From Doubt to Routine Detection

In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal speaks with Rana Adhikari, experimental physicist at Caltech and leading voice in gravitational-wave research. From doubting Einstein as a student to helping build the LIGO detectors that confirmed his theories, Rana has been honoured with the Breakthrough Prize, Gruber Prize, and the New Horizons in Physics Prize.

They dive into:

• What gravitational waves really are, and how LIGO measures distortions smaller than an atom.

• The story behind LIGO’s breakthrough detections which is now catching 2–3 black hole mergers every week.

• Why LIGO-India, now approved and funded, could be the world’s most precise detector and even test Einstein’s theory of relativity itself.

• The cutting-edge role of quantum entanglement and AI in pushing measurement beyond classical limits.

• Building a thriving science ecosystem in India focused on mentorship, risk-taking, and the path to future Nobel Prizes.

Rana also shares his personal journey from tinkering as an auto mechanic in Florida, to becoming one of the world’s foremost experimental physicists, and now working closely with India to bring world-class science infrastructure to life.

If you’re curious about black holes, the true nature of reality, or India’s chance to lead in fundamental science, this conversation is a must-watch.