As the theory of general relativity turns 100, scientists have confirmed that gravitational force can transmit in waves, lending credence to a portion of the theory.
Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity had predicted gravitational waves but they remained an enigma as they could not be detected on any device.
The theory of general relativity explains gravity as a three-dimensional force around masses in the time-space fabric. The force becomes stronger nearer the masses. The changes in the gravitational force due to the variations in mass in the centre of gravity will be transmitted in waves. That inference has now been proved right through observation.
The gravitational waves from the sun or the moon are too weak to be detected by existing equipment as the changes around them are comparatively minimal. When black holes or pulsars collide, however, stronger gravitational waves are created. A Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) was installed to detect these waves.
As the name suggests, LIGO is based on laser. A powerful laser ray is split and sent in different directions to the space. They will get reflected after a point. The observatory looks for any anomalies in the return trajectories of the laser rays.
Lasers are known for their accurate behaviour but the split lasers will not be in tandem if the space they travel through is itself shifting, like the variations in the voice of a singer who sits on a trembling seat or like the missteps on a dance floor that shifts.
The universe owes its existence to gravity. Any variation in the gravitational force has to cross the time-space fabric in waves. Suppose the sun ceases to exist. How will the effect from a lack of gravity from the sun reach the planets if it cannot travel in waves? But for gravitational waves, the stars’ field will remain the same even if they burn out. The universe will cease to evolve.
The discovery also a triggers a debate that could shake the foundations of physics as we know it. If space is found to be pulsating, it is nothing but a form of mass.
The Upanishads say the universe has three layers – the ephemeral physical universe, the eternal medium that revives the physical universe and a unified field of force that causes the ephemeral and the eternal. The word ‘Brahmam’, a synonym for the eternal, means pulsating, the ancient text says. The second and third layers can be comprehended only when the limits of our knowledge expands. The observations of LIGO are the first step in that direction.
Postscript: Please don’t infer that I am trying to say that Einstein’s theory of general relativity was derived from the Upanishads or the Orient knew of these things from time immemorial. Science and scriptures follow very different routes though their destination may be the same. But there is no harm in trying to understand the mysteries of the Upanishads without waiting for anyone to decipher them for us.