Gservo
20th May 2002, 01:06 PM
The Universe may be a stranger place than we imagined because of new evidence that appears to show the very laws of physics have changed since the cosmos was young.
Analysis of the light coming from distant quasars suggests that a fundamental physical constant may have been increasing slightly over the past six billion years
The so-called fine structure constant - which measures the strength with which subatomic particles interact with one another and with light - may have been smaller at earlier times in the history of the Universe.
"This has major implications for our understanding of physics," Dr John Webb of New South Wales University, Australia, told BBC News Online.
"If this is correct,
More Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1991000/1991223.stm)
Analysis of the light coming from distant quasars suggests that a fundamental physical constant may have been increasing slightly over the past six billion years
The so-called fine structure constant - which measures the strength with which subatomic particles interact with one another and with light - may have been smaller at earlier times in the history of the Universe.
"This has major implications for our understanding of physics," Dr John Webb of New South Wales University, Australia, told BBC News Online.
"If this is correct,
More Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1991000/1991223.stm)