Speed trap."Cosmic Triumph: Satellite confirms birth theory of universe" (SN: 3/18/06, p. 163) states that the early universe expanded "from subatomic subatomic /sub·atom·ic/ (-ah-tom´ik) of or pertaining to the constituent parts of an atom. sub·a·tom·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to the constituents of the atom. 2. scales to the size of a grapefruit in less than a trillionth tril·lionth n. 1. The ordinal number matching the number one trillion in a series. 2. One of a trillion equal parts. tril of a second" or one picosecond One trillionth of a second. Pronounced "pee-co-second." See space/time and ohnosecond. (unit) picosecond - 10^-12 seconds. . This would correspond to a velocity many times the speed of light (light only travels about 0.012 inch in a picosecond). How can this statement be reconciled with Einstein's general theory of relativity Noun 1. Einstein's general theory of relativity - a generalization of special relativity to include gravity (based on the principle of equivalence) general relativity, general relativity theory, general theory of relativity that limits matter to a speed less than the speed of light? ERIC ROSENFELD, GLOUCESTER POINT, VA. Researcher David N. Spergel agrees that general relativity requires that no object move through space faster than light. He adds, however, "General relativity also predicts that space itself can expand.... We can actually point to distant galaxies, on opposite sides of the sky, that are moving apart from each other at faster than the speed of light."--R. COWEN |
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