http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci...00/1991223.stm

"If this is correct, it will radically change our view of the Universe."

what a cliché

So you don't think that the constant used to determine particle reaction rates being variable in time is not significant? If this is true an underlying assumption of Physics is about to be overturned. To whit, the laws of physics may change with time. This means that spectroscopy of deep sky objects will need re-interpreting as the light signals may be obeying a differing Physics to today.

Funny that you question the validity of 100 yr old principles and yet appear to rubbish serious attempts to question our assumptions. This and the existence of Dark Matter/Dark Energy is a big clue that something very strange is going on in the Universe. Something we have no knowledge of as yet.

c'est moi,

The fine structure constant is a dimensionless quantity that contains the speed of light, the electron mass and planck's constant. If that number is variable, then so is at least one of the three fundamental constants that define the finestructure constant.

To put it simply: that means we're in trouble

Bye!

Crisp

From a layman's POV, what is the big deal? We always have assumed that time itself is linear and even density over the duration of the universe. If that is not so, then everything else changes including speed of light, the quantum energy constant, the charge of the electron. Nothing lasts forever...the charge itself may change over a few billion years ever so slightly...

One just have to create local constants ....

What part of the word "cliché" didn't you get? It IS a cliché to hear this.

Come on, the way it starts: "The Universe may be a stranger place than we imagined ..."

sensation in the press, that's what it is about
I'm not arguing about the variance of alpha, I'm arguing about the way everything has to be sensational today, even science ... paleonthological findings in Africa have to be sensational or the money supply is cut off etc etc. Where will this end?

Hi all,

kmguru,

I agree that it won't have an immediate impact on our daily lives, and yes, we can work our way around constants not being constants by assuming they are (my guess is the change - if any - would be very very very small and require alot of time, otherwise we wouldn't be here to speak about it).

The more dramatic impact is on the "big picture". If the finestructure constant changes too much, then elementary binding processes like electron-proton interactions in hydrogen atoms don't occur as spontaneous anymore, or can no longer occur, or ... Since that was (and still is in stellar birthplaces) the first step in the forming of more complex molecules, you can start wondering about the faith of the universe. It might not only become a dark and abandonned place in the end (no contraction or stop of expansion), it might also become a place void of matter (lifetime of proton) and if the finestructure constant changes too much, there's also no hope of ever forming new matter again. This more or less puts an expiration date on the universe. Not that it will immediatelly affect our lives (we're talking several billion years in the future here), but somehow... it works in a depressing way .

I will not start on religious consequences here

c'est moi,

Okay true. That wasn't clear from your first post which made it look like you were completely laughing with the possible consequences

Bye!

Crisp

IMHO, sooner or later we will discover that everything is relative. There is no such thing as the universe is anchored to a immovable object. So...it changes....

Depressing? Nah!...there are more things to get depressed about like asteroid wiping us out etc...

So...a variable constant... I like it....

Well at least its true this time. If the fine structure constant changes jsut an eensie weensie bit, carbon becomes unstable and all life ceases.

That's "crossing the streams" bad.

-IggDawg