What Are the Benefits of LIGO & VIRGO's Gravitational Wave Detection?

[parshyaa]

I mean do they only detect gravitational waves?, if yes then why spending so much money on this big machine, just to detect something(i know that proving such a beautiful theory is a great achievement), but what next, i mean what other benefits they got after detecting gravitational waves

 

[jedishrfu]

Besides validating the theory of gravitational waves they provide a new signal to study along with other electromagnetic signals (visible, infrared, gamma ray...).

Combined these signals will allow us to probe the real action going on in a collapse and compare it to our models.

Each device has a blind spot however when used together they can identify a particular location in the sky where the collapse is occurring.

 

[jerromyjon]

Combined these signals will allow us to probe the real action going on in a collapse and compare it to our models.

I think it is more add it to our models, piled high, with evidence.

 

[parshyaa]

Each device has a blind spot however when used together they can identify a particular location in the sky where the collapse is occurring.

Wow this sounds interesting

 

[jerromyjon]

 

[Dale]

if yes then why spending so much money on this big machine,

To put it into perspective, we spend that much money to save commuters and truckers a few minutes. Unlocking a whole new type of astronomy, one that can in principle see past the surface of last scattering, seems like a bargain.

 

[mfb]

To put it into perspective, we spend that much money to save commuters and truckers a few minutes.

... in a single town.

The overall LIGO project has estimated costs of 1.1 billion over 20 years. The US military spends about twice that amount every day.
Another way to compare the numbers: 1.1 billion paid by 320 million US Americans is 17 cents per person and year.

 

[Dale]

Not that any of those things are bad or wastes of money. Just that in perspective the cost of LIGO is not such an outlandish sum, and we are comparitavely getting a lot from it.