Category: International

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International News

Paris Suburbs Erupt Over Police Rape

Protests in Paris suburbs have led to the charge of four police officers accused of raping a 25 year old black man identified only as Theo. The rape, alleged to have occurred on February 2, sparked nearly two weeks of unrest. “Dozens” were arrested, according to BBC, after protests turned violent with individuals destroying cars, trash cans, and a bus, leading to injuries for the bus driver. According to the Local France, 2,000 protesters gathered in Bobigny on February 12.  

The protests mainly occurred in the suburb Aulnay-sous-Bois, near the location of the alleged rape. According to BBC, the protests also vented frustrations over police brutality in the impoverished Paris suburbs, where unemployment in some areas hovers at 30%. Tensions surrounding race and immigrants are also a strong factor in the current unrest, BBC noted. “The feeling of humiliation is felt by people,” Abdallah Benjana, a former deputy mayor who lives in the neighbourhood, according to BBC and the Associated Press.“What are [the police officers] seeking? To provoke a spark? Isn’t there enough gunpowder in those neighbourhoods?” he said. “Unemployment, insecurity, high rents… no perspectives for future. They do that to a young man, it can only explode.”

Aside from rape, Theo also alleged the officers “racially abused” him, beat him, despite his claims that he was cooperating during an arrest, according to CBS. BBC included his claim that he was sprayed with tear gas.

Theo said he struggled to remain in view of closed circuit street cameras, and claims he asked officers why they were attacking him, BBC reported. “I fell onto my stomach, I had no strength left,” he said.

Following the arrest, Theo said a “much friendlier” police officer had him taken to the hospital after noticing his condition, BBC reported. Once there, the young man was taken into emergency surgery. He was kept in the hospital for over a week and doctors advised him not to work for the next 60 days, BBC said.

French President, François Hollande, visited Theo in the hospital five days following the alleged rape. He also visited Aubervilliers, one of the impoverished neighborhoods that has seen unrest since Theo’s arrest.

Allegations of police brutality have incited protests around the French capital before, the worst occurring in 2005, BBC reported. BBC also stated Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux said the facts of the case must be established with “no ambiguity,” in hopes that clarity will quell public outrage.

Bloomberg reported that the protests drew the ire of candidates running in the nation’s general elections. “Security forces have been the target of gangs of scum that nothing seems to be able to stop anymore, and certainly not the courts in an overall context of decadence,” said National Front candidate, Marine Le Pen, in a statement on the protests. The National Front Party is characterized by its detractors as “anti-immigrant,” according to Bloomberg. Le Pen’s niece, Marion Marechal Le Pen, a National Front lawmaker, publicly  stated “Support for Theo is an excuse to attack the cops.” Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon accused the legislator of “throwing oil on the fire” and “encouraging violence with her hate speech”.

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Kenyan Wildlife Reserve Invaded

Last week, over 30,000 cattle flooded the conserved plains of Laikipia, Kenya, as armed semi-nomadic pastoralists stormed tourist huts and grazing fields.  

In early January, around 10,000 nomadic herders took their first attempt to drive their cattle into the settled land. However, the big hit came last week when herders returned with spears and automatic weapons, which they used to burn down huts, and slaughter animals on the way.

Laikipia, a Kenyan county planted northeast of the Great Rift Valley, is home to conservancies, private properties, and endangered wildlife.

Tensions between pastoralists and settlers are nothing new to the Kenyan county. However, some hold the belief that the invasions are thought to be a direct result of a drought that Laikpia experienced last year.

This is the perspective of Matthew Lempurkel, Laikipia’s North MP.  “People are struggling over the available water and pasture for their livestock, which is our livelihood,” he reported in Kenya’s The Star this week. Pastoralists depend upon fertile grazing fields for their livestock’s survival, and when water becomes scarce, grass becomes scarce as well. According to Kenyan cabinet secretary, Mwangi Kiunjuri, it was expected that 1.3 million Kenyans would be affected by the drought. The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed this estimate, and added that the Samburu and Pokot communities were among the most vulnerable, which is where the invading herders come from.

However, after the attacks this week, some are starting to believe in an underlying motive. In 2008, Kenya experienced a violent political episode between the current president, Mwai Kibaki, and the opposed candidate, Taila Odinga. One of the landowners believes that this invasion is a result of the political tension spilling over. “This was all planned years ago, and is designed to peak in the run-up to the elections…Votes in exchange for grass and land grabs, the seizure of Laikipia by outsiders and the expulsion of rival tribes, ranchers and conservancies.”

