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The key achievement, imho: > In the mid-1970s, Rainer Weiss had already analysed possible sources of background noise that would disturb measurements, and had
by mabbo 9y ago
The key achievement, imho:
> In the mid-1970s, Rainer Weiss had already analysed possible sources of background noise that would disturb measurements, and had also designed a detector, a laser-based interferometer, which would overcome this noise.
Over 40 years ago, Weiss figured out how to do it. And finally, within his lifetime, he got to see it happen and actually work.
- davrosthedalek 9y agoHere at MIT, there was some discussion if he would get it at all -- the experimentalists were not included for the Higgs 2013. It's great that they gave him half of it!
- pletnes 9y agoThat doesn’t mean they will never get it.
- lokimedes 9y agoGood thing he did. As for the Higgs discovery, the nature of the experimental facilities and the generations of physicists who designed them would have made it very difficult to point to singular recipients. Since the prize is never given to collaborations, the best alternative whould have been the spokespersons for ATLAS and CMS and perhaps the LHC/CERN director. But still that would have been misrepresenting the efforts of thousands. I think the Nobel Committee should fix this by allowing the prize to be awarded to collaborations. (An accepting, but slightly disgruntled co-discoverer of a new particle)
- linkmotif 9y agoYou discovered a particle?
- KGIII 9y agoI think there is also room for more prestigious awards to be named and given out. Perhaps one could function exclusively to shine a light on collaborative efforts? I also think there's a little that some of us can do in this same/similar space. Maybe not at this scale, but quite a few of us have sold their company and made a few dollars. It's not terribly expensive to start a small managed trust and provide things like scholarships in perpetuity. It's not the prestige of a Nobel, but it's a little something that can go a long ways.
- davrosthedalek 9y agoIn that sense, we should also think about crowd-founded science. For example, travel costs are always a problem. There are also many table-top experiments which could be realized just with a small cash infusion. Most contributions to universities do not actually benefit an experiment in a direct way.
- KGIII 9y agoThe closest I've come to that was helping somebody attend a conference. That's a good idea, I think.
- specialist 9y agoI'm very interested novel funding strategies. A friend of mine is directly funding early stage research related to Lyme Disease. Like an angel investor? Helping to bridge the gap between an idea and applying for grants.
- davrosthedalek 9y agoPlease thank you friend for me. Edit: Altruistic angel investor, I would call it. There is no pay-out coming, except maybe for acknowledgment in a paper and pride to have helped.
- ISL 9y agoCheck out the Breakthrough Prize.
- pducks32 9y agoAs a physicist who’s listened to him talk about the experiment, it really really makes you take a step back and marvel at how incredible that detector was. And 40 years ago even. He could imagine it but to build it to such an accuracy is incredible and I’m so happy they won it. The teams at LIGO also deserve so so much credit. They work tirelessly!
- QAPereo 9y agoAnd then, just as icing on a massive and impressive cake? Totally unforeseen rates of intermediate mass BH mergers! What a time to be alive!