back to article Boffins propose photon-swapping entanglement experiment on ISS

Hard on the heels of a Chinese claim to have measured the speed at which entanglement can transfer information, a group led by Austrian Academy of Sciences professor Rupert Ursin proposes testing “spooky action's” speed between Earth and the International Space Station. The researchers note that the only kit required on the …

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  1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Well at least it's almost science

    So far more use than the typical school science fair projects that the ISS normally does.

    But it's also 'proving' something that nobody seriously doubts, doing it to the ISS rather than across an optical fibre is slightly trickier technically but still pointless.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Well at least it's almost science

      You do realize that sometimes the most interesting things are learned when testing "something that nobody seriously doubts" and finding out that reality doesn't always match our preconceptions. But I guess with your superior attitude you know everything and thus have no reason to conduct any experiments at all.

      1. Esskay
        Joke

        Why sail around the world?

        Everyone knows it's flat, you don't need to prove it.

      2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Well at least it's almost science

        No it's more like claiming that Apollo was a major scientific experiment when they dropped a hammer and a feather and they fell at the same time - so testing that Newtonian gravity also worked on the moon.

        Otherwise it's like repeating the Michelson-Morley experiment in Houston to check if the aether exists in the confederacy

    2. TeeCee Gold badge
      Coat

      Re: Well at least it's almost science

      typical school science fair projects

      Next week: A baking soda volcano.........IN SPAAAAAAAAACE!!11!!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well at least it's almost science

        That'll be a change from gobbling floating popcorn or water drops...

    3. Graham Marsden
      Boffin

      Re: Well at least it's almost science

      To quote Isaac Asimov: "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    4. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Thumb Down

      Re: Well at least it's almost science

      > But it's also 'proving' something that nobody seriously doubts

      You are unfortunately rather clueless. That "nobody" is you and your dog, I suppose?

      It is by no means clear whether entanglement should hold over vast distances and speed differences.

      > but still pointless

      GB2 your PS3.

      > Otherwise it's like repeating the Michelson-Morley experiment in Houston to check if the aether exists in the confederacy

      Dumbass.

      Also, the confederacy had been absorbed in the United States of Lincoln by that time. Unitary presidency, here we come!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well at least it's almost science

        It is by no means clear whether entanglement should hold over vast distances and speed differences.

        Not only that, but this would test whether inertial frame dragging affects it at all. It is difficult to accurately measure the speed of something which occurs faster than light (perhaps instanteously...or have they ruled that out?) but what if we find it propagates at a different speed when tested on Earth than from Earth to ISS? That would be interesting and unexpected, and lead to some new theories to account for whether this has to do with the gravity differences, frame dragging or something else yet unknown.

      2. Uffish
        WTF?

        Re: Dumbass

        @ D.A.M

        Thank you for your scholarly analysis.

  2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Boffin

    But will it measure the *speed* of entanglement?

    Only if as the Chinese state its around 13000x c that's still not going to be very far. At around 3 ns/m the entanglement would take about 1-2ns to propagate (It's too early to be reaching for a calc for actual numbers).

    This is a good use for the ISS. Unique environment and fairly simple hardware (could all the kit already be on board for other purposes?)

    .

  3. Panicnow

    Not so spooky

    Surely the fault in the experiment is the assumption that the decay of the entangled pair isn't predetermined at entanglement!

    Simple?

  4. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    FAIL

    > Hard on the heels of a Chinese claim to have measured the speed at which entanglement can transfer information,

    Don't you mean "to have measures the speed at which entanglement does not transfer information"?

  5. Ryan 7
    Boffin

    Nope...

    "The experiment would also help investigate whether gravity has any affect on entanglement between a photon on Earth and on in orbit." [sic]

    Gravity on the ISS is almost identical to gravity at sea level. They're just constantly falling so things *appear* weightless.

    1. Robert Helpmann??
      Childcatcher

      Re: Nope...

      Well, yes, but that "almost" can count for a lot. For example, an experiment on the ISS might have to account for frame-dragging, but one conducted at sea level not so much.

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