Another issue that the settlers are taking with this case is the indiscriminate killing of wildlife. According to reports, the herders have gone so far as to kill animals from Big Five, including six African elephants, lions, decapitated zebras, and even household dogs.

“Twenty years of time, effort, sweat, money… it’s fallen apart in two weeks, destroyed,” says conservation manager, Josh Perrett.

“Before, you would see elephant, a few hundred head of buffalo, Jackson’s hartebeest, oryx, Grant’s gazelle, impala. Now you see thousands of head of cattle, a lot of sheep and goats.”

One of the larger wildlife conservancies, who depends on donor funds to safeguard its wildlife, has already canceled a $5 million investment due to fears about the future of its wildlife. Another sanctuary for the endangered black rhino is also under serious threat.

On the other side, Max Graham, CEO of Space For Giants, attempted to explain these killings in a statement he gave last week. He said,“First, the herders are coming into conflict with elephants at water points, and shooting at them to scare them away. Second, some of these herders now in Laikipia, but not indigenous to the area, are traditionally hunters: to kill an elephant is a rite of passage in their culture.”

However, despite the relocation and devastation to wildlife, residents are also being injured in the process, including one death reported last week.

President Kenyatta has since ordered all invading herdsmen to leave the Laikipia area, but the government has yet to successfully halt the invasions.

 

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Trump Suspends Refugee Entry

On Friday, January 28, President, Donald Trump signed an executive order that suspended refugee entry into the United States indefinitely.

According to the New York Times the ban, which is planned to last 120 days, blocked Syrian refugees indefinitely. The order stated, “…I hereby proclaim that the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the interests of the United States and thus suspend any such entry until such time as I have determined that sufficient changes have been made to the USRAP [United States Refugee Admissions Program] to ensure that admission of Syrian refugees is consistent with the national interest.”

The order also stated when the USRAP resumed admitting refugees into the U.S., “…the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, is further directed to make changes, to the extent permitted by law, to prioritize refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality.” According to the New York Times, this will give Christian refugees priority entrance into the United States over Muslim refugees.

The New York Times reported the order also cut the U.S. cap on refugee in half. The order stated, “…he entry of more than 50,000 refugees in fiscal year 2017 would be detrimental to the interests of the United States…”

Additionally, it also blocked the entry of citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen into the U.S. for 90 days, countries known for being predominantly Muslim. The order then went on bar green card holders said countries from re-entering the U.S. The order, however, did make exceptions for “…those foreign nationals traveling on diplomatic visas, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visas, C-2 visas for travel to the United Nations, and G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 visas.” According to the New York Times, “These exemptions are mostly for diplomats, people traveling to the United Nations in New York, and others involved in international organizations.”

However, despite the order Reuters reported the U.S. government granted 872 this week waivers to let refugees into the country. According to an anonymous homeland security official quoted in a Reuters article, the waivers were granted for refugees who were in transit and had already been cleared for resettlement in the U.S. before the ban went into effect.

The order has been a source of controversy, spurring protests and scrutiny from world leaders. Leaders from nations such as Britain, France, Germany, and Turkey all spoke out against the order. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel said, “The necessary and decisive fight against terrorism in no way justifies a general suspicion against people of certain beliefs, in this case people of the Muslim faith or from a certain origin. These actions, according to my beliefs, are against the core idea of international aid for refugees and international cooperation.”

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, didn’t explicitly mention Trump’s order, but tweeted a statement of support “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war…” and vowed that they’d be welcomed in Canada “…regardless of your faith.”

However, Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, became one of the few to show support for the order and stated, “it is vital that every nation is able to control who comes across its borders.” Dutch far-right Party for Freedom founder and leader, Geert Wilders also showed support for the executive order and tweeted, “No more immigration from any Islamic country is exactly what we need. Also in The Netherlands For Islam and freedom are incompatible.”

 

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International // New Zealand Prime Minister Resigns

On Sunday December 4, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, announced his intention to resign after eight years in the position.

According to the New York Times, Key resigned with his family in mind. “For my wife Bronagh there have been many nights and weekends spent alone. My daughter Stephanie and my son Max have transitioned from teenagers to young adults while coping with an extraordinary level of intrusion and pressure because of their father’s job,” he said in the speech announcing his resignation.

