Einstein's Theory of General Relativity Just Survived a Massive Crash in Outer Space

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Einstein's Theory of General Relativity Just Survived a Massive Crash in Outer SpaceGravity is big and weird and difficult to study. It moves through space as a wave, sort of like how light does. But these waves are subtle and difficult to detect. They occur in measurable amounts only after massive events, like the collision of black holes. Humanity didn't spot its first gravitational wave until 2015. Then, in 2017, astronomers for the first time detected both gravitational waves and light from a single event: a neutron star collision. Now, researchers are using data from that event to confirm some basic facts about the universe.


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