good article, Durandal. Now if you could only do what your name sake did and teleport the stupid people in front of an alien firing line.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-01-24 03:37pm

Arrow Mk84 wrote:Good article, Durandal. Now if you could only do what your name sake did and teleport the stupid people in front of an alien firing line.

If only. Maybe I could hand them over to Tycho ...

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2003-01-24 08:54pm

Durandal wrote:
Arrow Mk84 wrote:Good article, Durandal. Now if you could only do what your name sake did and teleport the stupid people in front of an alien firing line.
If only. Maybe I could hand them over to Tycho ...

Oh now that would be oh so cruel!