Week 3
Intro to Physics and Art
Guest Speaker: Nissim Ranade, PhD student in the Math department at Stony Brook University. Studies topology and sometimes paints. Talk: BINARY NUMBERS
HW: Contribute to blog. Read about the exciting new discovery of Gravitational Waves. Links are provided. Write a brief description of your thoughts on the discovery, and select an image (post URL on blog) that you find best describes gravitational waves.
DUE: Post blog by Monday 2/15, 8:00 pm.
Links for your reference:
Finding Beauty in the Darkness. By Lawrence M. Krauss, Feb. 11, 2016
Scientists prove the last part of Einstein’s theory of relativity.
MAJOR Discovery: Scientists announce finding Gravitational Waves confirming Einstein’s theory
February 14, 2016 at 1:27 am
I love this so much. Like last week, this is an example of the ability to be constantly learning new things. I didn’t think that an explanation for something that seems to be so complicated could be so easy. Just after watching the first video http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/science/ligo-gravitational-waves-black-holes-einstein.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=mini-moth®ion=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below&_r=0) I understood the general concept, and was able to explain it to my friend, who then also thought it was pretty cool. Also, I think that the fact that it took 100 years to prove Einstein’s theory speaks to the fact that even though we can have idea about things, it make take so long to prove them. But that also means that there are so many ideas that need to be proven.
February 14, 2016 at 4:25 pm
It is fascinating how much gravitational waves have expanded from the introduction of Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. The fact that gravitational waves travel and compress space in one direction while stretching space on the other side is very interesting. However, due to the fact that these oscillations were so miniscule, for several hundred years the general population thought that they would never be seen. As time passed, our technology and resources in astronomy today have expanded and now permit us to expand our knowledge and measure gravitational waves on earth, evident by LIGO in Louisiana. LIGO’s discovery is truly remarkable and groundbreaking, as it has found a signal of gravitational waves from the joining of two black holes that were over a billion light years away from each other. Another fact I found astonishing was how big the black holes were. This collision produced a merger 62 times that mass of the sun, and it was immediately all produced into energy.
Many people may think that because this discovery is not relevant to their everyday life, they should ignore it. However, in order to allow scientists and astronomers to continue their groundbreaking research, support is necessary from the population. Science is what allows us to expand and diversify our knowledge in life, and although this discovery may not seem relevant to us on the outside, if we look deeper and value it’s complexity, we realize what is being done.
Link with image:
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/ligo_captures_gravitational_wa.html
February 14, 2016 at 11:58 pm
I find this new discovery extremely fascinating. Our knowledge and understanding of our universe is forever expanding, and the discovery of gravitational waves and the proving of Einsteins theory are just another page in the history books. I do find it quite interesting that they converted the waves into an audio file that allows people to experience what was recorded in a totally different way than how it was originally received. It just again goes to show how art and science are related without many even noticing.
Here is Einstein riding gravitational wave:
http://cdn1.theinertia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Shaka-Einstein.png
Here is my favorite image rendering of the two black holes orbiting each other creating gravitational waves:
http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Gravitational-Waves.jpg
Here is link if anyone would like to hear what was recorded of the collision between the two black holes along with a .gif of the two orbiting black holes
https://siznax.tumblr.com/post/139197511381/the-sound-of-two-black-holes-collidingthese
February 15, 2016 at 12:00 am
To be honest, I did not know anything about the general theory of relativity. After reading and watching videos about it, I was able to understand very little information from it. But even that was very interesting. It is very interesting because a theory which existed years before is now proven and we are able to receive gravitational waves due to this effect. The facts that are amusing to me was that black holes (massive objects) are almost 30 times the mass of the sun, space it occupied, and the fact that spins faster as they get closer and become one single black hole. This vibration of this causes the gravitational waves which then strikes the earth. This is really an amazing discovery and I wish to know more about it.
