Scientists finally reveal evidence of universe’s ‘background hum’, and it sounds like THIS

Astronomers across the world made an announcement regarding their discovery of the first evidence supporting a long-theorised type of gravitational waves. These waves are responsible for a continuous “background hum” that reverberates throughout the universe. The breakthrough was achieved through the collaborative efforts of hundreds of scientists who utilised radio telescopes located in North America, Europe, China, India, and Australia. This significant milestone has opened up a new window into the universe, aligning with Albert Einstein’s predictions over a century ago. Gravitational waves are essentially ripples in the fabric of space-time, propagating through everything at nearly the speed of light with minimal obstruction. In 2015, the existence of gravitational waves was confirmed when the United States and Italian observatories detected waves resulting from the collision of two black holes, according to AFP. Michael Keith of the European Pulsar Timing Array said, “We now know that the universe is awash with gravitational waves.” Keith likened the “background hum of all these black holes” to sitting in a noisy restaurant filled with people talking. Another theory proposes that the gravitational waves may stem from the rapid expansion immediately following the Big Bang—a period known as cosmic inflation, hidden from scientists’ view. To detect the squeezing and stretching caused by gravitational waves at low frequencies, astronomers examined pulsars, which are the remnants of stars that underwent supernovae. Some pulsars rotate hundreds of times per second, emitting radio waves in precise intervals akin to cosmic lighthouses. This regularity allows them to serve as remarkably accurate clocks. In their research, radio telescopes worldwide focused on 115 pulsars within the Milky Way, carefully measuring minuscule differences in the timing of their pulses to identify distinctive signs of gravitational waves. French astrophysicist Antoine Petiteau explained that they were able to detect changes of less than one millionth of a second over a span of more than 20 years. The researchers experienced a sense of awe upon initially observing evidence of these waves in 2020, as expressed by Maura McLaughlin of the US Pulsar Search Collaboratory program. While the preliminary evidence aligns with Einstein’s theory of relativity and the current understanding of the universe, the scientists emphasized that the waves have not been definitively “detected” as they have not reached the gold-standard five sigma level of certainty. Achieving five sigma indicates a one-in-a-million chance of the results being a statistical anomaly. Despite falling just short of this threshold, Keith noted a 99 percent probability that the evidence indeed points to gravitational waves. The prevailing theory suggests that the waves originate from pairs of supermassive black holes found at the cores of galaxies, gradually merging over time. Unlike the black holes responsible for previously detected gravitational waves, these are inconceivably massive, often billions of times larger than the Sun. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.