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As I understand it there are four fundamental forces in physics: strong and weak nuclear forces, the electromagnetic force, and gravitational force. This disco

As I understand it there are four fundamental forces in physics: strong and weak nuclear forces, the electromagnetic force, and gravitational force. This discovery of gravitational waves is similar to the discovery of electromagnetic waves that has touched almost every aspect of our lives. I'm sure there will be ways to use this information. Maybe not now, but it certainly might help when humanity eventually looks to permanently slip the surly bonds of earth.

openasocket 9y ago
Not really, gravitational waves are distortions in space-time caused by gravity. They just confirmed something that was predicted by general relativity a century ago. That's a big deal, and I don't mean to sully that achievement, but saying it's as big a deal as the discovery of electromagnetism is really overselling it. Gravitational waves are profoundly difficult to detect and can only be created by monumental celestial events (colliding black holes), it's not going to spark an energy revolution like the study of electromagnetism did.
- KGIII 9y ago
  I do wonder if we will ever be able to refine the detection and use it to infer information about distant objects which we can't otherwise observe. If my understanding is correct, the waves should be subtly altered as they pass celestial objects.
orbifold 9y ago
Those things are a question of energy scales. The energy scales at which human life is possible are far (many orders of magnitude) removed from the energy scales at which gravitational waves could be meaningfully used, this won't change in any conceivable future. You would need to be able manipulate black holes to get even the tiny measurable distortions they just found, just by conservation of energy that most likely will forever be out of reach for humans. The same is pretty much guaranteed for high energy applications of the strong and weak nuclear force like they are being explored by the LHC, although there it is less certain (quark gluon plasmas for example might be useful for something, maybe). Electromagnetic waves on the other hand are very compatible with the energy scales of human life.

openasocket 9y ago

Not really, gravitational waves are distortions in space-time caused by gravity. They just confirmed something that was predicted by general relativity a century ago. That's a big deal, and I don't mean to sully that achievement, but saying it's as big a deal as the discovery of electromagnetism is really overselling it. Gravitational waves are profoundly difficult to detect and can only be created by monumental celestial events (colliding black holes), it's not going to spark an energy revolution like the study of electromagnetism did.

KGIII 9y ago
I do wonder if we will ever be able to refine the detection and use it to infer information about distant objects which we can't otherwise observe. If my understanding is correct, the waves should be subtly altered as they pass celestial objects.

orbifold 9y ago

Those things are a question of energy scales. The energy scales at which human life is possible are far (many orders of magnitude) removed from the energy scales at which gravitational waves could be meaningfully used, this won't change in any conceivable future. You would need to be able manipulate black holes to get even the tiny measurable distortions they just found, just by conservation of energy that most likely will forever be out of reach for humans. The same is pretty much guaranteed for high energy applications of the strong and weak nuclear force like they are being explored by the LHC, although there it is less certain (quark gluon plasmas for example might be useful for something, maybe). Electromagnetic waves on the other hand are very compatible with the energy scales of human life.