The Absurdity of Detecting Gravitational Waves

A head-vaporizing laser with a perfect wavelength detecting sub-proton space-time ripples.

Thanks to Patreon supporters:
Nathan Hansen, Donal Botkin, Tony Fadell, Saeed Alghamdi, Zach Mueller, Ron Neal

A lot of videos have covered the general overview of the discovery of gravitational waves, what they are, the history of the search, when they were found but I wanted to delve into the absurd science that made the detection possible.

When scientists want one megawatt of laser power, it's not just for fun (though I'm sure it's that too), it's because the fluctuations in the number of photons is proportional to their square root, making more powerful beams less noisy (as a fraction of their total). The smoothest mirrors were created not for aesthetic joy but because when you're trying to measure wiggles that are a fraction the width of a proton, a rough mirror surface simply won't do.

Filmed by Daniel Joseph Files

[perrytheplatypus]

“A megawatt will vaporize your head instantly” Good thing they have a first aid kit.

[eggyrepublic]

5:17 so not only are football fields a unit of length in America, footballs is also a unit of volume.

[BurakBagdatli]

"The laser will evaporate your head instantly."
"Oh, OK. Let me put on my goggles." B)

[computer_toucher]

Kudos for getting a "I wish more people would ask that question" from a leading scientist in his field. That must be the best compliment ever for a layman (sorry I don't know your physics credentials lol)

[smartereveryday]

I really liked this man. Is it really just a Michelson Interferometer on a really incredible scale?
Excellent job on this video. Prof Adhikari did a FANTASTIC job as well.

[erikig]

Rana Adhikari looks like the scientist you have to drag out of the bar to save the world at the end of a sci-fi movie when the pencil necked number crunchers have failed

[viclincoln]

I love scientists who don't care to iron their shirts even for an interview .

[slickstretch]

When being hit by that laser, you cease being biology and become physics.

[MRSLAV]

Imagine explaining what you do to your investors

[carlosponchio]

that white shirt was last ironed in 1988, May 12.

[rens]

the guy looked so cool with his glasses lol

[Mormodes]

I really wish this channel was around when I was younger. The way information is presented in your videos makes it much easier to conceptualize and understand. Back in High School we were sat in front of a book and told to read it. We didn't care, we had a million other things to think about besides reading a bland book. I can only hope the kids watching these kinds of videos today can see the wonder in what's happening. LIGO is an incredible feat, and I'd heard the name before, but never understood what it really was doing. Thank you!

[ariestheram]

Scientists : "We are able to detect gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes 1.3 billion light years away"

Also scientists : "For the last time, the Earth is round"

[carso]

I just love how adhikari face completly iluminated once he mentioned the size of the light wave, it was like he was expecting some idiot that would not really understand what he was talking about (like he has probably have to deal with before) and was just extatic to find someone that also talks his tongue

[besmart]

A megawatt *continuous* laser? That's a helluva beam. I toured the Petawatt laser in Austin but that thing only fires for like a trillionth of a second

[sploofmcsterra]

The challenge of removing the interference was crazy. The clouds themselves had a gravitational effect. And the silica threads would resonate, causing unique spikes in the readings. Wild stuff.

[OuterRem]

Rana Adhikari is the prof whose classes you tried your hardest to register for, only to realize that it was already waitlisted at 2.7 femtoseconds. I'd kill to have this guy as a lecturer.

[PeteBetter]

A professor who can explain the highly complex to the every day person like me is a treasure.

[fluffmallow]

Orange crocs and those shades? what a legend

[Rinka]

The guy explained the most advanced technology i have ever seen in 5 minutes using baby language.

I feel like i am a scientist!