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This artist's impression shows a pair of supermassive black holes circling each other and sending out gravitational waves, which affect the bright, shining pulsars.

Science

Scientists have found signs of a new kind of gravitational wave. It's really big

8:00pm June 28, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists say they've found evidence of a very long gravitational wave that could open a window onto supermassive black holes — and perhaps even other extreme, unseen objects in the universe.

C.V. Vishveshwara in 2007 in Oak Park, Illinois.

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C.V. Vishveshwara's Revolutionary Black Hole Research Turns 50

11:44pm December 29, 2020

by Joe Palca

Before scientists were even sure black holes existed, an Indian astrophysicist did the math behind Einstein's predictions of what would happen if two black holes collided.

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Scientist Corey Gray and his mother, Sharon Yellowfly, are pictured at one of the two massive detectors that make up the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. One facility, where Gray works, is in Washington state, and the other is in Louis

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How A Cosmic Collision Sparked A Native American Translator's Labor Of Love

5:19pm March 31, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

On April 1, astronomers will start two huge machines and continue hunting for ripples in space-time. One scientist gets his mom to translate news of each discovery into her native language, Blackfoot.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory is made up of two detectors, this one in Livingston, La., and one near Hanford, Wash. The detectors use giant arms in the shape of an "L" to measure tiny ripples in the fabric of the universe.

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Massive U.S. Machines That Hunt For Ripples In Space-Time Just Got An Upgrade

4:40pm March 19, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The twin sites in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory are about to go back online. New hardware should make them able to sense more colliding black holes and other cosmic events.

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Dr. Enrico Fermi was the leader of the group of scientists who succeeded in initiating the first man-made nuclear chain reaction.

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What Would Enrico Fermi Think Of Science Today?

12:15pm December 05, 2017

by David N. Schwartz

More than 60 years after the physicist won the Nobel Prize, author David N. Schwartz considers how Fermi would react to today's science of black holes, genetic engineering and climate change.

The original historical documents related to Albert Einstein's prediction of the existence of gravitational waves are seen at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on Feb. 11, 2016.

Science

How Do Gravitational Waves Really Work?

3:54pm November 07, 2017

by Adam Frank

Gravitational waves — ripples in the fabric of space-time — are a big deal in the world of science. Here's a video that helps explain how they work.

The collision of two neutron stars, seen in an artist's rendering, created both gravitational waves and gamma rays. Researchers used those signals to locate the event with optical telescopes.

Astronomers Strike Gravitational Gold In Colliding Neutron Stars

4:44pm October 16, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

In an astonishing discovery, astronomers used gravitational waves to locate two neutron stars smashing together. The collision created 200 Earth masses of pure gold, along with other elements.

Einstein realized that if masses moved about, the deformations in space would also move about, propagating like waves, somewhat like what happens when you throw a rock on a pond. But, gravity being such a weak force, the effect is truly tiny and needs som

Science

Nobel Winners' Work In Physics Began With Albert Einstein

1:08pm October 03, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

Three scientists won the prize after a 25-year-long search of the cosmos for gravitational waves — the waving of space — the one test missing for Einstein, says astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser.

The black holes were 14 and 8 times the mass of the sun. As they spiraled together, they sent out gravitational waves.

Science

Gravitational Waves From Colliding Black Holes Shake Scientists' Detectors Again

4:40pm June 15, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

For the second time in recent months, scientists say they have picked up distortions in space and time. The find suggests smaller-sized black holes may be more numerous than many scientists thought.

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The Laser Interferometer Gravity-Wave Observatory measures tiny changes in the lengths of each of its 2.5-mile-long arms. The arms stretch and squeeze as gravity waves pass by.

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Einstein, A Hunch And Decades Of Work: How Scientists Found Gravitational Waves

5:27pm February 12, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

Behind the headlines and news conferences announcing the discovery were decades of hard work, hundreds of scientists and more than a billion dollars in taxpayer funds.

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