Gravitational Waves May Have Been Detected In 1987

KentuckyFC writes "In 1987, a physicist called Joe Weber claimed to have detected gravitational waves at the same time that other scientists spotted a supernova called SN1987A. His claims were largely ignored because of calculations showing that gravitational waves could not be strong enough to be picked up by Weber's equipment, a set of giant aluminium cylinders designed to vibrate as the waves passed by. But these calculations were based on first order effects in the way spacetime can be distorted. Now a new analysis shows that second order effects can enhance gravitational waves by four orders of magnitude, but only when certain asymmetries are present. It turns out that SN1987A possesses just the right kind of asymmetries to make this enhancement possible because the supernova wasn't entirely spherical. Which means that Weber, who died in 2000, may have been the first to see gravitational waves after all."

Honor

[AKAImBatman]

Gravity waves? I thought they'd never be observed! Impeller Drive [wikipedia.org], here we come! Now all we need is to prove hyperspace as a viable means of travel and invent Warshawski sails. :-P

(Joking aside, this is great news! Gravity waves have been one of the most difficult aspects of relativistic physics to pin down.)

FTFS

[Anonymous Coward]

In 1987, a physicist called Joe Weber...

So, what was his real name? Also, editors, the last statement of your summary is a sentence fragment. Please fix this.

Dude,

[OneSmartFellow]

...where's my surfboard ? I'm totally stoked, I want to be the first to ride a gravity wave, that'd be, like really heavy, man !

Waves?

[imajinarie]

And here I was always convinced they were Gravity Particles.

Re:How much

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure glad you didn't die during those five minutes. I mean, how much does it have to suck to die, with your post being discredited, and your claims laughed at? Then a decade later, the Slashdot community goes "Oops, you were right" with a +5 Insightful.

those weren't gravity waves

[stoolpigeon]

it was the pure amazement of my high school teachers that I was graduating. I was pretty shocked too.

Re:Honor

[_Hellfire_]

Well there *is* this star close by...

I detect gravity waves all the time

[KiwiCanuck]

using my tin foil hat.

Re:Waves?

[girlintraining]

And here I was always convinced they were Gravity Particles.

The lawyers for the Standard Model called. They mentioned something about a Cease and Desist Order: You're not allowed to discuss gravity around anyone schooled in quantum mechanics-- It apparently causes emotional duress.

Re:FTFS

[elrous0]

Actually, you're wrong. There is clearly supposed to be an "and" before "claimed." The physicist who called Joe just wishes to stay anonymous at this time.

Re:Dude,

[boarder8925]

There's that word again. "Heavy." Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the earth's gravitational pull?

Re:Dude,

[linzeal]

Americans importing half of the solar systems foodstuffs have grown so large that the average city block in the 20th century barely contains the girth of one 5000 ton Homo Americanus Gigantus. This displacement of mass has caused a localized gravitational disturbance in the curvature of spacetime large enough that places like the former state of Texas are now 200 feet below the 2000 BCE sea level. If it wasn't for the mile high tall walls with lasers on them surrounding the US to keep out aliens it would be completely underwater except for parts of Colorado.

Re:Honor

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Be thankful for that. In another 1,000 years, someone will post simple instructions on how to create a supernova in your basement on the InterGalacticNextGenerationNet (powered by IPv9). And someone will download it, do it, and, for whomever is alive at that time, things will not be very pleasant.

I'd personally hold out for the Gamma Ray Burst recipe. Now *that* would be cooler than an M80 flushed down the toilet, but equally unpleasant, if you happen to be in the path of the gamma rays.

Although this is intended on the lighter side, try to imagine a time in the future, where we can safely pull of stuff like this.

Yo.

Re:Honor

[Animaether]

[10:01:14] This is the sun that Earth is orbiting. It's a regular main sequence star with a core temperature of about sixteen million degrees and enough hydrogen to burn for another five billion years.
[10:01:27] Yeah?
[10:01:30] We wanna blow it up.
[10:01:38] Wow.
[10:01:42] That's, uh...
[10:01:47] Ambitious.
[10:01:47] Ambitious.

Re:Honor

[Anonymous Monkey]

So, all we need is a black hole, some alien technology, and a friendly snake in my head?

Re:Honor

[Brian Gordon]

And to think at one time people naively thought 128 terabits of addressing space was enough.

I have the solution!

[default luser]

All we need to do is hire Malcom McDowell [wikipedia.org] to destroy the Sun! Just tell him that it will get him into the Nexus, he'll do it for free!

He was right, you know.

[MillionthMonkey]

I remember because I was alive in 1987 and I felt it too when it happened. It was just as that star was exploding as a matter of fact. But it was hard to notice and you had to be paying really close attention. I take a lot of mind-altering drugs so I was able to sit still and concentrate on the physics.

Basically gravitational waves have a quadrupole moment so you feel your ears move apart slightly and your face contracting vertically. Then your face expands vertically as your ears move together. This happens a bunch of times and the effect is very slight- just a few femtometers- so you might not notice. But once you feel that cool wind of neutrinos flowing up from the floor and blowing through your hair, that should be a fairly obvious hint that a star is exploding somewhere and deserving of your attention.

Re:Honor

[grcumb]

IPv9 would be the testing branch. IPv10 would be production.

What. Ever.

You and I both know we'll barely be finished the IPv6 roll out by then.

Re:Waves?

[Plutonite]

You're not allowed to discuss ANYTHING near folks who have dabbled around with Quantum Mechanics. Most statements not formulated as probabilities cause them to cry, or at least fart loudly.

Re:those weren't gravity waves

[Anonymous Coward]

After all the booze, dope, pills, women, and men, I'm surprised you graduated too.

Re:I saw the setup

[Anonymous Coward]

It's still there, but they've added a "Beware of the leopard" sign and removed the doorknob.

Re:Poor guy

[Anonymous Coward]

What are they going to name the gravity SI unit, Webers? Right...

How about 'Joes'? I hate the way first names are always neglected in SI jargon.