Ladbrokes & New Scientist (Gravitational Waves bet)

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Ladbrokes teamed up with New Scientist to set odds on the chances of scientists making one of five remarkable discoveries by 2010.

 

1) Inteligent life on Titan:

10,000 - 1

I reckon: No way!

 

2) Higgs Boson:

Started at: 6 - 1

Closing at: 2 - 1

I reckon: Worth a try.

 

3) Fusion Power: (must produce more energy than it consumes)

Starting at: 100 - 1

Closing: 20 - 1

I reckon: No way!

 

4) Origin of Cosmic Rays: (prove where these high-energy particles come from)

Starting at: 4 - 1

Closing: 3 - 1

I reckon: Unlikely.

 

5) Detect Gravitational Waves:

Starting at: 500 - 1

Closing: 2 - 1

I reckon: Go for it, most likely.

 

Notice how all but #1 had to be reduced, some significantly. The big one is obviously #5. When physicists heard about that many went out and placed sizeable bets, so much so that by early afternoon of the first day the price had already dropped to 5-1.

 

With the 4 new LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observer) units going into operation over the last few and next few days to begin their 18 month search for the gravitational wave scientists are expecting to discover the wave which was predicted by Einstein in his famous General Relativity and so Ladbrokes are expecting to have to pay out more than £150,000 (~$300,000) from the Gravitational Waves bet.