Gravity waves possibly detected for the first time ever

[Cosmic Janitor]

If the detector has only been running a few months my money would be on a calibration error, construction mistake, interference or something along those lines.

3 times more resolution is also not that much tbh (I guess they mean the error is 1/3). Too many variables, especially if it is just a rumor..

[Slant]

How belittling! I don't think you understand the gravity of these waves!

That's heavy, man.

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Why is this a big deal?

I guess it's the first step about actually finding out how spacetime works. You could do all kinds of fun things with that, it's not a super discovery in itself, but it's probably on the line of the invention of a microscope, leading to tons of other discoveries. Imagine finding out how to manipulate gravity. The first application would be artificial gravity, suddenly Mars is not that much of a problem anymore. What's next? Warping space to trick General Relativity into making you go faster than light without actually going faster than light?

[Xada]

That's heavy, man.

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I guess it's the first step about actually finding out how spacetime works. You could do all kinds of fun things with that, it's not a super discovery in itself, but it's probably on the line of the invention of a microscope, leading to tons of other discoveries. Imagine finding out how to manipulate gravity. The first application would be artificial gravity, suddenly Mars is not that much of a problem anymore. What's next? Warping space to trick General Relativity into making you go faster than light without actually going faster than light?

Well maybe, there are still a lot of physics hurdles we have to get over to make a warp drive. It would take us centuries to develop the tech and we would likely be exploring the galaxy with kugelblitz engines at sub light speeds. As for the question will the detection of G-waves create any cool sci-fi tech? Maybe, quantum mechanics began as just an abstract musing on the nature of reality that led to the creation of the transistor, a quantum mechanical device that makes most of the tech we use today possible.

[Guyv3r]

This is NOT exciting news.... the word "possibly" takes care of that. Why publish speculation? ffs

The real news would be if they detect them.

[Aggrophobic]

This is NOT exciting news.... the word "possibly" takes care of that. Why publish speculation? ffs

The real news would be if they detect them.

Science is not really your thing, is it?

[Xada]

This is NOT exciting news.... the word "possibly" takes care of that. Why publish speculation? ffs

The real news would be if they detect them.

Our mistake, we'll get back to the much more interesting racial politics, gender politics, and general politics. Remember, if you get banned, you've met your political quota and have earned that forum vacation.

[Independent voter]

I am interested in how they detect the waves, the mechanism used. If someone wouldn't mind explaining it like they were talking to a 5 year old?

[Guyv3r]

I'm not into politics.
I just don't agree with the news delivery method of todays papers.

"The sky MIGHT fall down tomorrow and we got a machine 3x more sensitive to prove it". Cool hum.

I would be extatic if there were ACTUAL results published.

[Puupi]

I am interested in how they detect the waves, the mechanism used. If someone wouldn't mind explaining it like they were talking to a 5 year old?

Spoon = gravity wave
Mouth = detector

[Guyv3r]

I am interested in how they detect the waves, the mechanism used. If someone wouldn't mind explaining it like they were talking to a 5 year old?

And this ^. A lot more interesting then "possibly" having found a way to detect something that might not even be there.

[wheresmywoft]

And this ^. A lot more interesting then "possibly" having found a way to detect something that might not even be there.

So instead of using the internet to inform yourself. You bitch and moan on a gaming forum about this? It sounds like you're just not very interested.

[Athor]

SJW's be like, 'this is a theory and needs to be locked, everyone knows what holds the universe together is feelings and safe spaces. My gender studies teacher told me so. Don't let these CISmales spread their lies!'

For anyone with a brain, this is significant even if any practical effects are a long way off, as once something has been discovered, it can be manipulated. Such as electricity. And manipulating gravity would be even more powerful.

[Guyv3r]

So instead of using the internet to inform yourself. You bitch and moan on a gaming forum about this? It sounds like you're just not very interested.

I did. Was just pointing something out.

All i see bitch and moan is you

[ro9ue]

[Xada]

I am interested in how they detect the waves, the mechanism used. If someone wouldn't mind explaining it like they were talking to a 5 year old?

Fucking lasers man!

Okay, LIGO uses a giant Michelson Inferometer. Simply put, you fire a laser and split it into 2 beams, then send the 2 beams at 90 degree angles down 4km vacuums, bounce them off mirrors 400 times before bringing them back together. If you do everything right, the beams cancel each other through destructive interference. If a gravitational wave passes by, the returning beam will not cancel out perfectly and you'll detect the signal. Now G-waves would leave a very distinct signal, they would see the time between each detection lengthen, then shorten, and oscillate between the two until the G-wave fully passes. That's just the quick and dirty.

[ro9ue]

Fucking lasers man!

Okay, LIGO uses a giant Michelson Inferometer. Simply put, you fire a laser and split it into 2 beams, then send the 2 beams at 90 degree angles down 4km vacuums, bounce them off mirrors 400 times before bringing them back together. If you do everything right, the beams cancel each other through destructive interference. If a gravitational wave passes by, the returning beam will not cancel out perfectly and you'll detect the signal. Now G-waves would leave a very distinct signal, they would see the time between each detection lengthen, then shorten, and oscillate between the two until the G-wave fully passes. That's just the quick and dirty.

That sounds like such a precise method of measurement that literally a piece of dust could fuck it up.

[Xada]

That sounds like such a precise method of measurement that literally a piece of dust could fuck it up.

Funnily enough, the Bicep2 experiment thought they had detected g-waves, but turns out it was just dust fucking it up. So you are 100% correct in thinking that, this is why LIGO will quadruple check everything before coming forward with any findings. If they have discovered something, we probably won't hear about it until the end of the year.

[wheresmywoft]

I did. Was just pointing something out.

All i see bitch and moan is you

This is NOT exciting news.... the word "possibly" takes care of that. Why publish speculation? ffs

The real news would be if they detect them.

No totally not complaining, yea...

[Xada]

No totally not complaining, yea...

Everyone's mad at science, they were born to late to explore the Earth like the early pioneers, born to early to explore the galaxy with alcubierre warp drives like they do in star trek and star wars, and all they have to focus on is politics which lets face it, is a dick measuring contest at best. :P

[Guyv3r]

No totally not complaining, yea...

Just because you interpret it as such, doesn't make it so

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Everyone's mad at science,

Science is not rumors... And everyone should love science!