29/02/2016
Nergis Mavalvala, one of the leading figures in the MIT team that was part of the LIGO project group responsible for the discovery, was a visiting faculty member in Sabancı University during 2014. Mavalvala will be back for a longer period of time for her sabbatical.
A recent scientific breakthrough proved what Einstein theorized 100 years ago: gravitational waves that bend the space-time continuum do exist. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and LIGO Scientific Collaboration Institution proved the existence of gravitational waves.
Professor of astrophysics Ersin Göğüş said the following about the discovery: "We knew about the existence of these waves for years, and now it has finally been proven by direct observation. The discovery is based on finding and observing the intermediary of gravitational force; in other words, we discovered the carrier of the gravitational force that affects us all. This is important because it was the first time the phenomenon was directly observed and captured. Previous discoveries occurred in neutron stars that were thousands of light-years away. They were observed on Earth for the first time. That is why it's an immense leap forward in science and technology."
According to scientists, this is one of the greatest discoveries of the last 50 years and a gateway to understanding the entire story of the universe.
What is in it for us?
Although this is unlike the invention of the computer or mobile phone that changed our lives overnight, it is a genuine breakthrough in science. Everything we know about the universe is carried by electromagnetic waves like radio waves, light, X-rays, gamma rays and infrared rays. Since these rays can be interrupted while progressing through the universe, the "story of space" was blotchy until now.
We will find out the story of the universe
With the discovery of gravitational waves, astronomy now has a new and very important tool. It will be no surprise if the entire story of the universe becomes available soon. We can reach information that we never knew about the early stages of the universe and improve our understanding of black holes and neutron stars.
