A ripple in spacetime: LIGO discovery heralded as breakthrough of 2016

December 23, 2016 --More than 100 years ago, in 1915, Albert Einstein predicted that cosmic collisions between massive astronomical bodies would create ripples in spacetime, gravitational waves that could be detected from Earth. Yet it wasn't until February 2016 that Einstein's prediction was confirmed, after twin detectors in Washington and Louisiana detected waves from a collision that occurred 1.3 billion years ago. The implications of this discovery are wide ranging. Scientists are already preparing to expand their understanding of gravitational waves by examining theories about black holes, and using three new Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) spacecraft to trace black hole mergers with greater precision. In opening the door to future research and confirming a more than century-old prediction about the universe, February's discovery by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has proved deserving of the title of the most significant scientific discovery this year, Science magazine announced on Thursday.