February 15, 2016 at 3:26 am
The result of Einstein’s general theory of Relativity was amazing to me. These articles are about the first direct evidence of Einstein’s general theory of Relativity. Einstein stated the idea of gravitational waves that matter and energy distort the geometry of the universe in the way in 1915. Also, a disturbance in the cosmos like as black holes could produce the time of space to stretch by providing ripples of gravity called ‘gravitational waves’. Specifically, big objects create ripples when they make movements such as big bang, supernovas, binary pulsars, and black holes making circle toward collision and providing one big black hole. More interesting thing was researchers defected the huge implications that could be used for time travel.
Through the idea of gravitational waves, we could face up with time travel, so it will be possible to go back to the past whenever I want. Generally speaking, this topic was little difficult to me since I am not really interested in an area of physics. However, an access in time travel became curious for me that I imagined the past I would be possible to go.
February 15, 2016 at 7:00 am
The discovery is amazing and the articles were interesting reads. I didn’t know much about Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, except for his famous E=mc^2 equation. I still don’t know much, but the articles filled some of the confusion.
“Finding Beauty in the Darkness” peaked my interest; it was a easy read and allowed me to understand what the actual achievement was. It was mind-boggling that a total mass three times of the Sun could be materialized into thin air. I couldn’t and still can’t comprehend how much energy was released into space and how big the combined dark hole is.
I would love to learn more about the topic seeing how it could possibly lead to even bigger discoveries in the fields of science and physics.
February 15, 2016 at 6:00 pm
Although I do not have much background information on Einsteins theory of relativity, I found that the video from the New York Times did a wonderful job at explaining what happened. They compared Sound waves that translate causing compressions of molecules in a medium, yo gravitational waves which that stretch and shrinking time and space as there medium. I still have questions about how they knew two black holes collided and how they made there computer model. However the illustrations given where a beautiful example of how art can help describe science.
February 15, 2016 at 6:21 pm
I find it to be amazing how science has come such a long way. For example, the proof of gravitational waves and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, are things that people hundreds of years ago could not have imagined. It is fascinating how we are now able to hear and visualize events that occur in space millions or billions of light years away. Gravitational waves show how significant and amazing events could happen in the matter of seconds and no matter how big or small it is, there is a reflection of it travelling in space no matter how far. This new discoveries proves to us that no matter how much we think we know, there is still more out there and there are still many mysteries within and out of the Earth.
http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/dnews-files-2015-09-grav-waves-670×440-150919-jpg.jpg
I feel like this images best describes gravitational waves because it shows the cause of the waves, which is the collision of stars, and the after effect, the waves. It shows the stars being pulled into the center area and the waves pulsating out because of itl.
February 15, 2016 at 9:17 pm
http://i2.wp.com/akamom.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rain-drops-wallpapers.jpg?resize=605%2C378
Simply put, the general theory of relativity states is a bit self-explanatory in that things move in accordance to other objects that are also moving. As such, when an object is moving, another object can perceive the other object’s motion according to its own state of acceleration. Nevertheless, I find this discovery to be quite amazing as it elegantly supports Einstein’s general relativity theory. To be able to detect the faintest of sources of waves such as gravitational waves from the beginning is quite awe-inspiring in that we can finally depict a more concrete model of black holes stretching space-time. Although this is such a great find, one can actually depict it in a more micro-scale environment with raindrops. When a drop of water hits a puddle, it creates a cavity and then waves are formed as a result. These waves would be similar in effect to the gravitational waves. Albeit, we’d be much farther away and by the time the waves reach here, it be very faint. As such, this discovery is truly a beauty of science in the magnitude of the find.