Key’s eight year term has encompassed a number of successes. WSJ reported his leadership has been marked with stability and prosperity for New Zealand. Key steered them out of a recession, rebuilt major cities after the 2011 earthquake, and ended a three decade old standoff with the U.S. over nuclear politics. He helped the country come to economic agreements with the U.S. and China, and he has partnered with Australia, Britain, Canada, and the U.S. under the Five Eyes agreement in an intelligence agreement. According to Reuters, this October, New Zealand reported its second straight budget surplus.

Should Key have chosen to run for a fourth term, his chances of winning were strong. Reuters reported a credible poll had his party ahead in support by a margin of 37.5%. Key was immensely popular among his constituents, and after his resignation the New Zealand dollar fell around a fifth of a U.S. cent to 0.7084.

Key’s career started not in government, but in business. BBC stated he was formerly a Merrill Lynch foreign exchange dealer before he moved into parliament, and was then elected Prime Minister six years later.  In his announcement speech, Key also indicated his belief that renewal would be healthy for the government. He plans to wait until an election can be held for his Parliament seat, currently set for December 12, to officially hand in his resignation, according to BBC.

Reactions from other government officials, both domestic and global have been overwhelmingly positive. New Zealand Green Party co-leader, Metiria Turei, stated on Twitter, “[I] fought every day against John’s politics but always supported his right to be a dad and a husband first. I wish him and his family well.” Another New Zealand party leader, Andrew Little also commented on Key’s resignation on Twitter. He said, “John Key has served New Zealand generously and with dedication. I wish him and his family the best for the future.” Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, had only five words on the matter, “say it ain’t so bro.”

Although leaders may mourn his decision, Key is resolute. “I have never seen myself as a career politician” he stated in his speech. “I have certainly never wanted my success in politics to be measured by how long I spent in parliament…. all I can say is that I gave it everything I had. I have nothing left in the tank…. it’s time for me to come home.”

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World // Arab and U.S. Forces Surge Against ISIS

The Syrian Defense Forces (SDF), Turkish militias, Kurdish forces, and U.S. personnel have begun an offensive against the ISIS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria. SDF told CNN it established a joint operations center last Saturday, and launched the “Euphrates Rage” mission on Sunday.

Raqqa is the “de facto” capital of ISIS territory, according to CNN. Its population of 200,000 is held down by roughly 5,000 militants. The city has been under ISIS control since the summer of 2014, according to CNN. According to SDF leaders, the retaking of Raqqa may take up to two months as forces seek to isolate ISIS positions in the city.

The U.S. will support operations with air cover and military advisors according to NPR. Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General. Joseph Dunford told CNN that the US and Turkey are drafting a long term plan for “seizing, holding, and governing” Raqqa provided the Euphrates Rage operation is successful.

The commencement of the Euphrates Rage came just days after Iraqi forces’ surge against the ISIS stronghold in Mosul. The offensive to recapture Mosul is the result of several months of united Iraqi, Kurdish, and U.S. effort, according to NPR. Coalition spokesman Colonel. John L. Dorrian said to CNN, “In the meantime we will continue shaping operations like airstrikes against Da’esh leaders, command and control and resources. This is the first step in a campaign that will be conducted deliberately.”

“Doing operations simultaneously with the campaign to liberate Mosul will complicate command and control for the enemy, giving them more problems to solve than their flagging command and control can manage,” he added. As with Raqqa, Mosul has been under ISIS control since summer 2014, according to Al Jazeera, which also reported dozens of decapitated bodies found by Iraqi forces.

If control of Raqqa is successfully wrested from ISIS, there may be conflict between the Kurdish and Turkmen militias. According to Reuters and NPR, Turkey is concerned about Kurdish influence spreading into northern Syria as a result of the planned takeover. The Kurds and Turks have long-standing tensions, despite joining forces against a common enemy.

Mark Lowen of BBC stated “The Kurdish participation is problematic,” because “Kurdish fighters are accused of expelling Arabs from areas they’ve taken in the north and Raqqa has an overwhelming Arab majority.”

NPR reported that the coalition stated the Arab troops involved in the operation will be key in the aftermath of the offensive, as they are “indigenous to the area and will help establish regional support for SDF operations.”

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International // 2016 Nobel Prizes Selected

Last week in Stockholm, Sweden, twelve men were awarded this year’s Nobel Prizes for their outstanding contributions to humanity. Prizes were awarded for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, economics, literature, and peace.

