I Visited the First Gravitational Wave Detector! LIGO | STELLAR

We’ve been waiting to verify the existence of Gravitational Waves for over 100 years and I actually got to go to LIGO to see exactly how they proved it!

I know, this video is a bit different from most Physics Girl videos. It's part of a new PBS miniseries called Stellar, done in collaboration with Matt O’Dowd from @PBSSpacetime and Joe Hanson from @It'sOkayToBeSmart. Over six episodes we travel to telescopes, go inside space research centers, and chat with amazing scientists. Next up is Joe's episode where he visits one of the telescopes that was part of world-spanning Event Horizon Telescope.

Check out the other episodes in this series:
The Quasar from The Beginning of Time | STELLAR
Seeing a Black Hole with a Planet-Sized Telescope | STELLAR

You'll be able to see future episodes on the Physics Girl, Space Time and It’s Okay to be Smart YouTube channels, as well as the PBS Digital Studios Facebook page.

#SummerOfSpacePBS #astrophysics #space

Special Thanks to Michael Landry, Amber Strunk, and the whole LIGO Hanford team for all their help making this episode.

Hosted by Dianna Cowern
Written by: Sophia Chen, Dianna Cowern, Andrew Kornhaber, Eric Brown
Directed by: Eric Brown and Andrew Kornhaber
Producer: Randa Eid
Director of Photography: Eric Brouse
Sound: Theodore Kinney
Production Assistant: Alexander Robino
Editing: Pavel Ezrohi
Graphics: Murilo Lopes
Assistant Editing: Daniel Sircar
Produced By: Kornhaber Brown

[physicsgirl]

Hey, I'm Dianna and you're watching Physics Girl. I know, that part of the video is missing. So is HAPPY PHYSICSING! SORRY! Let me explain. This video is part of a PBS Miniseries called Stellar done in collaboration with PBS Spacetime and It's Okay to Be Smart. There will be videos on their channels too, and one more on Physics Girl in 3 weeks. For the context of this video, let's go back to when I was a wee undergrad studying physics. Back then, there were experiments that physicists agreed were potentially going to be HUGE for modern physics - discovering the Higgs boson (we did that recently!), taking the first image of a black hole (we just did that too!). But a really big experiment was aiming to measure gravitational waves, and I remember being told we didn’t know if we’d measure them any time soon, if ever. But in 2015 we measured the first gravitational wave. It was a HUGE moment! Not just for physics, but for all of science! And the observatory that made the discovery was LIGO. For this video, which is part of a PBS space series that i’ll explain more in the description, I GOT TO GO TO LIGO. The best part was sitting with the head of the observatory and asking him all my questions about the universe in the downtime of the shoot. One of the coolest days of my life. Anyways.. I hope you enjoy this series!

[EaglesFlight]

Back in 1998 I had the pleasure of working at the LIGO facility in Livingston, La. I polished a lot of Silver Coated bolts and helped build the room around the laser housing.

The most science-y thing I've been able to do in my life, and I'm glad to got to do it.

[roeiboot]

I have my master's thesis defence on Gravitational Wave astronomy tomorrow and I couldn't be greeted with a more motivating video from Physics Girl! Thanks Dianna!

[WebRydr]

I've been following LIGO since the beginning. Even wrote a piece on my own FB page couple of years ago about what a tremendous achievement this is.


I thoroughly enjoy your videos, Dianna. Explaining complex scientific issues in everyday language is NOT easy. You do it very well.


Keep it up, girl! You be reachin' the peoples!


Be talkin' to

[OnlyFacts]

You are awesome. I've been inspired by you to go into the science field

[saurabhsingh]

I can feel the difference in quality and editing that has been put into your to that

Edit : why am I getting this much likes?...never got this much

[spidrmike]

I live 10 minutes from LIGO in Livingston, LA! I love to go there for Science Saturdays where they hold free tours to the public. It is so amazing how they use these facilities to detect gravitational waves

[sebastienruhlmann]

The style of this video makes it look like you made it to the pantheon of the greatest science educators in history. Very professional. It was amazing!

[rudiexx]

They had to correct for the curvature of the explain this flat earthers lol

[Beeevaaa]

One of my favourite channels. Thank you for being so consistently badass Dianna!

[SirPeabsSwamprider]

Dianna, watching your pure and honest excitement touring and explaining LIGO and all your magnificent physics related topics is absolutely priceless. Please, never stop inspiring!

[swapnil]

I am from that city of india, where the third ligo is going to Proud💚

[souvikbhattacharya]

The production quality on this video is absolutely top class as is the content! (as always)
Thanks Dianna!

[PatricioHondagneuRoig]

Wow. The leap in the quality of the editing in this video is noticeable. Keep it up Dianna, you're awesome!

[tgjaedan]

After watching so many of your videos I love that we can tell how excited you were about this because you were actually more calm and focused than usual. Love your stuff. You are awesome, Dianna.

[DPrintingNerd]

INCREDIBLE video! That thing is crazy!

[CrankyPantss]

That was very interesting. I can imagine how exciting it was to visit that installation. Thanks for sharing this with us, Dianna.

[diodata]

Congratulations on the Stellar series. All three of the Youtube series selected are superb. Great idea by PBS to integrate streaming Youtube channels with the more traditional shows they're making for the #SummerofSpace.

[REVOLUTIONS]

That's amazing! I've visited the one located in Italy near Pisa, "Virgo", such an engineering accomplishments!

[fernandasayuri]

Did anyone notice the video quality difference? It’s a lot better (not that it wasn’t before)
I’m loving it! Great job!
Bts, hi from Brazil