--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the signal reached LIGO from a…" description: "\"When the signal reached LIGO from a collision of two stellar black holes that occurred 1.3 billion years ago, the 1,000-scientist-strong LIGO Scientifi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2a/barry-barish-17802_black_when-the-signal-reached-ligo-from-a-coll_277026.jpg" --- # When the signal reached LIGO from a collision of two… ![“When the signal reached LIGO from a collision of two stellar black holes that occurred 1.3 billion years ago, the 1,000-scientist-strong LIGO Scientific Collaboration was able to both identify the candidate event within minutes and perform the detailed analysis that convincingly demonstrated that…” quote by Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2a/barry-barish-17802_black_when-the-signal-reached-ligo-from-a-coll_277026.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2a/barry-barish-17802_black_when-the-signal-reached-ligo-from-a-coll_277026.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2a/barry-barish-17802_black_when-the-signal-reached-ligo-from-a-coll_277026.jpg) > “When the signal reached LIGO from a collision of two stellar black holes that occurred 1.3 billion years ago, the 1,000-scientist-strong LIGO Scientific Collaboration was able to both identify the candidate event within minutes and perform the detailed analysis that convincingly demonstrated that gravitational waves exist.” [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A massive scientific team quickly identified and validated a historic gravitational‑wave event, proving the power of collaboration and technology. **In simple terms:** Large teams can swiftly confirm groundbreaking discoveries. Key Takeaway Leverage teamwork and tools for rapid breakthroughs. Themes science collaboration technology Mood inspirational technical Type historical educational When to use this quote - research labs - emergency response - real‑time monitoring Key Concepts data analysis signal detection interdisciplinary effort Questions to Reflect On - What infrastructure enables swift scientific validation? - How can other fields emulate this speed? A Different Perspective Rapid confirmation still depends on prior theoretical work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black hole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-hole/) [Black holes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-holes/) [Collaboration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaboration/) [Waves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waves/) ## Related quotes > [“The gravitational waves of the first detection were generated by a collision of black holes in a galaxy 1.3 billion light-years away, and at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-gravitational-waves-of-the-first-detection-were-generated-by-a/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We know about black holes and neutron stars, but we hope there are other phenomena we can see because of the gravitational waves they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/we-know-about-black-holes-and-neutron-stars-but-we-hope-there-are/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [But if you think about a practical implication of enriching your life and giving you a sense of being part of a larger cosmos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/but-if-you-think-about-a-practical-implication-of-enriching-your-life/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Observing gravitational waves would yield an enormous amount of information about the phenomena of strong-field gravity. If we could detect black holes collide, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/observing-gravitational-waves-would-yield-an-enormous-amount-of/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [Gravitational waves will bring us exquisitely accurate maps of black holes - maps of their space-time. Those maps will make it crystal clear whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kip-thorne/gravitational-waves-will-bring-us-exquisitely-accurate-maps-of-black/) [Kip Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kip-thorne/) > [“A modern example of this stunning knowledge of nature that Einstein has gifted us, comes from 2016, when gravitational waves were discovered by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/a-modern-example-of-this-stunning-knowledge-of-nature-that-einstein/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The detection of gravitational waves is truly a triumph of modern large-scale experimental physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/the-detection-of-gravitational-waves-is-truly-a-triumph-of-modern/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [Einstein had two new predictions from general relativity. One was that light would bend. That was tested in 1919, and basically, he was proven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/einstein-had-two-new-predictions-from-general-relativity-one-was-that/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [The size of the effect that we measured from the first event, the merging of two black holes, the actual size of the signal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/the-size-of-the-effect-that-we-measured-from-the-first-event-the/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [“The pulsar is like a lighthouse beam spinning at high speed. Every time it comes around to face us we see a flash. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/the-pulsar-is-like-a-lighthouse-beam-spinning-at-high-speed-every/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [If the universe sprung into existence and then expanded exponentially, you get gravitational waves traveling through space-time. These would fill the universe, a pattern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-turok/if-the-universe-sprung-into-existence-and-then-expanded-exponentially/) [Neil Turok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-turok/) > [“team of astronomers led by John M. Kovac of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics detected ripples in the fabric of space-time — so-called gravitational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/team-of-astronomers-led-by-john-m-kovac-of-the-harvard-smithsonian/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The cyclic universe theory predicts no gravitational waves from the early universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-cyclic-universe-theory-predicts-no-gravitational-waves-from-the/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [It's very, very exciting that it worked out in the end that we are actually detecting things and actually adding to the knowledge, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/it-s-very-very-exciting-that-it-worked-out-in-the-end-that-we-are/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [Gravitational waves, because they are so imperturbable - they go through everything - they will tell you the most information you can get about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/gravitational-waves-because-they-are-so-imperturbable-they-go-through/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) ## More by Barry Barish > [The waves are subtle, altering spacetime and the distance between objects as far apart as the Earth and the Moon by much less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/the-waves-are-subtle-altering-spacetime-and-the-distance-between/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [It's hard to do large, expensive projects without some sort of hierarchical structure where somebody can tell you - maybe softly, but at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/it-s-hard-to-do-large-expensive-projects-without-some-sort-of/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [The detection of gravitational waves is truly a triumph of modern large-scale experimental physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/the-detection-of-gravitational-waves-is-truly-a-triumph-of-modern/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [It's very difficult to tell when you're successful, because it's so hard to make measurements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/it-s-very-difficult-to-tell-when-you-re-successful-because-it-s-so/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [I live on the Santa Monica Beach and bike up and down almost every day. I like exercise, and I like literature a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/i-live-on-the-santa-monica-beach-and-bike-up-and-down-almost-every/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [I think the scientific goals and the technical challenges were the two things that equally motivated me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/i-think-the-scientific-goals-and-the-technical-challenges-were-the/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [There's some aura about a Nobel Prize, there's a prestige, that gives me a responsibility that I didn't have before, that goes beyond my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/there-s-some-aura-about-a-nobel-prize-there-s-a-prestige-that-gives/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [I have somewhat ambivalent feelings about the recognition of individuals when so much of this was a team effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/i-have-somewhat-ambivalent-feelings-about-the-recognition-of/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [Anything that makes us take more seriously scientists - or economists or chemists or physicists or biologists - I think is helpful in times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/anything-that-makes-us-take-more-seriously-scientists-or-economists/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [If we are going to build an ambitious machine, then it's got to be a global machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/if-we-are-going-to-build-an-ambitious-machine-then-it-s-got-to-be-a/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [The first instrument is not the final instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/the-first-instrument-is-not-the-final-instrument/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [Scientists, especially physicists, we're presumptuous and think we can do everything better than everybody else. And one thing that I realized early is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/scientists-especially-physicists-we-re-presumptuous-and-think-we-can/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [I can't imagine that, now that we have another way to look at the universe, that there isn't going to be some enormous surprises.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/i-can-t-imagine-that-now-that-we-have-another-way-to-look-at-the/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [When I was really young, my ambition wasn't to do science. I didn't really know that I could. It was to write a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/when-i-was-really-young-my-ambition-wasn-t-to-do-science-i-didn-t/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [In a small lab, if you make a mistake, you can go in the next day and fix it. But here, when you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/in-a-small-lab-if-you-make-a-mistake-you-can-go-in-the-next-day-and/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) [Explore all 36 Barry Barish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. 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