WVU professor says her team proved Einstein right

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia University professor says Albert Einstein really knew what he was talking about.

Astrophysicist Maura McLaughlin and some colleagues say they’ve confirmed Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Their research appeared Thursday in the journal Science.

The team discovered the only known double-pulsar system — two pulsars locked into close orbit around one another. While studying that system, the scientists discovered that one of the pulsars is moving just the way Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicts.

The theory is that in a strong, gravitational field, like that of a pulsar, an object’s spin axis should slowly change direction as the pulsar orbits around its companion.

McLaughlin says she thinks Einstein would be proud of the team for confirming his theory.