Folds in the Fabric of Space-Time. Einstein, Gravitational Waves, and the Future of Astronomy

Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein, but they were only discovered quite recently. In a distant region of the universe, two black holes collapsed and merged. After a journey of more than 1 billion light-years, they reached Earth in September 2015. Two giant LIGO detectors registered the slightest tremor. The moment of the first detection of gravitational waves is now recognized as a scientific breakthrough of the century, opening up a new understanding for scientists regarding the processes underlying the formation of the universe. Goverth Schilling's book is a captivating narrative about how scientists from around the world attempted to capture this elusive ripple of space: decades of research, the twists and turns of scientists' and projects' fates, failures, and victories. The author describes seemingly fantastic technologies that allow the detection of gravitational waves caused by the collision of black holes far beyond our galaxy. By explaining in accessible language concepts such as “general theory of relativity,” “neutron stars,” “supernova explosions,” “black holes,” “dark energy,” “Big Bang,” and many others, Schilling gradually guides the reader to an understanding of the phenomena that initiated the era of gravitational-wave astronomy and tells of the near future of the science that is just preparing to unveil many mysteries of the universe.