LIGO_casebook

BOTNER: There is no way to demonstrate the concerted motion directly. We assume
it to be happening.
VERITAS: That makes the whole business of LIGO detecting gravitational waves
just an assumption in its entirety. Isn’t that right? It is just your word. There is
absolutely no science behind this.
BOTNER: No, it is not right. LIGO is a high quality instrument for detecting
gravitational waves.
VERITAS: Now, in reality, those mirrors are contained within a hermetically sealed
steel vessel. So, you say that the gravitational wave does some business inside the
vessel, business that you have no way of verifying. There is going on some type of
unobservable entanglement of the two mirror motions. Then you say Hail Mary full
of grace, and simply declare that the said business has actually taken place inside
the vessel. Then you start matching this black hole merger stuff. And then you
string together a complete story. Is that even remotely a scientific way of doing
things?
BOTNER: I cannot answer that question because of Nobel secrecy.
VERITAS: Ah … the Nobel secrecy! Your Honor, I have no further questions.
JUDGE: Any redirect, Mr. Moscato?
MOSCATO: Yes, Your Honor. Professor Botner, did the Nobel Committee not say
that the first LIGO detection was model independent? In other words, the black hole
merger model is not necessary to invoke in order to demonstrate that the mirrors
are in concerted motion? Wouldn’t that mean that just the readout wiggles by
themselves prove that concerted motion is happening inside the vessel?
BOTNER: I .. er .. cannot go into that area.
MOSCATO: No further questions, You Honor.
JUDGE: The witness is excused.
This entry was posted on December 29, 2017 at 1:34 pm
85