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Nature 424, 1007-1008 (28 August 2003) | doi:10.1038/4241007a

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Quantum gravity: An astrophysical constraint

Sean Carroll

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A quantum theory of gravity is proving elusive. Observations of radiation from the Crab nebula now place even stronger constraints on the likelihood of detecting the effects of quantum gravity.

For decades, physicists have been in search of quantum gravity, a theory that would encompass both general relativity and quantum mechanics. One of the difficulties in this quest is the paucity of detailed experimental data; direct effects of quantum gravity are generally thought to be out of reach of foreseeable experiments.