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What is gravitational waves in laymen's terms?
How are gravitational waves detected?
Gravitational waves are detected using extremely sensitive instruments, such as the LIGO detector. These detectors consist of two arms that are several kilometers long and contain mirrors that bounce laser beams back and forth. When a gravitational wave passes through the detector, it causes a slight stretching and squeezing of space-time, which can be measured as a change in the distance between the mirrors.