Scientists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory today announced they have for the first time detected gravitational waves—ripples in space-time geometry predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago.
The discovery is being hailed as a revolutionary breakthrough that among other things confirms the nature of black holes.
In the accompanying NIU Newsroom video, NIU physicist Stephen Martin explains how scientists made the detection of gravitational waves and why it’s a big deal in the world of physics that will usher in exciting new scientific possibilities.
Martin is a Distinguished Teaching Professor and Distinguished Research Professor in the NIU Department of Physics. A theoretical physicist, he teaches classes on general relativity and works on understanding the most basic constituents of matter and energy and the laws that govern them.
