Testimony: LIGO has “cracked open” a new window to the universe
LIGO’s recent detection of gravitational waves marks the beginning of a new era for astrophysics, and further insights into black holes, neutron stars, supernovae, and other phenomena are expected before long, MIT LIGO Laboratory Director David Shoemaker told members of Congress this week. Shoemaker, who is also a senior research scientist at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, was part of a panel that briefed the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on the LIGO effort and how it is expected to benefit science and innovation in the future. He was joined at the Feb. 24 event by Fleming Crim, assistant director for the National Science Foundation’s Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences; David Reitze, executive director of LIGO at Caltech; and Gabriela Gonzáles, a professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University and spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. The hearing was attended by 21 Committee...