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Article: Space gyroscopes for testing relativity.
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- March 3, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Space gyroscopes for testing relativity
Scientists at Stanford University are starting to assemble a crucial experiment designed to test Einstein's general theory of relativity to an unprecedented level of precision. Known as Gravity Probe-B, the satellite-based experiment will attempt to detect two specific physical effects predicted by the theory but never before measured.
In Einstein's theory, the force of gravity is a manifestation of the curvature of space and time caused by the warping effects of concentrations of masS. For example, the Earth orbits the sun not because it's attracted to the sun but because it follows the shortest possible path in ...