NASA just announced results from an epic experiment some 47 years in the making; the rotation of the Earth does indeed twist and distort the fabric of space-time, and data from a set of the most perfect gyroscopes ever made now confirms this aspect of Einstein's theories of relativity. The gyros, part of the Gravity Probe B satellite experiment, were engineered to an unbelievable degree of precision. The quartz-silicon spheres at the heart of the devices are as close to Euclidean perfection as the human race has yet been able to achieve, and the slight observed precession of their spins over time, as predicted by Einstein, measured the relativistic "frame drag" created by Earth's great mass rotating at the bottom of its gravity well.
I'm impressed. The scope of this experiment is amazing, and it speaks volumes about our drive to understand the reality that contains us. The world is messy, and creating precision is one valid reaction to the chaos. A ruler brings order - we can begin to fence off little pieces of the infinite fields of data available, testing pieces one against the other so that we can begin to make some sense of the constant riot that surrounds us.
Does precision oppose chaos, or does it pay respect to it? The Universe will never be precise, but by creating precision we can perhaps enjoy the mess a little more.
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