[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 158 (Tuesday, October 3, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S6285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO RAINER WEISS, KIP S. THORNE, AND BARRY C. BARISH

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today the Royal Swedish Academy of 
Sciences announced the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics to Rainer 
Weiss, Kip S. Thorne, and Barry C. Barish for ``decisive 
contributions'' to the observation of gravitational waves. This 
landmark discovery marks a giant leap forward in human knowledge, and I 
salute these Americans on their honor.
  Over 100 years ago, Albert Einstein predicted that massive objects 
and energy could distort space-time. In order to detect these 
``ripples'' in the fabric of space and time, known as gravitational 
waves, scientists worked over many years to develop the Laser 
Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO.
  On September 14, 2015, scientists working at LIGO detected a 
``chirp''--a ripple in space-time. What was observed because of LIGO 
was the result of two massive black holes merging together over 1.3 
billion light years away. This breakthrough discovery means that we now 
have an entirely new way of observing the universe.
  This achievement would not have been possible without the leadership 
of Dr. Weiss, Dr. Thorne, and Dr. Barish, along with the countless 
scientists who helped with the project, including the National Science 
Foundation.
  Two of the distinguished recipients hail from my home State. Dr. 
Thorne and Dr. Barish are professors at the California Institute of 
Technology, and I am proud of the role that Cal Tech played in making 
this discovery possible. I also recognize Dr. Weiss, a Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology professor, for his achievement.
  On behalf of all Californians, I commend these physicists on a well-
deserved honor and for all that they have done to push our knowledge of 
the universe forward. Let us hope that this discovery will continue to 
expand the horizon of human knowledge and lead to new efforts in 
humanity's never-ending quest for enlightenment.
  Again, I congratulate these three distinguished Americans and their 
families on this remarkable discovery and prestigious award.

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