As part of my work, I was looking up information about Allan Variance (a measure of the stability of atomic clocks). The first Google hit was a page by the inventor of this measure, David W. Allan. A search on Web of Science shows that he has been publishing papers on atomic clocks and the like since 1970, so I'm convinced he's a "real" scientist.

But (there's always a but)...

Then I saw this page http://www.allanstime.com/UnifiedFieldTheory/index.html, which led to this http://www.allanstime.com/UnifiedFie...egg/index.html



Part of me wants to believe that this is a bona-fide new theory. But:

Quote:

According to this new theory, the electrons flow freely up and down the diallel, gravitational-field lines in the egg -- reflecting off of the walls of the egg as a natural boundary.

Oh come on! Is there any merit to this?


PS: Check out the link at the bottom of the egg page. I don't think he quite read it fully

Sheesh!

It works, because egg shells are not perfectly rounded on the bottom! It is also much easier, if there a few grains of salt on the table.

This will not work with a plastic egg with a visibly smooth bottom, or an egg shaped, carefully machined, billet of non-magnetic steel.

Bad, poorly controlled experiment...I like the theory, though...

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jwj

It's a big universe out there...is it really unwinding, really burning out?

[cringe]
gNyarshghh! Not the egg-balancing hoo-hah again!
[/cringe]

Bad Astronomy by Phil Plait can tell you all about it.

What do you know! He is an administrator to this site!

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My son is my universe.

Here's the BA's page on egg balancing and one of the myths about it:

http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/egg_spin.html

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The Leif Ericson Cruiser

Allen writes that he carefully rounded the bottoms of his eggs with sandpaper.

But there might be yet another explanation. The insides of an egg are not perfectly homogeneous. If slightly denser stuff tends to congregate near the bottom, this might tend to make any equilibrium more stable -- even the very unstable equilibrium where an egg is standing on its point.

If this is the case, then an egg lying normally on its side might need a somewhat larger push to make it roll than would be needed with an egg with a homogeneuous inside.

I suggest trying the same experiment with an eggshell emptied of its original contents and filled with water, or perhaps with treacle. Such an "egg" should be harder to balance on its bottom and easier to roll when lying on its side.

...which may actually help balancing. It depends on the grade of sandpaper and the size and quantity of any grit left behind. Granular particles, even if more fine than salt grains, could help stabilize an egg.

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But his doing so shows that he was aware of the problem. He talks about preventing invisible tripods from stabilizing the egg. Surely, what he did to prevent this must have been adequate.

There's a grand piano hanging from a string above my head, and the string may break at any time. I'll put on a hardhat for protection. Surely, since I am aware of the problem, this will be adequate.

Does this have anything to do wih an egg timer?

All I know is that when I cook the egg whites for more than 11 minutes, the fire alarm sounds.

Every time.

Anyone can stand an egg on end. No, it's not because the insides are non-homogenously distributed. Even if ALL the weight was at the bottom, it'd still tip.

It's simply because the surface of the egg is imperfect.

Yes, that would explain why the eggs can balance on the kitchen counter top and NOT on the piano top which has a far more slippery surface. Of course, in this 'scientifically controlled' experiment it is notable the author never thought of THAT possibility. Rather, he chose to blame it on the PIANO WIRES! Piano wires?
Maybe he should have removed all the piano wires and tried again; he, he.
Now THAT would be a controlled experiment; however, I doubt the author has THAT much dedication (or objectivity) to investigating the source of the effect.... I mean why bother ruining your piano when you can simply point to an environmental condition that 'confirms' your theory.

Anyway, just to get to the bottom of all this, (and since Dec. 22nd is approaching) lets all go get a dozen eggs and balance them on Dec 22nd; and wait and see if they fall over after Dec 23rd. - I notice the author failed to do this test- seems simple enough since he claims it only balances on dates prior to Winter solstice.

I'll expect your data & all scientific reports to be in before Christmas.

Gsquare

I have conducted a feasibility study and determined that such an experiment would be prohibitively expensive in both time and eggs:

situation 1: Imposible to ballance egg. I spend all day and night from now to Dec 22 holding the darn thing up.

situation 2: Egg ballances temporarily. Egg falls over, rolls downhill and I have to clean the mess up off the floor . Then I have to start over. It' 22 days to Dec 22 - that's at lesat 22 eggs and lord knows how many paper towels

Situation 3: Egg ballances. Kids, wife, or dogs get rambunctious in the Kitc... er lab. egg falls over. See situation 2\

Situation 4: Superglue the egg to the counter. Egg never falls over. Egg goes bad. egg cracks from a wandering graviton storm. Wife divorces experimenter because she can't get the smell out of the house.

------

May you have a more understanding lab partner

This experiment is flawed for two reasons, (besides what we all know about the equinox and egg balancing). Gravity of the Earth and Sun would not be uniform over different surfaces. Gravitational anomalies are easily measured and have been frequently documented.

Since anomalies are already large, one could not see the effect of the equinox on gravity in this type of experiment. The differences in gravity that would need to occur for this kind of measurement to even be the slightest bit affected would have to be very large.

Your results are only as good as your instruments. This guy is claiming a difference was detected but there's no way it would have been detectable in this experiment.

And, of course, he fails to explain how, were it even true, the egg balancing difference is only explained by whatever it is he is claiming about the nature of gravity. Just as EMFs don't indicate ghosts are around, you have to show how your data = what you claim it equals.

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My goodness, folks - just get an egg and do it for yourself! All this pointing to expertise on balancing an egg... It's like citing unlimited scientific studies in support of the fact that a clear sky during the day is blue.

Just look!

Apparently, Gene, you don't know how to get Federal government funding; he, he. Gravity research is hot stuff today.
I'd say this is good for about $800,000 dollars in useless research.

Gsquare

P.S. I like your idea about doing studies to make sure the sky is really blue; but can we wait until after we solve the gravity problem?)

[sarcasm]
What happens when you balance an egg straight from the fridge then let it warm up to room temperature?

What happens when you take a room temperature egg and balance it in the fridge?

The scientific implications are simply staggering. I'd say its worth more than the money thrown away on the supercollider.

[/sarcasm]

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No kidding, Faultline - I've an egg standing before that I managed to balance in less than 42 seconds.

Can't remember if it was "straight from the fridge" or if I "let it warm up to room temperature."

Regardless, it's still standing.

Apple pie's great, isn't it? Especially with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream!