Friday, October 30, 2009

Quantum Gravity Theories Wiped Out by a Gamma Ray Burst

Ars Technica explains Quantum gravity theories wiped out by a gamma ray burst. "One of the awkward aspects of modern physics is that its two most successful fields, relativity and quantum mechanics, are fundamentally incompatible, as things happen in the quantum world that relativity says should not be possible. That's left physicists looking for a way to harmonize the two, with two primary contenders: string theories, and quantum gravity theories. Testing either of them has been a bit challenging, but researchers have now managed to use a single, intensely powerful photon detected by the Fermi Telescope to significantly limit the number of viable quantum gravity theories."

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