Lecture: "Gravitational Waves. A Meeting After a Century"

Einstein theoretically predicted the existence of gravitational waves a century ago. Only half a century later did the first practical attempts to detect them begin, and another quarter of a century after that, scientists began building an instrument for registering them. In September 2015, the first signal was successfully recorded—this caused a real sensation: scientists celebrated, and news agencies spread sensational headlines. My comment on the TV channel «Dozhd» aired immediately after Alexei Navalny’s appearance. The registration of gravitational waves is extremely important. First, it significantly expands the possibilities for studying gravity in fundamental science. Second, it gave astronomers a new method to study black holes—allowing us to «observe» their interactions. Third, such discoveries often stimulate the development of new technologies that, over time, may change our lives both on a domestic and global level.