[ExI] mysterious observations infer exotic new physics

[spike]

> ...On Behalf Of Jeff Davis
....
> Subject: [ExI] mysterious observations infer exotic new physics
> 
> I've noticed that with age I've become a bit of a fuddy 
> duddy...

Jeff, I anticipated the trend in my misspent youth.  My strategy was to
start out at maximum fuddy duddy, then grow hipper from there.  This has
worked out great.

....
> 
> Anyway, here it is, fascinating and annoying at the same time.
> 
> http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/23865/?nlid=2215
> 
> Best, Jeff Davis


Thanks!  Great site.  I am puzzled by the inclusion of item 4 however.  A
few months ago Damien and I were discussing something offlist, and he asked
something that took me to doing some calculations.  I discovered something I
had never known or never realized: using only first principles, one can
infer that the moon's eccentricity increases with time!  I think that has a
strictly Newtonian explanation, and one need not even bring in general
relativity frame dragging, which is good because I don't get that whole
concept and the equations don't make sense to me.  I can use them if I go by
the instructions in the book, but Newtonian mechanics are much more fun to
work: one can discover things like the increasing eccentricity of the moon's
orbit just by working with standard math techniques.

So impressed am I with Newton that I named my own son after him, instead of
naming him Milton.  Now THAT is something special.

Can someone here explain item 4 on Jeff's site if this can't be inferred
from good old Newton's principles?

spike