SparX by Mukesh Bansal The Real Science Behind Interstellar | Rana Adhikari x Mukesh Bansal | SparX
Sep 20, 2025
Rana Adhikari, an experimental physicist at Caltech and a key player in gravitational-wave research, discusses the fascinating world of LIGO and its groundbreaking detections of black hole mergers. He shares how LIGO measures tiny space-time distortions and the significance of the upcoming LIGO-India project, expected to challenge Einstein's theories. Rana also explores the intersection of quantum entanglement and AI in measurement science, while emphasizing India's potential to lead in global scientific advancements through mentorship and innovative infrastructure.
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What Gravitational Waves Really Are
- Gravitational waves are ripples that warp the coordinates of space and time like waves on a 3D pond.
- Rana Adhikari stresses they change distances and clock rates, making reality itself oscillate when strong sources pass.
From Mechanic To Gravitational Scientist
- Rana began skeptical of relativity and thought he could disprove Einstein as a student while working as an auto mechanic.
- Over decades of work he found no contradiction so far and became deeply involved in detecting gravitational waves.
Why Detection Is So Hard
- Space-time is extremely stiff, so only the universe's most powerful events create measurable waves.
- By the time waves reach us they're minuscule, requiring instruments sensitive to changes far smaller than an atom.
