I have been lucky enough to be working on a similar project for the past few years. We also use distributed computing but only via our local clusters. We don't actually analyze data from the interferometers, rather we try to figure out what waveforms we would get from a particular set of objects (mostly pulsars). As far as I understand (I'm but a lowly undergrad), the main reasons why we study gravitational waves are
because unlike EM waves which get deflected by just about everything they pass by, gravitational waves pass through pretty much anything unaffected, and so retain a lot of information about the object(s) that created them
they give us information about some objects we otherwise know very little about
they tell us more about how and why gravity works, and we know REALLY very little about that
lastly, if found, they would be yet another proof of general relativity
And to all those saying that Folding@Home is a much worthier cause, I would say that improving the life of individual humans is super, but to improve the state of humanity as a whole, we need more research into basic physics rather than basic biochem. I mean I'd love to live forever, but I would sacrifice the possibility instantly if I could actually go and see the universe out there before I died.
Slashdot Mirror
UmmRa most likely means one of the Ancient Egyptian languages, probably Middle Egyptian.
- because unlike EM waves which get deflected by just about everything they pass by, gravitational waves pass through pretty much anything unaffected, and so retain a lot of information about the object(s) that created them
-
they give us information about some objects we otherwise know very little about
-
they tell us more about how and why gravity works, and we know REALLY very little about that
-
lastly, if found, they would be yet another proof of general relativity
And to all those saying that Folding@Home is a much worthier cause, I would say that improving the life of individual humans is super, but to improve the state of humanity as a whole, we need more research into basic physics rather than basic biochem. I mean I'd love to live forever, but I would sacrifice the possibility instantly if I could actually go and see the universe out there before I died.