Gravitational waves discovery ripples through social media
Excitement spread through social media and the scientific community after researchers working with the U.S.-led Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, project announced Thursday that the gravitational waves Albert Einstein predicted a century ago were finally detected.
The hashtag #gravitationalwaves rippled across all social media platforms, quickly becoming a trending topic.
Here are a few posts that stood out. Twitter user @nashiUX proved that the force was with Einstein's prediction. Scientific genius versus Darth Vader? No contest.
Following the discovery of #GravitationalWaves? This is this is the best thing the internet will have for you today! pic.twitter.com/REvY1wssMS
— HP Stern (@nashiUX) February 12, 2016
Einstein himself (or at least, his Twitter avatar) took a moment to revel in this long-awaited validation.
If Einstein were alive, he'd totally do a mic drop after today's #LIGO conference on #gravitationalwaves. #NSFLigo pic.twitter.com/0vaAxVXxvt
— Albert Einstein (@AlbertEinstein) February 11, 2016
NASA shared a mesmerizing visualization of how gravitational waves form.
#LIGO scientists discovered Einstein's gravitational waves...but what are they? Find out here: https://t.co/KMOJgmtqkA pic.twitter.com/gR7kyeUPRt
— NASA (@NASA) February 11, 2016
Popular Science proved that #gravitationalwaves rivaled Kim Kardashian in breaking the Internet.
The #gravitationalwaves announcement broke the internet (or at least a few nerdy sites) https://t.co/MDfRzyfATR pic.twitter.com/KY9RbuELZU
— Popular Science (@PopSci) February 11, 2016
@Arindam_1104 took the opportunity to make a science pun.
Now i understood what people over the years has been telling me " Do you realise the gravity of the situation? " #LIGO #gravitationalwaves
— ArindamBhattacharjee (@Arindam_1104) February 12, 2016
Instagram user @annemietsyen paid her respects by posing next to Einstein's wax statue at Madame Tussauds London.