Another round in the "has the fine structure constant (alpha) been varying"
and "if so, does it mean the speed of light has changed" debacle.

        http://www.newscientist.com/news/print.jsp?id=ns99996092

This time around they are using the results from the one time natural
nuclear reactor in Gabon to support rather than rebut the theory.

IF the fine structure constant has ever varied by even minute amounts (parts
in 10^8) then much of Physics is up for grabs.

What they don't cover except in passing in the article is that the speed of
light is not the only constant that may have varied to cause alpha to vary.
eg the value of 2 could have varied and caused the same result. Those who
think that the idea of 2 varying is ludicrous ain't seen nothing yet :-)


        Russell McMahon

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