Physics
A century ago, Albert Einstein suggested that the universe might contain ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves – but then he changed his mind
By Steve Nadis and Shing-Tung Yau
9 August 2024
Gravitational waves are vibrations in space-time itself
Peter Jurik/Alamy
The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or mathematician to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time for free here.
From our current vantage point, gravitational waves appear to be a ubiquitous phenomenon in the cosmos. The first detection of these ripples in space-time came in September 2015 at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). The waves captured were the by-product of a…
