Gravitational Waves

How Einstein's Spacetime Ripples Reveal the Secrets of the Universe

By: Brian Clegg

Narrated by: James Gillies

On September 14, 2015, after 50 years of searching, gravitational waves were detected for the first time, and astronomy changed forever. Up until then, investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light, radio, X-rays, and the rest. But gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of space and time - are unrelenting, passing through barriers that stop light dead. At the two two-and-a-half-mile-long LIGO observatories in the US, scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors, capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015, they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiraling into each other, setting spacetime quivering. This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected - and it promises far more for the future of astronomy.

©2018 Brian Clegg (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Great book

If you are a science nut, then this book is well worth your time and effort. Highly recommended.

Technical challenges of making gravitational wave measurements

I wanted to know more about what gravitational waves are and understand how they may impact the laws of nature. This book emphasizes the challenges of measuring them, which I found less interesting. In spite of that, it provided some good insight into the research in this field.