Gravitational waves

Nice BBC article:

Science to ride gravitational waves

The real aim is to have a new means of studying the Universe - to trace its exotic phenomena in detail in a way that does not rely on light.

"The analogy I like is this: imagine being able to see the world but you are deaf, and then suddenly someone gives you the ability to hear things as well - you get an extra dimension of perception," explains Professor Bernard Schutz from the Albert Einstein Institute and Cardiff University.

"Up until now we've only been able to see the Universe with our telescopes, but with gravitational waves we will be able to hear it as well; and that's going to convey a different type of information.

"Most of the Universe cannot emit electromagnetic waves - we will never see it with light. But we can see it, or parts of it, with gravitational waves."

Tags: gravitational waves