--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many of us on the project were thinking…" description: "\"Many of us on the project were thinking if we ever saw a gravitational wave, it'd be an itsy bitsy little tiny thing; we'd never see it. This thing was..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/rainer-weiss-11997_never_many-of-us-on-the-project-were-thinking_1039956.jpg" --- # Many of us on the project were thinking if we ever saw a… ![“Many of us on the project were thinking if we ever saw a gravitational wave, it'd be an itsy bitsy little tiny thing; we'd never see it. This thing was so big that you didn't have to do much to see it.” quote by Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/rainer-weiss-11997_never_many-of-us-on-the-project-were-thinking_1039956.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/rainer-weiss-11997_never_many-of-us-on-the-project-were-thinking_1039956.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/rainer-weiss-11997_never_many-of-us-on-the-project-were-thinking_1039956.jpg) > “Many of us on the project were thinking if we ever saw a gravitational wave, it'd be an itsy bitsy little tiny thing; we'd never see it. This thing was so big that you didn't have to do much to see it.” [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unexpectedly large phenomena can be detected easily, contrary to expectations. **In simple terms:** Big events are easier to notice. Key Takeaway Stay open to surprising scales. Themes discovery science humility Mood wonderful reflective Type scientific inspirational When to use this quote - research planning - risk assessment - technology development - public communication Key Concepts gravitational waves unexpected magnitude observation Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions limit our perception of scale? - How can we prepare for unexpected discoveries? A Different Perspective Large signals may still require precise instrumentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gravitational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravitational/) [Gravitational Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravitational-wave-2425427/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Project](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project/) [Saw Gravitational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saw-gravitational-2425428/) [Thing Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-big-402391/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tiny Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiny-thing-2425429/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wave/) ## Related quotes > [I thought that there must be an easier way to explain how a gravitational wave interacts with matter: If one just looked at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/i-thought-that-there-must-be-an-easier-way-to-explain-how-a/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [A gravitational wave is a very slight stretching in one dimension. If there's a gravitational wave traveling towards you, you get a stretch in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/a-gravitational-wave-is-a-very-slight-stretching-in-one-dimension-if/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [For reasons probably related to the popular vision of Albert Einstein and, also, the threat posed by black holes in comic books and science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/for-reasons-probably-related-to-the-popular-vision-of-albert-einstein/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [The obvious thing to me was, let's take freely floating masses in space and measure the time it takes light to travel between them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-obvious-thing-to-me-was-let-s-take-freely-floating-masses-in/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [I said, suppose you take a light - I was thinking of just light bulbs because, in those days, lasers were not yet really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/i-said-suppose-you-take-a-light-i-was-thinking-of-just-light-bulbs/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [The students on my course were fascinated by the idea that gravitational waves might exist. I didn't know much about them at all, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-students-on-my-course-were-fascinated-by-the-idea-that/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [It's funny how one TINY thing can change your whole perspective of someone:)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel/it-s-funny-how-one-tiny-thing-can-change-your-whole-perspective-of/) [Rachel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel/) > [A tiny thing becomes a big problem, When start to worry about it too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/a-tiny-thing-becomes-a-big-problem-when-start-to-worry-about-it-too/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [This is the first real evidence that we've seen now of high gravitational field strengths: monstrous things like stars moving at the velocity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/this-is-the-first-real-evidence-that-we-ve-seen-now-of-high/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [I didn't understand the Weber bar and how gravitational waves interacted with it. I sat and thought about it over a weekend, trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/i-didn-t-understand-the-weber-bar-and-how-gravitational-waves/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [It's a spectacular signal. It's a signal many of us have wanted to observe since the time LIGO was proposed. It shows the dynamics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/it-s-a-spectacular-signal-it-s-a-signal-many-of-us-have-wanted-to/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-de-forest/to-place-a-man-in-a-multi-stage-rocket-and-project-him-into-the/) [Lee De Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-de-forest/) > [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/) > [Experimentally, we now have demonstrated that Einstein's theory is right in strong gravitational fields. That's important to a lot of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/experimentally-we-now-have-demonstrated-that-einstein-s-theory-is/) [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 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/) > [The waves travel with the velocity of light and slightly squeeze and stretch space transverse to the direction of their motion. The first waves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-waves-travel-with-the-velocity-of-light-and-slightly-squeeze-and/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [Experimentally, we