Ripples in spacetime sent hurtling through the universe when two black holes smash into each other — a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein — have confirmed a theory proposed by fellow physicist Stephen Hawking over 50 years ago, scientists announced Wednesday.

These ripples, which are called gravitational waves, were detected for the first time in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States.

In his 1916 theory of general relativity, Einstein predicted that the cataclysmic merger of two black holes would produce gravitational waves that would ripple across the universe and eventually arrive at Earth.

On January 14 this year, LIGO detected another of these signals from the distant universe.

That is no longer such a surprise.

Scientists

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