A visual of gravitational waves from two converging black holes is depicted on a monitor behind Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory co-Founder Kip Thorne as he speaks to the media Feb. 11.(Andrew Harnik, The Associated Press)
Re: Einstein’s right again: Scientists detect ripples in gravity, Feb. 12 news story.
It s not my intention to belittle the theoretical importance of the recent gravitational wave discovery, but I think that your article was a bit overhyped. In terms of its practical significance, some science jocks spent $1.1 billion on a machine that occasionally makes a chirp that sounds more like a thud and has a limited resale market. If, in fact, these gravitational waves were created by a collision of two black holes 1.3 billion years ago, it strikes me that the skies have been the same since before the dawn of mankind and are unlikely to change anytime soon.
Joel C. Boulder, Littleton
This letter was published in the Feb. 17 edition.
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