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Measurement error is a fine, and even necessary hypothesis in attempting to explain the observed effect. Multiple, independent replications tend to cast doubt o
by rosser 11y ago
Measurement error is a fine, and even necessary hypothesis in attempting to explain the observed effect. Multiple, independent replications tend to cast doubt on the ultimate viability of that hypothesis, however. How likely is it that all of these people at all of these labs are making the same measurement error?
And then, on top of that, when the observed effect comports with a theory that also predicts another, well-established observed effect?
It's been said that the most important phrase you will ever hear a scientist utter isn't, "I've found it!", but rather, "Well, that's strange."
This is very much in the, "Well, that's strange" class of things. Either way, we're going to learn something about how the universe works, or about our ability to measure it, or both. This should be celebrated, not dismissed as mere "measurement error."
- dogma1138 11y agoThe existence of the Unruh effect in it self is currently quite debatable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unruh_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unruh_effect
- rosser 11y agoYou'll note that I didn't actually assert the existence of the effect. I observed that a theory which predicts the effect the EmDrive appears to demonstrate, also predicts the fly-by anomaly, and offers a unified explanation for both. Yes, it requires more confirmation. Much more. I'm not a scientist, but I think that, taken together, it's interesting enough — "Well, that's strange" enough — to warrant further investigation, instead of being all, "Meh. Measurement error." Am I mistaken in that belief?
- dogma1138 11y agoIt's worth an investigation because it can be done cheaply and there might be something there. We've also investigated ESP and quite a few other weird things. Unruh radiation is weird under some interpretations it can be used to reduce the inertial mass of objects, the thing I take from this is that I hope the EM drive could prove it rather than the other way around because then we might say we've discovered the "Mass Effect" ;)
- jcoffland 11y agoIt's also quite possible that the theory was derived to fit these observations. This theory has yet to predict anything new that has been proven. Until it does it only amounts to a possible way of connecting two unexplained and possibly flawed observations.
- roywiggins 11y agoPeople noticed an effect every time the Dean Drive was turned on... but it is just a stiction engine and obviously won't work in space. It could be this drive is actually generating magnetic forces or moving air around and thus "creating thrust" by pushing off its surroundings, which won't work in a vacuum.
- m_mueller 11y ago... which was already tested for. vacuum or not seems to make no difference on the effect.
- gambiting 11y agoWell I guess the ultimate test would be to put the whole contraption in space, turn it on and see if it moves. Then it would be undebatable, no?