num_pages: 176
description: Until then investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light radio X-rays and the rest. But gravitational waves  ripples in the fabric of space and time  are unrelenting passing through barriers that stop light dead.At the two 4-kilometre long LIGO observatories in the US scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015 they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiralling into each other setting spacetime quivering.This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected  and it promises far more for the future of astronomy. Brian Clegg presents a compelling story of human technical endeavour and a new powerful path to understand the workings of the universe.Brian Cleggs most recent books are The Reality Frame (Icon 2017) What Colour is the Sun? (Icon 2016) and Ten Billion Tomorrows (St Martins Press 2016). His Dice World and A Brief History of Infinity were both longlisted for the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. He has also written Big Data for the Hot Science series. Brian has written for numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal Nature BBC Focus Physics World The Times and The Observer. Brian is editor of popularscience.co.uk and blogs at brianclegg.blogspot.com.
language: English
title: Gravitational Waves: How Einstein’s Spacetime Ripples Reveal the Secrets of the Universe
publisher: Icon Books