Last week, I had my chemistry class just like normal. However before starting the lesson for the day, my professor opened with a discussion of the amazing scientific news that was released the day before -- scientists had found evidence of gravitational waves rippling out in the universe. After giving a brief explanation of what it was, my teacher asked for a show of hands of people who had heard about it. Out of the 20 or so people in my class, only about four raised their hands. That is unacceptable. Even worse than that, though, most of the students didn’t even really seem to care once they knew of it. I know most people aren’t as interested in the growing knowledge of space as they used to be, but this is something everyone should be paying attention to. Now I’m no scientist but bear with me as I try to explain exactly what was discovered.
In 1916, Einstein first predicted the existence of these gravitational waves in his theory of relativity. Previously, it had been thought that the universe was fixed in a set formation, meaning the cosmos were stuck in a static framework. The observation of these waves suggests that not only is the universe not fixed, but that space and time are connected and capable of being stretched, shrunk, and wiggled.
This discovery was made possible by the scientists involved with the LIGO programs, located in Washington State and Louisiana. At these two sites are L-shaped antennas that have been cut off from the surrounding environment, creating a vacuum of empty space capable of picking up gravitational waves that are being released by the universe. On September 14, these antennas picked up gravitational waves that were created by two black holes crashing into each other a billion light years away. If the scientists are able to continue to replicate these results, they will have a staggering amount of new information to help explain how the universe works.
This sounds like a very mild discovery in all honesty, but think about it this way: now not only can we see the universe around us, but hear it. For centuries, astronomers and astrophysicists were only able to observe and gain knowledge through the use of telescopes. The discovery of gravitational waves gives these scientists a set of ears with which they can hear the ocean of space-time as it crashes and breaks in the infinity around us.
What does this revelation mean for the scientific community? Well as of right now, no one is really sure; but you can be positive that within the next few decades, more and more of the great unknown that surrounds are little, humble home will become exponentially easier to explain.
As LIGO team member Vassiliki Kalogera told space.com, “It’s like Galileo pointing the telescope for the first time at the sky.” This statement alone should make everyone want to know more. No one knew then the knowledge that would have been gained from something that seems so trivial to us now. So stay hopeful everyone, because the things that could come from such a staggering discovery are endless. Who knows? Maybe will be able to use gravity to our advantage as a source of energy and to create antigravity devices. If so, I know what I’ ll be most excited for.
