So I’ve recently been taken with the discovery of gravitational waves– the detected ripple in the fabric of space-time means that the “fabric” isn’t just a metaphor– it’s real. Space-time acts like an actual fabric, like a sheet that can stretch, bend, and wrinkle. Perhaps the fabric of space-time acts like it is knitted– and my knitting experience has shown me that every stitch is interconnected, even stitches that are far apart from each other. If you accidentally drop a stitch off your needle as you are knitting, the entire piece can unravel.
Just like I can feel this sense of interconnectedness in my knitting, I can feel it knitted within the fabric of space-time. I believe that all aspects of the universe, all of space and time– all is interwoven. And that is why when two black holes collided with each other a billion years ago, we can feel their ripple through the universe today.
For more information on gravitational waves– here is a nice video clip featuring physicist Brian Greene:
And here is an article from the New Yorker describing the details of the detector: