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A team of physicists who can now count themselves as astronomers announced on Thursday that they had heard and recorded the sound of two black holes colliding a billion light-years away, a fleeting chirp that fulfilled the last prophecy of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
That faint rising tone, physicists say, is the first direct evidence of gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space-time that Einstein predicted a century ago (Listen to it here.). And it is a ringing (pun intended) confirmation of the nature of black holes, the bottomless gravitational pits from which not even light can escape, which were the most foreboding (and unwelcome) part of his theory.
originally posted by: amazing
In layman's terms, does this really change anything or advance our technology in any way? Or is it just a small discovery that doesn't really advance us in any meaningful way? I know all discoveries move us forward, but I think they're making a bigger deal out of this than it is. Yes, no?
originally posted by: BIGPoJo
originally posted by: amazing
In layman's terms, does this really change anything or advance our technology in any way? Or is it just a small discovery that doesn't really advance us in any meaningful way? I know all discoveries move us forward, but I think they're making a bigger deal out of this than it is. Yes, no?
Yes, we will see huge advances in science because of this. The major concern was that they would not be able to detect anything without a super huge interferometer, like one the size of our solar system. Luckily this one was just big enough to detect g-waves.
Now that we know they can be detected; better, smaller, faster g-wave interferometers will be created and used on telescopes to probe into places where light doesn't exists or can't escape. I imagine one day we will be able to see inside a black hole using this method.
I also imagine we will eventually have cameras that can show g-waves in realtime that will be used by our advanced space craft to navigate eddies in spacetime.
Lastly, we will discover how to create our own g-waves that can be used for; propulsion, medical, communication, ect...
The list goes on and on.
TLDR; this is the first step in discovering how to control gravity.
Seriously? Do you believe anything anybody tells you? As far as I can tell the poster that "helped you understand it much better" doesn't know much about the topic. There is really nothing about this discovery that suggests anything he said is true.
originally posted by: amazing
Thanks! That helps me understand it much better! Cheers!
So it took 50 times more than the power output of all the stars in the universe to create a barely detectable little blip on our detector, and someone tells you that "Lastly, we will discover how to create our own g-waves that can be used for; propulsion, medical, communication, ect... " and you think this helps you understand the topic better? Do you have any idea how big the LIGO detector is to detect this power output 50 times greater than the output of all the stars in the universe?
power 50 times greater than the output of all the stars in the universe combined vibrated a pair of L-shaped antennas in Washington State and Louisiana known as LIGO on Sept. 14.
I listened to what he said, it's a mixture of truth and nonsense.
originally posted by: truthseeker84
So, can we bring back the Bob Lazar topic now?
He's been mumbling about Gravitation Wave A and B for quite sometime now lol...
originally posted by: amazing
In layman's terms, does this really change anything or advance our technology in any way? Or is it just a small discovery that doesn't really advance us in any meaningful way? I know all discoveries move us forward, but I think they're making a bigger deal out of this than it is. Yes, no?
originally posted by: glend
a reply to: amazing
Gravity is a mysterious force, its so weak that a magnet can override its strength, but so strong that it holds galaxies together. So a better understanding of gravity will be a leap forward for the ultimate goal of science, a theory of everything (TOE). Of cause it will be just one small step that could take many thousands of years to complete.
originally posted by: DutchMasterChief
A team of physicists who can now count themselves as astronomers announced on Thursday that they had heard and recorded the sound of two black holes colliding a billion light-years away, a fleeting chirp that fulfilled the last prophecy of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
That faint rising tone, physicists say, is the first direct evidence of gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space-time that Einstein predicted a century ago (Listen to it here.). And it is a ringing (pun intended) confirmation of the nature of black holes, the bottomless gravitational pits from which not even light can escape, which were the most foreboding (and unwelcome) part of his theory.
Gravitational Waves Detected, Confirming Einstein’s Theory
It was already on the horizon but gravity waves are confirmed.
Quite a historic discovery.
It will be interesting to see to what new knowledge and technology this will lead, and how fast.