Three British physicists, David Thouless, F. Duncan Haldane, and J. Michael Kosterlitz, who all work in U.S. universities, were awarded this year’s prize in physics. The Nobel Prize website describes the prize being awarded “for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter,” or as described by CNN, “for revealing the secrets of exotic matter.” According to Thors Hans Hansson, of the Nobel Prize Physics Committee, this prize is important because their research “could be used in the next generation of electronics and supercomputers.”

Another trio was awarded the Prize in chemistry “for the development of the world’s smallest machines,” according to BBC. Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa “designed and synthesised molecular machines” that are “a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair.” These machines have the capability of entering the human body and directly delivering treatment to cells, but could also be used in the development of “smart materials” for use in vehicles and other commonly-used artifacts.

Yoshinori Ohsumi of the Tokyo Institute of Technology was awarded this year’s Prize in physiology or medicine. He is credited with discovering new methods of “autophagy.” Autophagy,, according to NPR, is a “fundamental process cells use to degrade and recycle parts of themselves.” The Japanese biologist’s work has “opened the path to understanding how cells adapt to starvation and respond to infection,” according to the Nobel awarding committee. Though scientists have known about the process since the 1960’s, the precise machinery used in the process were unknown. Ohsumi showed that instead of their being a “waste dump” within the cells, it is actually a “recycling plant,” according to the chair of the awarding committee, Juleen Zierath.

Two professors from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) share this year’s Nobel Prize in economics. Oliver Hart from Harvard, and Bengt Holmström from MIT,) were both awarded the prize for their contributions to contract theory, which, according to CNN Money, is “the agreements that shape business, finance, and public policy.” Holmström’s research focused on employment contracts, including those between CEO’s and shareholders. When asked in about the sizeable bonuses many CEO’s have taken as of late in a CNN article, he described them as being “extraordinarily high.” CNN reported Hart’s research as having“looked at whether providers of public services, such as schools, hospitals, or prisons, should be publicly or privately owned,” and determined that the “incentives for cost reduction are typically too strong,” which can lead to a decrease in the quality of services.

Colombia’s President, Juan Manuel Santos, was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. According to the awarding committee, he was recognized for his “resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year long civil war to an end.” According to the New York Times, the agreement the Colombian government reached with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) would have ended the “longest-running war in the Americas.”The efforts for peace seem to have been, at least temporarily, thwarted by the rejection of the agreement by the Colombian citizenry, whose approval is required for the peace-deal to take effect. However, in spite of this set-back, after receiving the award, President Santos was resolute in his commitment to the peace process, and stated “I invite everyone to join our strength, our minds and our hearts in this great national endeavor so that we can win the most important prize of all: peace in Colombia.” The chairwoman of the Prize committee shared the President’s feelings, and stated, “The committee hopes that the peace prize will give him strength to succeed in this demanding task.”

American singer, songwriter, and artist Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. The Nobel Prize organization stated this honor was bestowed upon Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”

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World // French President Plans to Dismantle Migrant Camp

French president, Francios Hollande, announced his plans to dismantle the migrant camp in Calais by the end of the calendar year.

The camp, more commonly known as “the Jungle,” has been a source of controversy for Hollande, as he looks toward re-election for the first time since 2012. The purpose of the visit, according to CNN, was for him to tell “the desperate immigrants” they would not be able to stay in the camp because “their place is not here.” Hollande did, however, emphasized that France would “protect them as much as necessary.” Additionally, he was credited in a Reuters article as stating he wanted “…the closure of the camp as quickly as possible.”

Hollande, according to the New York Times, visited the camp on Monday, September 26 for the first time this year, has faced criticism from conservative and far-right rivals, “who say the camp is a symbol of his failure to deal with Europe’s migrant crisis.”

The camp is said to be home to seven thousand people, according to authorities. However, humanitarians estimate as many as ten thousand people actually live in the camp, with nine hundred unaccompanied minors the last time aid organization France Terre d’Asile counted.

French authorities have stated alternative housing will be offered in centers across France to one of France’s 164 migrant reception centers largely located in the city of Tours. There, the migrants will, according to the French government, will be able to apply for asylum. France will be attempting to find nine thousand new places at welcome centers to receive migrants before winter.

According to the New York Times, the government’s plan after relocation, will be for reception centers to hold forty to fifty people for up to 4 months while “…authorities study their cases.” After that, migrants who choose to not purse applying for asylum will then be deported. Despite the announcement of the plans, no firm timeline has been given.

