From the June 2014 issue

Web Extra: Watch as black holes collide

Scientists use computer simulations to probe how space-time reacts as black holes collide.
By | Published: June 23, 2014 | Last updated on May 18, 2023
low-frequency gravitational waves

According to Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity (the best theory we have of the gravitational force), any object with mass warps the fabric of space-time. So if that body is moving, it will create ripples in space-time, like how a boat moving through water creates waves. Astronomers are actively searching for these “gravitational waves.” At the same time, scientists are creating computer simulations — based off mathematical formulae and general relativity — to study the sizes and strengths of gravitational waves produced as different objects move through space-time.

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