Vernor Vinge wrote a very good book that speculated on the ramifications of non-local physics. I think it was "A Fire Upon the Deep." A great read.

As long as I'm plugging books, there's a couple non-fiction by Brian Greene - "Fabric of the Cosmos" and "The Elegant Universe" that are excellent for laypeople. I've read both of them several times, and each time through I'm amazed and fascinated anew.

"Elegant Universe" has by far the best examples of the double-slit experiment and relativity I've ever read.

Sorry, posted this in the wrong thread the first time.

Both "A Fire Upon the Deep" and its sorta-prequel "A Deepness in the Sky" are great books. I slightly prefer "Fire," personally, but I think it's just a matter of taste.

The cosmology stuff only comes into play in the first novel (the second takes place almost entirely around one star), and it's on a galactic scale.

There's a reason they still call it the "theory" of gravity.

Wow--not only did he write the country hits "Swingin'" and "Money in the Bank", but John Anderson is also an astrophysicist? Quite the renaissance man!

Actually, we are all on the back of a turtle floating in a cosmic pond and the pond is drying up because of global warming caused by decades of the release of very toxic Liberal-Hot-Air-Gases into the atmosphere. And as the Pioneer spacecraft neared the edge of the pond, their ability to float was impeded by overgrown prehistoric alcohol-soaked Pondscum with Oldsmobiles like Ted Kennedy. Yes indeed!

"Shy, bookish and soft-spoken, Anderson was not the type to call a news conference to announce that two U.S. spacecraft appeared to be disobeying the physical laws of the universe."

Or maybe because that would be stupid? Really, do reporters think that's how science is done, by press conference? They might be shocked to find that hundreds of thousands of scientists work around the world every day and none of them feel the need to be blessed by the great journalist elite.

Also, this 'dark matter' concept that the press keeps peddling is getting a little tired. Dark matter need be no more 'invisible' than my coffee cup is right now, since it's in the washer and I can't see it. Dark matter simply refers to the matter that we're pretty sure is out there (to balance the equations) but that we can't see anywhere with our telescopes. It's not a single kind of matter or some kind of frickin Ultratonium.

"If it's new physics, the implications are truly tremendous," he said.

I can not understate the gravity of the situation.

(/got nuffin')

PS - 72Virgins... channeling Rincewind, I see?

Joe R. There's a reason they still call it the "theory" of gravity.

Yes. That would be because it's a theory. That is, a detailed and thoroughly tested mathematical model of a physical process.

Tom: Really, do reporters think that's how science is done, by press conference?

Yes.

Great post, Ace!

Since Pioneer though, we have sent out many long range space probes with degrees greater locational position signalling. Most recently Cassini. Perhaps dark matter, string theory can be gleaned from them. I am convinced after watching the Rovers move about for what seems like a year with more to come, and other probes - that more, far more, can be gained for each dollar spent, by robotic probes vs. the human Astronaut going to the same place for 1,000 times the cost, planting a flag, and leaving after a few days.

If those probes don't answer the Pioneer Anomoly, maybe a new one, like a prototype nuclear-ion engine driven one aimed at achieving 3-10% lightspeed might do the trick....

Jeff,

I read Deepness first, and I thought Fire was a much better and more insightful novel. I found the whole concept of superluminal thought and its implications utterly captivating, as well as the descriptions like "Now every hour it experienced was as long as all the time that had preceded it."

Might have to bring that one on the Christmas flight again...

Also, this 'dark matter' concept that the press keeps peddling is getting a little tired. Dark matter need be no more 'invisible' than my coffee cup is right now, since it's in the washer and I can't see it.

Baryonic dark matter is only one possibility, wimp. You equivocate "dark"--from their usage to your own. Also, "press keeps peddling" is not accurate in light of the fact scientists are continuing the debate over these very issues.

Dark matter simply refers to the matter that we're pretty sure is out there (to balance the equations) but that we can't see anywhere with our telescopes. It's not a single kind of matter or some kind of frickin Ultratonium.

A swaggering, macho position. If it's not a single kind of matter, then why mention only your coffee cup? And how do you would you ever prove the wimpiness of ultratonium? By proclaimation?

The simplest explanation might be, "rocket science is hard."

The Pioneer probes all had close flybys with various planets to get a gravitational slingshot accelleration. Small deviances in these maneuvers could have resulted in unexpected changes in trajectory. These differences may be small, but would be exagerated over time. Like flying from New York to Los Angeles using only a compass and a stopwatch, a 1 degree error in your heading will cause an enormous position error by the time you hit the west coast.

It's a complicated problem with a lot of variables, and everything is being observed at extreme distances. Add to the mix that you have an extremly small sample of observations, and the chances of error are enormous.

More study and additional probes are necessary to provide additional data, but i wouldn't be rewriting physics text books just yet. This might be the 'cold fusion' equivalent for cosmology. Looks interesting at first blush, but falls apart upon further examination.

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