Page 39 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October / November 2018

Gravitational Waves 39

Gravitational Waves

Could Solve A

Cosmological Crisis

Within Five Years—Or

Shake Physics To Its Core

Continued from Page 38

The Hubble Constant from that event came in at
a very rough 70, smack between the traditional
two, but with uncertainty engulfing even the
most extreme supernovae and CMB estimates.
Settling the conflict calls for shrinking that
possible error to 2 or 3 percent, which will take
between 30 and 50 collisions of the type
observed last year, Holtz calculates in his recent
paper. Based on LIGO’s increasing sensitivity
and the assumed rate of neutron star mergers, he
now expects to have enough data to decide
between the two Hubble Constant contenders
within five years. Reiss, who wasn’t involved
with the work, agrees that gravitational waves
offer a plausible and exciting path forward, but
points out that it’s tough to guess how often
we’ll find mergers. “Maybe they'll accrue
faster,” Reiss says, “but if they accrue 10 times
slower I don't want to wait 50 years.”
Holtz admits that it’s hard to guess how
often something will take place after it’s
happened just one time, but says there’s reason
for optimisim—if he’s done the math right. His spent years working on this idea and developing they're not ready to talk, but she would not give
model, which he based on common statistical it,” Holtz says. “And in the span of less than half a refund."
tools for counting rare events, predicts a day, it unspooled in front of me." [] Baird's office responded to the
detections of between 30 and 400 mergers by complaints.
2026. Any of those outcomes would push the TV Medium Accused Of "Carmel is equally frustrated with the
uncertainty in the Hubble Constant south of 3%, move, but she does remind us all to trust the
he expects, so no one should have to wait 50 Ripping Off Grieving Family process.… She would much rather you be

years. Who Paid $525 For Reading frustrated with the date of your reading being
If gravitational waves do let us moved, than for her not be at her best
conclusively clock the expansion of the Never Received emotionally, mentally and physically in order to
universe, there are three possible outcomes. give you the best reading possible," reads one of
LIGO data could back the CMB method, Psychic Carmel Joy Baird is accused of the emails from Baird's office.
meaning the cosmic ladder failed to reach the
scamming clients by delaying pricey The most recent appointment was set for
supernovae accurately. Reiss says only a Sept. 21 of this year. The Kuchers, who live in
appointments for years
“conspiracy of errors” could explain how half a Drumheller, booked time off work for the trip
dozen independent calibration methods all failed and hired a babysitter for their one-year-old son.
so badly, and likens this case to being struck by Greg and Jodi Kucher were struggling with grief And then it was postponed again — this time, it
lightning multiple times. after a string of deaths of close family members wasn't rescheduled, just a promise of a future
Both Holtz and Reiss are personally and friends. appointment date.
hoping neutron stars support the supernova The southern Alberta couple was also
calculation, which would point to a mistaken trying to get pregnant with their first child — 'It's angering,' says Kucher
assumption in how the universe evolved from its and they felt that if they could just talk to their
birth to now—a much-anticipated sign of new lost loved ones, maybe they could make sense of "It's very frustrating. It's angering. I'm very
physics. Gravity might have acted differently everything in their lives. upset with the whole situation because we have
than we expect, Holtz speculates, or there could So, they booked an appointment with a invested so much time and money into this. I
be undiscovered particles missing from the so-called spiritual medium. feel we've been very patient and tolerant. I
cosmological accounting. But that closure didn't happen. Instead, mean, it's been three years since we paid for the
Alternatively, LIGO could come back they've waited three years for an appointment, service," he said.
with an entirely different measurement for the growing increasingly frustrated and angry as the "They haven't responded to my last
Hubble Constant, outside of the range set by medium has refused them a refund for the $525 couple emails. I put a post on Carmel's
both supernovae and the CMB. This outcome they paid. Facebook page. She's since deleted that
would create a nightmare scenario, shaking comment and she's banned me from being able
cosmology to its core. “That would just cast Medium blames cancellations on 'divine to make any further comments on her page."
doubt on all of our abilities to make occurrence' Kucher isn't the only one who claims to
measurements period,” Reiss says, “I hope we're have been ripped off by Baird.
not in that place.” "She always said it takes a lot of energy to reach In June, CBC Edmonton reported that
For now, Holz just feels thrilled that his the spirits on the other side and that's draining on five complaints had been made to Service
bet is paying off. Last year he thought the first her. There's always excuses," Kucher said. "She Alberta regarding Baird.
data point was still a decade off, and in a few cited that quite often when these delays happen
months he’ll be listening for the second when it's a divine occurrence, like for some reason the (Continued on Page 41)
LIGO comes back online in February. “I've spirits are delaying the appointment because