Rainer Weiss (physicist)

Rainer Weiss is a renowned physicist best known for his pivotal role in the detection of gravitational waves. He co-founded the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), a project that uses laser technology to measure the tiny ripples in spacetime caused by massive astronomical events, like black hole mergers. Weiss’s work, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2017, has opened a new window into understanding the universe, allowing scientists to observe phenomena that were previously undetectable. His contributions have significantly advanced the field of astrophysics and our understanding of the universe's workings.