[BenLurkin]

[MUDDOG]

there has been indirect evidence for these waves (which earned its discoverers a Nobel prize, no less, in 1993)

Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world.

[Daniel Ramsey]

Folds space, connects for time travel.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Is there a reason gravitational waves can only travel at the speed of light?

Is this taken into consideration when we launch vehicles into space, i.e. vehicles are effected not by where the sun and planets are now, but where they were when the effects of the gravitational field finally reach the vehicle?

[Fiddlstix]

Bookmark

[UCANSEE2]

First, Thank You. Now I can go back and read the article.

[Fester Chugabrew]

I’m still trying to calculate the speed of thought which, for me, is rather slow.

[ClearCase_guy]

Han Solo Made the Kessel Run in 12 Parsecs.

[BwanaNdege]

If our hypothetical circle of particles were as large as the Earth's orbit around the Sun, a realistic gravitational wave would distort it by less than the diameter of a hydrogen atom.

The detector must be a booger to calibrate!

[UCANSEE2]

"It's important to keep in mind that this animation, and the ones that will follow, exaggerate the gravitational wave’s effect quite considerably. The gravitational waves detectors such as as LIGO hope to measure are much, much weaker. If our hypothetical circle of particles were as large as the Earth's orbit around the Sun, a realistic gravitational wave would distort it by less than the diameter of a hydrogen atom."

In laymen's terms, that would be like sitting atop My. Everest, and being able to hear the fluttering of a butterfly's wing in Tokyo.

[InterceptPoint]

Question for anyone with a clue while hoping that we have some real Physics Wiz Kids in the audience.

We all know that gravity waves are hard to detect. That's pretty clear. My question relates to our current knowledge of the magnitude of gravity waves. My concern is that we may be off in our estimate of the level of these waves by a few orders of magnitude. I'm hoping not.

QUESTION: Relative to the magnitude of the disturbances of space caused by the most extreme astronomical events, do we really know what we are looking for in real quantitative terms?

[Paladin2]

Whatta bout taxation waves distorting the economy.

[steve86]

Keep your eye on a single point of this one without going crosseyed. Sitting, right now, 7 miles from Hanford LIGO but with no inside info.

[jimbo807]

If space is full of nothing, how is it distorted?