Greetings All, Here's an update.
The data evaluation phase of Gravity Probe B is underway. Here's some
background:

"What is Gravity Probe B?
Gravity Probe B is the relativity gyroscope experiment being
developed by NASA and Stanford University to test two unverified
predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.

The experiment will check, very precisely, tiny changes in the
direction of spin of four gyroscopes contained in an Earth satellite
orbiting at 400-mile altitude directly over the poles. So free are
the gyroscopes from disturbance that they will provide an almost
perfect space-time reference system. They will measure how space and
time are warped by the presence of the Earth, and, more profoundly,
how the Earth's rotation drags space-time around with it. These
effects, though small for the Earth, have far-reaching implications
for the nature of matter and the structure of the Universe."

related links:
http://www.gravityprobeb.com
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/launch_update_gpb.html
http://einstein.stanford.edu

best,
Dhub


--- In whirlpower@yahoogroups.com, "dhubcal" <dhubcal@i...> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> David had a lot to say about frame-dragging and related it to
> Whirlpower.
> Dhub
> --------------
>
> NASA to Test Space-Time Fabric
>
> "If theory holds, the mass and rotation of the Earth, 397 miles
below
> the probe, should throw the alignment of the spinning balls off
> kilter in subtle but measurable ways.
>
> The warping effect has been measured before. The twisting effect,
> called frame-dragging, has never been directly detected. Gravity
> Probe B aims to detect both."
>
> more: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,62936,00.html