February 15, 2016 at 10:01 pm
I’m amazed that gravitational waves were predicted to exist a century ago and now, 100 years later science has advanced far enough to be able to detect concrete evidence proving the theory. It was also interesting to find out that gravitational waves were created catastrophic events like colliding black holes. A good illustration of gravitational waves being created can be seen at the following link: http://www.space.com/images/i/000/021/030/original/gravity-waves.jpg which illustrates two black wholes spiraling around each other until they eventually collide into each other. To make matters even more exciting it is said that the gravitation waves ripple through the universe at the speed of light and that the recorded waves were said to have happened a billion years ago and how LIGO was able to detect a fraction of the width of proton and able to make it into sound.
February 15, 2016 at 10:38 pm
The only one world that i can say is amazing. Frankly speaking, i am the guy who is hate the science subjects, As for Einstein, i only know the general relativity and Special Relativity, and i only know the name don’t know the content. But the surprised thing that Einstein is the people who lived in the nineteenth century and he put forward a prediction of gravitational waves. and scientists have confirmed it until now. Scientists said people can use the gravitational waves through time, it means that people can travel in time in the future!
February 15, 2016 at 11:17 pm
Gravitational waves is very unfamiliar to me, but after I read a few artcles, I knew the concept of it, and why it is so important for scientist to study on it. Gravitational waves are distortions or ‘ripples’ in the fabric of space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the Universe. Albert Einstein raised his own theory hundred years ago, and the discovered of gravitational waves exactlly proves his theory, like two huge black holes will attrctive each other and they will spral then, gravitational waves are produced. It was so hard to imagine a lot of things which are we never think we can achieve. But we did it. I believe more and mroe impossible mession will be done.
http://www.space.com/25088-gravitational-waves.html
Here is a picture of how gravitinal waves looks like, it is very beautiful and amazing.
February 15, 2016 at 11:19 pm
I am very fascinated by this discovery. I was not very educated on gravitational waves, but I can see how incredible of a discovery this is. In the New York Times article “Finding Beauty in the Darkness,” Lawerence M. Krauss explains that scientists discovered how there was a recent shift in gravitational waves in the universe. They discovered this when the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave) Observatory found that there was a “collision and merger of two black holes over a billion light-years away.” At first I didn’t understand what this meant until I watched the video “Scientists prove the last part of Einstein’s theory of relativity.” The video explained how big objects create ripples as they distort spacetime, causing noticeable wave movements. One situation where this happens is when two black holes collide. This is a major discovery in science because it helps to prove Einstein’s theory and can help scientists to continue studying black holes and out exactly what they are and where they come from. I hope that scientists can take this new information and continue to expand our knowledge on the life and importance of black holes and how they effect gravitational waves.
http://www.space.com/images/i/000/021/030/original/gravity-waves.jpg
I chose this image to best describe gravitational waves because it is like a visual representation of what the New York Times article was trying to explain. It shows two black holes about to collide and as they are colliding, you can see the ripples that are forming around them.
February 15, 2016 at 11:51 pm
The discovery of gravitational waves is a taste of what’s to come in the future. We proved one of Einstein’s famous theories and used one of the most sophisticated pieces of technology to prove it. It’s amazing how all we needed was just 2 laser beams and just seeing if the waves cancel each other out. It’s exciting to see how much more we can discover. If we can view the waves from 2 black holes, then the amount of things we can view in the universe is limitless. I view this discover as a first step in much more we can learn. It also proves that Einstein’s theories and discoveries were right and how intelligent he was to discover this.
February 16, 2016 at 12:18 am
Gravitational waves is a word I am not really familiar. After I read a few news, I have the basic knowledge about what is gravitational waves,”Gravitational waves are distortions or ‘ripples’ in the fabric of space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the Universe. ” This is how they described.It is very important to scientists because it really proved Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Gravitational waves is produced when two huge black holes attract each other and they will became a spiral forms, the waves they produced is gravitational waves. It is very hard to see how the waves looks like , but when i watched the video and some pictures about the waves, they are very amazing and beautiful. They seems like have equal space between each other and the tails are diffuse towards outside. http://www.space.com/25088-gravitational-waves.html
here is the picture I like, they looks like meteor, it is amazing that physics has its own style art.