now have demonstrated that Einstein's theory is right in strong gravitational fields. That's important to a lot of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/experimentally-we-now-have-demonstrated-that-einstein-s-theory-is/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [You think Earth's gravity is really something when you're climbing the stairs. But, as far as physics goes, it is a pipsqueak, infinitesimal, tiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/you-think-earth-s-gravity-is-really-something-when-you-re-climbing/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [We've seen black holes, which is already wonderful. We also expect to see the merger of neutron stars, and that was a thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/we-ve-seen-black-holes-which-is-already-wonderful-we-also-expect-to/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [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/) > [We were looking almost one-tenth of the way to the edge of the universe. We're planning to use the facilities we have to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/we-were-looking-almost-one-tenth-of-the-way-to-the-edge-of-the/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [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/) > [For reasons probably related to the popular vision of Albert Einstein and, also, the threat posed by black holes in comic books and science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/for-reasons-probably-related-to-the-popular-vision-of-albert-einstein/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [The whole idea of gravity curling up space, that is the epitome of what is going on in a black hole. I would've loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-whole-idea-of-gravity-curling-up-space-that-is-the-epitome-of/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [The obvious thing to me was, let's take freely floating masses in space and measure the time it takes light to travel between them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-obvious-thing-to-me-was-let-s-take-freely-floating-masses-in/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [All at once, funding was gone due to the Mansfield Amendment, which was a reaction to the Vietnam War. In the minds of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/all-at-once-funding-was-gone-due-to-the-mansfield-amendment-which-was/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [The whole world tried to reproduce the Weber experiments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-whole-world-tried-to-reproduce-the-weber-experiments/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [My father was a dictator in the true German sense. He suppressed my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/my-father-was-a-dictator-in-the-true-german-sense-he-suppressed-my/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [By the time we made the discovery in 2015, the National Science Foundation had put close to $1.1 billion into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/by-the-time-we-made-the-discovery-in-2015-the-national-science/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) [Explore all 57 Rainer Weiss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) ## More Gravitational quotes > [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/) > [Experimentally, we now have demonstrated that Einstein's theory is right in strong gravitational fields. That's important to a lot of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/experimentally-we-now-have-demonstrated-that-einstein-s-theory-is/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [We cannot explain the phenomenon of gravitational lensing without general relativity, and this is where MOND spectacularly fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/we-cannot-explain-the-phenomenon-of-gravitational-lensing-without/) [Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/) > [You find the people that you need to find. There's this gravitational pull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/you-find-the-people-that-you-need-to-find-there-s-this-gravitational/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [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/) > [“The universal character of the centrifugal forces leaves us impotent as to discern whether what is going on inside the carrousel is because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-alba-juez/the-universal-character-of-the-centrifugal-forces-leaves-us-impotent/) [Felix Alba-Juez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-alba-juez/) > [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/) > [Even if 'going retrograde' or 'moving into Aquarius' were real phenomena, something that planets actually do, what influence could they possibly have on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/even-if-going-retrograde-or-moving-into-aquarius-were-real-phenomena/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [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/) > [Wormholes are a gravitational phenomena. Or imaginary gravitational phenomena, as the case may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/wormholes-are-a-gravitational-phenomena-or-imaginary-gravitational/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [The human body experiences a powerful gravitational pull in the direction of hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-human-body-experiences-a-powerful-gravitational-pull-in-the/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-de-forest/to-place-a-man-in-a-multi-stage-rocket-and-project-him-into-the/) [Lee De Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-de-forest/) > [For reasons probably related to the popular vision of Albert Einstein and, also, the threat posed by black holes in comic books and science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/for-reasons-probably-related-to-the-popular-vision-of-albert-einstein/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [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/) > [The obvious thing to me was, let's take freely floating masses in space and measure the time it takes light to travel between them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-obvious-thing-to-me-was-let-s-take-freely-floating-masses-in/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) [Browse all 58 Gravitational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravitational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Many of us on the project were thinking if we ever saw a gravitational wave, it'd be an itsy bitsy little tiny thing; we'd never see it. 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