ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Gravity wave

Okay kiddo, we all know that everything around us is made up of tiny particles called atoms, and these atoms are always moving, right?

Now let's imagine that you are jumping on your bed, and your jumping makes waves on your bed. Similarly, when these atoms move in space, they produce waves in something called the "fabric of space-time." This fabric is like a giant trampoline that stretches and contracts under the weight of objects in space, like planets and stars.

These waves are called "gravity waves," and they travel at the speed of light. They are not like the kind of waves you see in the ocean, which are made of water moving up and down. Gravity waves are more like ripples, stretching and contracting space-time as they move through it.

Scientists have been studying gravity waves for a long time, but they were always difficult to detect because they were so faint. However, in 2015, a group of scientists finally discovered direct evidence of gravity waves using a giant experiment called the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

This is a big deal because these waves can teach us a lot about the universe! They can tell us about black holes, neutron stars, and other mysterious objects in the cosmos. So, even though we can't see them, gravity waves are still very important!