Dark forces at work

[unixronin]

This XKCD strip, and the "dark flow" astronomical discovery it reports, raise a very interesting issue.

Current conventional wisdom in physics says that the gravitational force is carried by a particle of some kind, and propagates no faster than C.  Conventional wisdom in physics also says that because of this, objects beyond the edge of the observable universe cannot affect us gravitationally, as gravitational force carriers from them can never reach us (any more than their light can).

If every galaxy we can observe, regardless of direction, is being pulled towards one region of the sky, and if this is the action of a supermassive object beyond the edge of the observable universe, it would imply that the conventional wisdom is not the case, and gravity is not in fact limited to the speed of light.

To say the least, the possible implications of this revelation would be interesting.

Comments

off-topic, but...

[msa.livejournal.com]

speaking of change, and dark forces:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1082225/March-dustbin-Stasi-Half-councils-use-anti-terror-laws-watch-people-putting-rubbish-wrong-day.html?ITO=1490

The shocking way in which the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act - an anti-terror law - is being used was revealed through freedom of information requests made by the Daily Mail.
-snip-
In Lincolnshire, West Lindsey District Council uses the new powers to place motion-activated cameras on lamp posts to catch homeowners putting their bins out at the wrong time.

Figured you'd find this amusing/depressing.

Re: off-topic, but...

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw that the other day. I can't say the mission creep surprises me.

And people insisted Orwell was wrong.