Hollande, however, has continued to face criticism from nonprofit organizations. Eight unnamed organizations specifically, wrote a letter to Hollande, in which they “…called for a long-term policy of hospitality and integration in France,” referring to the camp in Calais as “a short-term view” that will solve nothing for current and future migrants.

Hollande, in a speech to police who will be securing the area, has said he will shut down the camp “with method and determination.” His goal, according to a New York Times article, is to prevent new camps from appearing near Calais, or anywhere else in France. He also stated police forces will remain in and around the camp “as long as needed” after the camp is shut down.

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Canadian Killed in Philippines

On Monday, April 25, Canadian hostage, John Risdsel, was executed in the Philippines by Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf.

Risdsel’s severed head appeared on the remote island of Jolo Monday, just five hours after a ransom deadline set by the militants had expired. According to Reuters, the group demanded 600 million pecos ($6.4 million) for each of the captives and threatened to behead one of their four captives if the deadline was not met. Locals reported seeing two men on a motorcycle drop off a plastic bag that contained the head in the center of town and then fled.

Dani RGBRisdsel was one of three captives who were taken from the Oceanview Resort on Samal Island in the Philippines on September 21, 2015. The captive group was made up of Risdsel; fellow Canadian, Robert Hall; Hall’s girlfriend and Filipino native, Marites Flor; and Norwegian, Kjartan Sekkingstad. According to CNN, this part of the Southern Philippines is home to the militant group, who has been linked to both al Qaeda and ISIS. CNN reported, this is not the first time the group has taken foreigners as hostages. In recent years the group has preyed on tourists, taking them hostage in an attempt to “further its aims.” The Philippine government, however, denounced the group as a terrorist organization, claiming they operate more like a criminal gang.

According to The Chicago Tribune, the group is also believed to have other captives including “a Dutch man, a Japanese and a group of Malaysian and Indonesian seamen.” The group abducted the Malaysian and Indonesian seamen at gunpoint from tugboats at the beginning of last month. In November, the group beheaded a Malaysian hostage on the same day that the Malaysian prime minister was scheduled to arrive in Manila for a summit.

Last month the group released a video of the hostages appearing to beg for their lives, and for the government and their families to secure their release. It is in this video that the threat was made to harm one of the captives if the group’s demands were not met. Bob Rae, a close friend of Risdsel’s, was quoted in a CNN article as saying “lots of effort” was made to comply with the demands, but the amount of money requested was simply too high. In the video heavily armed militants can be seen standing behind the hostages with large black flags hanging behind them.

The 68 year old Canadian native was a former chief mining officer of a mining company, described as “semi-retired” in a BBC news story, who also worked as a journalist. Justin Trudeau, Canadian prime minister, was quoted as stating Risdsel was killed in “cold blooded murder” by the group. He also said Canada would work with the Philippines and other international forces to bring justice to Risdsel’s death. Rae said in BBC article, ““It’s just very hard. I’ve been involved behind the scenes for the last six months trying to find a solution and it’s been very painful.”

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Migrant Crisis at Greece Border

Last Sunday, the Greco-Macedonian border blew up in chaos as Macedonian police stormed a congregate of refugees who were trying to break into a refugee camp in northern Greece.

Chemical weapons such as tear gas were used in fending off the migrants at the border.

International health organization, Medecines Sans Frontieres (MSF), or “Doctors Without Borders,” reported over 300 injured by the Macedonian police.

Spokesman for the Greek government, George Kyritsis, spoke out against this by stating in an interview, “The indiscriminate use of chemicals, rubber bullets and stun grenades against vulnerable populations… is a dangerous and deplorable act.”

Reuters, an American news agency, quoted a policeman from Macedonian who claimed that migrants had thrown stones at the Macedonian police first, and the gas was an act of defense. “The migrants were pushing against the fence, but standing on the Greek side of the border. The fence is still there, they have not broken through,” stated Macedonian police official.

A report from a local journalist, Katica Djurovic, also commented on the event, “I was teargassed at least twice. Not just me, another cameraman, other press people were also teargassed as well as refugees. Some of the tear gas [was] thrown at least 200 meters into the camp, into the tents where most of women and children were sitting.”

This is not the first time tensions have risen at the migrant camps in Greece. Two months ago, more than 52,000 migrants were trapped after being closed off by the Balkan states.

The migrant issue has also turned political in Greece. Golden Dawn, a far-right Greek party, has marched in several areas around migrant camps and gather points. The leader, however, was previously arrested for criminal organization after recent release announced that the party was planning a number of protests around the country to warn people of the “Islamizaiton of Greece by Music asylum seekers.”

