Clipping Board » New Knowledge and the Unknown of Life ─ Life will always bring you surprises and wonders.
[Reporter Wang Xuanyi, 2008/07/09, Taipei Report]
Can the physical laws discovered by humans on Earth be applied to the vast and distant universe? Dr. Moulle, a French researcher at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, along with teams from Australia and Germany, published a groundbreaking study yesterday. They found that the physical constant "proton-to-electron mass ratio" in a distant galaxy six billion light-years away is "indeed" the same as on Earth, proving that the natural laws in outer space should be identical to those on Earth. This paper has been published in the prestigious journal *Science*.
For years, astrophysicists have debated whether the physical constants observed by humans on Earth are merely human constructs or if these values could vary across the vastness of the universe. This hypothesis has been tested by astronomers in the past, but the results were never conclusive.
Dr. Moulle and his research partners used the highly sensitive Effelsberg radio telescope in Germany and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in France to observe ammonia molecules in a galaxy six billion light-years away. They discovered that the "proton-to-electron mass ratio" in certain molecular clouds of that galaxy is exactly the same as the data obtained in Earth-based laboratories: 1836.1. This confirms that the physical laws in distant galaxies are consistent with those on Earth.
Dr. Moulle noted that this number is not yet perfect. In August of this year, he plans to conduct further research using the Green Bank radio telescope in the United States. Additionally, he intends to observe another galaxy seven billion light-years away, where ammonia molecules have also been detected.
This discovery could also help explain more astronomical phenomena, such as the famous yet elusive dark matter in the physics community, as well as the "anthropic principle" used to infer the origins of Earth, the Big Bang, and the formation of human existence. It suggests that theories based on Earth's physical phenomena regarding the formation of the solar system, Earth, and humanity can be further rationalized.
Moreover, what if the physical constants in outer space were different from those on Earth?
Dr. Jin Shengguang from the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics gave an example: Isaac Asimov's science fiction novel *Fantastic Voyage* or the movie of the same name imagines altering Planck's constant to shrink humans so they can enter the human body for repairs. Such hypothetical scenarios might be possible if natural laws and constants were different. However, once it is proven that Earth and outer space share the same physical laws, such assumptions become highly unlikely.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 080709/ 78/ 12uh3. html
Earth's Natural Laws Apply Universally
Can the physical laws discovered by humans on Earth be applied to the vast and distant universe? Dr. Moulle, a French researcher at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, along with teams from Australia and Germany, published a groundbreaking study yesterday. They found that the physical constant "proton-to-electron mass ratio" in a distant galaxy six billion light-years away is "indeed" the same as on Earth, proving that the natural laws in outer space should be identical to those on Earth. This paper has been published in the prestigious journal *Science*.
For years, astrophysicists have debated whether the physical constants observed by humans on Earth are merely human constructs or if these values could vary across the vastness of the universe. This hypothesis has been tested by astronomers in the past, but the results were never conclusive.
Dr. Moulle and his research partners used the highly sensitive Effelsberg radio telescope in Germany and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in France to observe ammonia molecules in a galaxy six billion light-years away. They discovered that the "proton-to-electron mass ratio" in certain molecular clouds of that galaxy is exactly the same as the data obtained in Earth-based laboratories: 1836.1. This confirms that the physical laws in distant galaxies are consistent with those on Earth.
Dr. Moulle noted that this number is not yet perfect. In August of this year, he plans to conduct further research using the Green Bank radio telescope in the United States. Additionally, he intends to observe another galaxy seven billion light-years away, where ammonia molecules have also been detected.
This discovery could also help explain more astronomical phenomena, such as the famous yet elusive dark matter in the physics community, as well as the "anthropic principle" used to infer the origins of Earth, the Big Bang, and the formation of human existence. It suggests that theories based on Earth's physical phenomena regarding the formation of the solar system, Earth, and humanity can be further rationalized.
Moreover, what if the physical constants in outer space were different from those on Earth?
Dr. Jin Shengguang from the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics gave an example: Isaac Asimov's science fiction novel *Fantastic Voyage* or the movie of the same name imagines altering Planck's constant to shrink humans so they can enter the human body for repairs. Such hypothetical scenarios might be possible if natural laws and constants were different. However, once it is proven that Earth and outer space share the same physical laws, such assumptions become highly unlikely.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 080709/ 78/ 12uh3. html