My people, we need two LIGO sites to prove sources are astrophysical and not, like, a rabbit hopping nearby. ⚛️ - ThreadSky

ohdearz.bsky.social • 14 days ago

My people, we need two LIGO sites to prove sources are astrophysical and not, like, a rabbit hopping nearby. ⚛️

NSF budget would close down one of LIGO's sites. This would be, to put it lightly, a catastrophe for gravitational wave astronomy.

"In FY 2026 NSF will operate only one of the two sites
and will support a reduced level for technology development."
bsky.app/profile/hast...

Comments

newtyke.bsky.social•5 days ago

Kill all the rabbits?

🤔

ted.knaz.me•13 days ago

This is very deeply stupid

carlrodriguez.bsky.social•14 days ago

Also you can’t just mothball one of the sites and then bring it back later. If the vacuum isn’t maintained it’s a *significant* cost to bake out the arms again.

yacfoaky.bsky.social•13 days ago

Careful. If the Trump administration reads this they will change their minds and say that LIGO can operate two sites, but only one arm of the interferometer in each site.

wardhoward.bsky.social•14 days ago

I have ... doubts ... any scientists were consulted on the NSF budget request in any meaningful capacity.

stlcatfishmike.bsky.social•13 days ago

You could have stopped at request. Haha you didn’t have to type the rest.

aquel-gringo.bsky.social•13 days ago

Not a fan of these cuts, but KAGRA and VIRGO are online. Also, India will build its own LIGO soon-ish

https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/ligo-india

donsheldon.bsky.social•13 days ago

I say if he does it we pluck out one of his eyes. Clearly he doesn't need both.

patrick6669.bsky.social•13 days ago

What about baby goats?

agburanar.bsky.social•13 days ago

*ears perk up*

Did somebody say rabbit?

unlikeu.bsky.social•12 days ago

What about 2 rabbits with Spooky Action at a Distance ?

rulen613.bsky.social•13 days ago

Doge HS teachers failed us all when they passed these kids.

kathy13.bsky.social•13 days ago

Thanks for pointing it out. This is nuts. Are other countries developing LIGO sites?

cplberry.bsky.social•13 days ago

There is Virgo in Italy. With it and one LIGO, we can still detect sources well, but we would not be able to localise sources for telescopes to follow up. KAGRA is being worked on in Japan, but it is years away from the necessary sensitivity. Construction of LIGO India is just starting

nigenet.uk•13 days ago

solarfish.bsky.social•13 days ago

But Elon said we could do it with one and Grok. 🤪

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