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Gravitational waves discovery: I was right, says Stephen Hawking Gravitational waves discovery: I was right, says Stephen Hawking
(7 months later)
The discovery of gravitational waves could “revolutionise astronomy”, Prof Stephen Hawking said as he congratulated scientists on their groundbreaking work.The discovery of gravitational waves could “revolutionise astronomy”, Prof Stephen Hawking said as he congratulated scientists on their groundbreaking work.
The top cosmologist said the breakthrough tallied with predictions he made more than 40 years ago at Cambridge University.The top cosmologist said the breakthrough tallied with predictions he made more than 40 years ago at Cambridge University.
He told the BBC: “Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe. The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionise astronomy. This discovery is the first detection of a black hole binary system and the first observation of black holes merging.”He told the BBC: “Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe. The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionise astronomy. This discovery is the first detection of a black hole binary system and the first observation of black holes merging.”
Related: Gravitational waves: breakthrough discovery after two centuries of expectation
Hawking, research director at Cambridge University’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, said: “The observed properties of this system is consistent with predictions about black holes that I made in 1970 here in Cambridge. The area of the final black hole is greater than the sum of the areas of the initial black holes as predicted by my black hole area theorem.”Hawking, research director at Cambridge University’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, said: “The observed properties of this system is consistent with predictions about black holes that I made in 1970 here in Cambridge. The area of the final black hole is greater than the sum of the areas of the initial black holes as predicted by my black hole area theorem.”
Asked what more could be discovered if scientists scanned for gravitational waves, he said: “Apart from testing general relativity, we could hope to see black holes throughout the history of the universe. We may even see relics of the very early universe during the big bang at the most extreme energies possible.”Asked what more could be discovered if scientists scanned for gravitational waves, he said: “Apart from testing general relativity, we could hope to see black holes throughout the history of the universe. We may even see relics of the very early universe during the big bang at the most extreme energies possible.”
Prof John Womersley, chief executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, paid tribute to the UK’s contribution to the discovery. He said: “It has taken 100 years and the combined work of many hundreds of the cleverest scientists, engineers and mathematicians on Earth to prove that this key prediction of Albert Einstein is correct and show that gravitational waves exist.Prof John Womersley, chief executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, paid tribute to the UK’s contribution to the discovery. He said: “It has taken 100 years and the combined work of many hundreds of the cleverest scientists, engineers and mathematicians on Earth to prove that this key prediction of Albert Einstein is correct and show that gravitational waves exist.
“Of course, Einstein was always the smartest guy in the room. Today’s results also remind us just how important the UK’s contribution to world-leading science is. I’d certainly like to think that some of the smartest people on earth today are living and working in the UK.”“Of course, Einstein was always the smartest guy in the room. Today’s results also remind us just how important the UK’s contribution to world-leading science is. I’d certainly like to think that some of the smartest people on earth today are living and working in the UK.”