Ilias Kasidiaris, the spokesman for the party, stated in an interview that they [the people of Greece] “…cannot accept that we will become a minority in our homeland… Whether you call them refugees or illegals, there’s no difference — we want them out.” The party also spoke openly about their alignment to statements made by U.S. presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, and think it would be a “very positive development if he were to be elected president.”

On March 20, a European Union deal regarding the migrant crisis in Turkey went into effect. The deal requires mass deportations back to Turkey for any migrant attempting to leave after the signed date. Due to proximity, a large influx of these escaped migrants have fled to Greece. In response, Greek authorities have attempted to persuade migrants to move to reception camps, however, the refugee population has so far refused to move.

Since January 2016, over 150,000 migrants have arrived to Greece, with almost 40% of the population consisting of children.

Overall, more than one million refugees and other migrants have attempted to enter Europe by boat since last year, but with tensions rising, and borders closing, the number is likely to fall in the coming year.

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Intergalactic // Gravitational Waves Detected

On Thursday, February 11, scientists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced they had made the first measurements of fluctuations in spacetime caused by gravitational waves – a monumental leap forward in modern physics. This discovery lends significant experimental evidence to Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity and opens up doors to new techniques of listening to massive gravitational events in deep space.

Einstein proposed gravitational waves as part of his theory of general relativity in 1915. They were such an exotic part of nature that even he was unsure they could exist. There are many unsolved mysteries in our current theory of gravity and general relativity was an attempt to explain why gravity exists and what causes it. We exist in the four-dimensions of spacetime. Travel through the three-dimensions of space affects the speed with which we travel through time.

Gravitational-WavesTo picture Einstein’s theory of general relativity, imagine those four dimensions as compressed into a tightly-stretched sheet of elastic. Any mass bends the spacetime around it. Place a bowling ball on the sheet and it stretches, sagging as it conforms to the weight. Roll a baseball in a straight line near the bowling ball on the elastic and it will begin to roll down towards the bowling ball, orbiting the more massive object.

Although this metaphor is imperfect, it illustrates the overall idea of general relativity: gravity is caused by the warping of spacetime around mass. If this is the case, we should observe effects of this in the universe. Many of these effects have been measured, such as the ability of gravity to bend light. One of the heretofore unobserved phenomena of general relativity was gravitational waves.

If we think back to the elastic metaphor and imagine two massive objects orbiting each other, we would observe ripples in the material emanating from this event at a steadily increasing rate. These are akin to the gravitational waves observed by LIGO. These waves stretch space in one direction and compress space perpendicular to this stretching. If you had incredibly sharp vision and two rulers in an “L” shape, you might think that you could observe one ruler getting longer and the other getting shorter as a gravitational wave passes through the area, but because it is space itself that fluctuates, you couldn’t observe the change using anything that has mass.

LIGO works on a similar principle to the hypothetical ruler experiment. However, instead of measuring distance with mass, light is used as a unit of measurement. An observatory contains two 4 kilometer tunnels kept at vacuum and arranged in the same “L” shape as the rulers. A single laser beam is split at 90 degrees to travel down both tunnels and reflect off a mirror. The wavelengths of the beams are then measured independently. If the length of either tunnel is altered by a distance 1/10000 of the diameter  of a proton, the wavelength of the laser beam traveling down that tunnel will be altered enough to detect the change when compared to the beam traveling down the other tunnel. This is a common physics technique called laser interferometry, applied on an exceptionally large scale. There are two such LIGO sites in the United States, one in Louisiana and another in Washington State.  

You would know you had measured a gravitational wave if one of the tunnels got longer and the other got shorter as a wave passed through the detection system. According to the New York Times, in September of 2015, both sites received the same signal, a fluctuation in spacetime equal to 4/1000 of the diameter of a proton. This almost imperceptible change matches to the predicted signal of two black holes orbiting each other faster and faster until they collapsed into a single black hole 65 times the mass of the Sun. This spectacular event in deep space sent out ripples in spacetime that are being observed now, over a billion years after it occurred.

This is a monumental step forward in physics. It is incredible evidence for Einstein’s theory of general relativity. It opens up questions about binary black hole systems. How do they occur in the first place? It advances our knowledge about the least understood fundamental force – gravity. On top of this, it is a meaningful achievement that marks what humanity can achieve through cooperation and hard work. This is a milestone in science that will inspire many graduate theses in the decades to come.