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Gravity Wave Detector Ready For Business

Posted by timothy on from the very-expensive-ripples dept.

Arthur Embleton writes "The BBC has an article about a Gravity Wave Detector. There are two L shaped set-ups. One in Washington, the other in Louisiana. They've got a Laser pointing at a mirror 4km away, watching for the reflection and if it is distorted then it shows that there has been a gravitational pulse, possibly by two Black Holes colliding. The detectors are apparently so accurate they can measure to one-thousandth of the width of a proton! How did they test that it works?"

2 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Doesn't matter by Picass0 · · Score: -1, Troll

    "How did they test that it works?"

    Millions of dollars in federal grant money later, do you think anyone gives a rat's ass? There are people who have careers for life studying what happens when you point an "L" at a mirror! This is about gravy, man! Don't bother us with details like "how do you verify that it's calibrated?". There's a board of directors who have pensions! Nice little retirement nesteggs! Some of these people are responsible for the Super Monkey Collider! Don't ask such stupid questions!!!

  2. Seems if they could detect gravity waves... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    it would be a piece of cake to find Saddams WMD's.