Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Correlation


In response to another blogger, I have found a better graph of the WMAP Year One angular correlation function. This is from Glenn Starkman and Dominik Schwarz in Scientific American August 2005. The inflationary paradigm predicts that density fluctuations are the same at all scales, leading to the red prediction curve. In fact fluctuations are nearly zero for angles greater than 60 degrees. Note the error bars--inflation's prediction is ruled out by both WMAP and COBE.

Now that the data is here, expect either willfull ignorance or a barrage of questions looking for openings to attack the theory. Having just read Lee Smolin's "The Trouble With Physics," it is becoming apparent to this young mind just how petty scientists can be. Despite that, who is smiling in the pictures? Discovery is still a thrilling adventure!

3 Comments:

Blogger Kea said...

Louise

What do you think the historians of science are doing right now? Out of those half billion viewers there must be a few cluey ones, heh?

10:36 PM  
Blogger L. Riofrio said...

Kea, I think that history will judge us kindly. It will certainly see that we did what was right despite pressure to follow the party line. There are lots of people with a clue who follow us.

2:35 PM  
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