Gravitational Waves detected

100 years after Albert Einstein predicted their existence, researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), in the U.S.A. believe they have detected gravitational waves.

Back in September 2012 Dr. Ed Daw of Sheffield University gave a talk on gravitational waves to Chester Astronomical Society.  He was a member of the LIGO scientific team and a world leader on gravitational wave data analysis.  At the time he was confident gravitational waves would be detected within ten years saying:

"Now that the Higgs Boson is 'out of the way', the direct detection of gravitational waves is the next frontier in cosmic physics.  If they're out there, we'll find them."

Major advances in physics do not come often - perhaps once in 30 years, Dr. Daw thinks - and here we have confirmation of a major prediction of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity made in 1915.

You can read the announcements from the University of Sheffield here and LIGO here.