Watch ‘father of inflation’ learn of gravitational waves discovery

Posted by

and

March 19, 2014

Professor Andrei Dmitriyevich Linde is one of the main authors of the inflationary universe theory that was confirmed this week. Watch his emotions as assistant Professor Chao-Lin Kuo surprises him with the news of the evidence that supports cosmic inflation theory.

The discovery, made by Kuo and his colleagues at the BICEP2 experiment, represents the first images of gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time. These waves have been described as the “first tremors of the Big Bang.”

Read more about it: First direct evidence of cosmic inflation

The signature of primordial gravitational waves, as seen in the cosmic microwave background in the image, are twisting patterns known as B-mode polarization. Image credit: BICEP Project

Posted

March 19, 2014

in

Human World

Eleanor Imster

View Articles

About the Author:

Eleanor Imster has helped write and edit EarthSky since 1995. She was an integral part of the award-winning EarthSky radio series almost since it began until it ended in 2013. She and her husband live in Tennessee, where they enjoy guitar playing and singing. They have 2 grown sons.