Scientists say they have detected gravitational waves, a key — and until now unconfirmed — component of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. On Thursday, National Science Foundation researchers at LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) announced to the world via livestream the details of their findings.
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For over a century scientists have been trying to confirm the existence of gravitational waves, described as ripples in the fabric of space and time. In 1915, Einstein proposed that accelerating masses — such as two neutron stars or two black holes — cause distortions in the fabric of the universe. Einstein also theorized that when those masses merge — BOOM! — tons of “gravitational waves” are shot off into space, traveling at the speed of light and changing the shapes of the matter they encounter.
In theory, these waves should have been hitting earth. But until Thursday, scientists had been unable to detect them.
Unlike electromagnetic radiation (think ROY-G-BIV, radio, microwaves, etc.), gravitational waves themselves remain unchanged by matter — perfect preservations of the past. By studying these waves, scientists may be able to answer some fundamental questions about how our universe works.
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