[slate]
Well what we saw was
first a burst of gravitational waves that caused ripples
in space-time as two very dense
small stars merged. That merger
created a fast outpouring of energy
that caused ripples in space-time and then in the matter explosion
that followed it formed gold and platinum and
other materials and put them into the interstellar medium to later
be used in the formation of stars and planets.
[slate]
In the past we have only seen the gamma rays from the
types of explosions. This time we saw the gravitational waves
and we saw light with other telescopes
and it allowed us to put the whole picture together and to see
these elements, these precious elements being formed
which we had never seen before.
[slate]
Yes we actually believe that most, that all of the gold in the universe formed in explosions
of this type. And after the explosion happens
the material that's created is spread out into the interstellar
medium. The clouds of gas and dust between the stars
and later on new stars and new planetary systems formed
from that material and they have gold in them and that's how the gold on
the Earth came to be that could be mined and put into that ring on your finger.
[slate]
Well gravitational waves are ripples in space-time
that are caused when a huge explosion
converts matter into energy. And it really is
gravity, the energy of gravity pushing out through space
that wiggles everything in it's path for billions of light years.
It's extremely hard to see. We only saw for the first time
two years ago. This is only the fourth event that has been
announced. And so we are learning things about the universe
about gravitational waves that we were never able to learn before we built
the incredibly sensitive observatories
gravitational waves.