Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony : The Story of a Gamble, Two Black Holes, and a New Age of Astronomy

Cover; Half Title; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgments to the 2017 Edition; Acknowledgments to the 2000 Edition; Prelude; Space in G Flat; The Maestro Enters; Starlight Waltz; Pas de Deux; Bars and Measures; Dissonant Chords; A Little Light Music; The Chirp; Variations on a Theme; The Music of the Spheres; The Unending Symphony; Coda; Timeline; Bibliography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y; Z.;Prelude -- Space in G Flat -- The Maestro Enters -- Starlight Waltz -- Pas De Deux -- Bars and Measures -- Dissonant Chords -- A Little Light Music -- Variations on a Theme -- The Music of the Spheres -- Finale.;A new generation of observatories, now being completed worldwide, will give astronomers not just a new window on the cosmos but a whole new sense with which to explore and experience the heavens above us. Instead of collecting light waves or radio waves, these novel instruments will allow astronomers to at last place their hands upon the fabric of space-time and feel the very rhythms of the universe. These vibrations in space-time-or gravity waves-are the last prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity yet to be observed directly. They are his unfinished symphony, waiting nearly a century to be heard. When they finally reveal themselves to astronomers, we will for the first time be able to hear the cymbal crashes from exploding stars, tune in to the periodic drumbeats from swiftly rotating pulsars, listen to the extended chirps from the merger of two black holes, and eavesdrop on the remnant echoes from the mighty jolt of the Big Bang itself. When Einstein introduced general relativity in 1915, it was hailed as a momentous conceptual achievement. Einstein attained celebrity status. But, once scientists verified what they could of the theory, given the scant experiments available at the time, general relativity became "largely a theoretical curiosity," writes Marcia Bartusiak. Now, after decades of technological advancement, general relativity is being tested with unprecedented accuracy. It even affects our everyday lives. Satellites used by both travelers and soldiers to peg their positions require constant corrections of Einsteinian precision. Meanwhile, the first gravity-wave "telescopes"--Including the LIGO facility-are about to come alive. This updated edition of the New York Times Notable Book recounts the long hunt for Einstein’s predicted gravitational waves—and celebrates their discovery. In February 2016, astronomers announced that they had verified the last remaining prediction of Einstein’s general theory of relativity—vibrations in space-time, called gravitational waves. Humanity can now tune in to a cosmic orchestra. We have heard the chirp of two black holes dancing toward a violent union. We will hear the cymbal crashes from exploding stars, the periodic drumbeats from swiftly rotating pulsars, and maybe even the echoes from the Big Bang itself. More than a decade earlier, Marcia Bartusiak chronicled the gamble taken by astronomers who were determined to prove Einstein right. In their quest to detect gravitational waves, they built the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, the most accurate measuring devices ever created. In this updated edition, Bartusiak brings the story to a thrilling close with the triumphant discovery of gravitational waves made with the LIGO. "An important, multifaceted scientific story...part theoretical physics, part astronomy, part experimental physics, part engineering."—James Ryerson, New York Times Book Review An updated classic that recounts the long hunt for Einstein's predicted gravitational waves—and celebrates their recent discovery In February 2016, astronomers announced that they had verified the last remaining prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity—vibrations in space-time, called gravitational waves. Humanity can now tune in to a cosmic orchestra. We have heard the chirp of two black holes dancing toward a violent union. We will hear the cymbal crashes from exploding stars, the periodic drumbeats from swiftly rotating pulsars, and maybe even the echoes from the Big Bang itself. Marcia Bartusiak was one of the first to report on the new generation of observatories, showing the motivations of the detectors'creators and the gamble they made to prove Einstein right when all other attempts had failed. She traces the quest of astronomers to build the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, the most accurate measuring devices humans have created, and the discovery of gravitational waves, revealing the brilliance, personalities, and luck required to start a new age of astronomy. An updated classic that recounts the long hunt for Einstein's predicted gravitational waves-and celebrates their recent discovery In February 2016, astronomers announced that they had verified the last remaining prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity-vibrations in space-time, called gravitational waves. Humanity can now tune in to a cosmic orchestra. We have heard the chirp of two black holes dancing toward a violent union. We will hear the cymbal crashes from exploding stars, the periodic drumbeats from swiftly rotating pulsars, and maybe even the echoes from the Big Bang itself. Marcia Bartusiak was one of the first to report on the new generation of observatories, showing the motivations of the detectors' creators and the gamble they made to prove Einstein right when all other attempts had failed. She traces the quest of astronomers to build the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, the most accurate measuring devices humans have created, and the discovery of gravitational waves, revealing the brilliance, personalities, and luck required to start a new age of astronomy Prelude -- Space in G Flat -- The Maestro Enters -- Starlight Waltz -- Pas De Deux -- Bars and Measures -- Dissonant Chords -- A Little Light Music -- Variations on a Theme -- The Music of the Spheres -- Finale. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments to the 2017 Edition Acknowledgments to the 2000 Edition Prelude Space in G Flat The Maestro Enters Starlight Waltz Pas de Deux Bars and Measures Dissonant Chords A Little Light Music The Chirp Variations on a Theme The Music of the Spheres The Unending Symphony Coda Timeline Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z.