February 16, 2016 at 12:39 am
I never really understood the concepts of space time until recently when TEDed videos showed me conceptually how time and space are both part of a plane called space-time. The discovery of gravitational waves is truly a breakthrough in understanding modern physics as most theories were only theoretical and not based on proof or an observation of its existence in nature.
This image shows how gravity curves the space time continuum (http://images.iop.org/objects/phw/news/14/4/10/grav1.jpg) and watching visually how gravity attracts objects is a breakthrough in human understanding of how particles interact with each other.
I’m really excited for the future of physics as these new technologies such as the lasers used to detect the gravitational waves or the CERN particle research center.
February 16, 2016 at 12:44 am
I was very limited understanding of gravitational waves before I saw these videos and reading materials. After watching these materials, I was very excited and astonished. Einstein’s General Relativity predicted the existence of gravitational waves and obtained the confirmation of LIGO. The most surprised me is the gravitational waves distort both space and time. In that short movie, researchers did the beam observation experiment proved this conclusion. I think this is an example of the combination of the art and science.
http://sciencesoup.tumblr.com/post/105219051208/what-are-gravitational-waves-earlier-in-the-year
February 16, 2016 at 12:56 am
I think it was amazing that Einstein could predict and speculate gravitational waves a hundred years ago when there was not even a telescope that could observe a planet. The most wonderful point is Einstein speculate the mystery of the universal so precisely without seeing the real universal. It seems that all matter in the world can not leave maths and physic, and all thing can be explained by equations and formulas. To find and prove the gravitational wave is a huge work, which contains the persist and hardworking of scientists. Although I think using such a big project to prove a theorem that was already calculated a hundred years ago seems underemployed, after all, proofs is always harder than speculate. Furthermore, to talk about the use of the discovery of gravitational waves is really promising. The gravitational waves can help explore the black hole, the word I have heard when I was in kindergarten but still know little about. And I also believe the gravitational waves can also help explained the motions of planets and the evolution of galaxies, even the universe.
Here is the link of the vedio that I think it is the best of explaining gravitational waves, http://tv.66wz.com/2016/02/13/force_20160213_cms_10563.shtml
The way it explain gravitational wave is that a ball falls into a rubber mat and makes ripples,as the bigger mass of the ball, the sunken deformation deeper and ripples bigger.
February 16, 2016 at 1:59 am
I think it’s amazing how Einstein was able to predict such an elaborate theory without the use of the precise modern technology scientists have today. While I am not a person that is geared toward or well educated in physics I found this discovery to be fascinating and mind boggling as well. I found the New York Times video and “Finding Beauty in the Darkness” article to be most intriguing and quite helpful in explaining this newly confirmed phenomena. Even though I, as well as many other people, do not have a strong physics background or developed interest in astronomy, this is a discovery to be appreciated by all. Lawrence Krauss put it best, “Such pinnacles of human creativity change our perspective of our place in the universe. Science, like art, music and literature, has the capacity to amaze and excite, dazzle and bewilder. I would argue that it is that aspect of science — its cultural contribution, its humanity — that is perhaps its most important feature.” The second YouTube video by Quartz also brought up some interesting prospective goals. If scientists can learn more about black holes by the waves they produce we could eventually learn to understand cosmic strings which are defeats in spacetime. If science could come to understand these concepts time travel may actually be possible. If technology can take us as far as being able to prove the existence of minuscule gravitational waves that originated billions of years ago, I cannot see why time travel wouldn’t be possible over the course of humanity.
I chose this image because I think it best represents how these waves manipulate space and time. This depiction is similar to the proposed shapes of orbitals used to study chemistry which could seemingly be the same thing on a larger scale.
https://www.google.com/search?q=gravitational+waves+picture&biw=1227&bih=663&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO24HtlvvKAhVDND4KHamFAy8Q_AUICCgD#imgrc=wgGt_11RMaICDM%3A