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Boston Herald

Boston Herald reporter Marie Szaniszlo writes about how the first successful detection of gravitational waves and light emitted from the collusion of two neutron stars has provided insight into gamma rays and heavy elements. Prof. Anna Frebel explains that, “What makes this such an important discovery is that we can actually see element formation in action.”

WHDH 7

Channel 7’s Matt Rascon reports on how scientists from LIGO, Virgo and 70 observatories around the world have detected gravitational waves and light emitted from two colliding neutron stars. “For the first time we’re able to put it all together and get a much more complete picture of what nature is doing,” explains Prof. Nergis Mavalvala.

AFP

AFP reporter Mariëtte Le Roux writes about how the detection of two colliding neutron stars has provided scientists with new insights into the universe. "It was clear to us within minutes that we had a binary neutron star detection," said MIT’s David Shoemaker, spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. "The signals were much too beautiful to be anything but that.”

The Washington Post

Washington Post reporters Ben Guarino and Sarah Kaplan delve into the first detection of a kilonova using both gravitational wave detectors and telescopes. “It's a monumental thing, a testimony to a lot of people working together,” explains David Shoemaker, a senior research scientist at MIT and spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. 

The Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal reporter Robert Lee Hotz writes that scientists have detected colliding neutron stars and found that the smashups are the source of gold and other heavy elements found throughout the universe. “The neutrons can condense down into the heavy elements—gold, platinum and others—that make pretty jewelry so pretty,” explains MIT’s David Shoemaker. 

National Public Radio (NPR)

MIT’s David Shoemaker, spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, speaks with NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce about the first detection of colliding neutron stars. Shoemaker recalls the excitement of the discovery, “as we tried to figure out how we could most quickly get the news out to observers to try and make the most of this event."

New York Times

Researchers from the LIGO, Virgo and 70 additional observatories around the world have detected gravitational waves and light from the collision of two neutron stars, reports Dennis Overbye for The New York Times. MIT’s David Shoemaker, the spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, described the event as, “joy for all.”

WBUR

WBUR’s Bruce Gellerman profiles Nobel laureate Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss, noting that his “stories of accomplishments and failure are legendary at MIT.” Prof. Peter Fisher, head of the Physics Department, says that Weiss, "is a tremendously intelligent man, but he’s got more perseverance, I think, than anyone else.”

Boston Globe

Boston Globe reporter Eric Moskowitz spotlights the work of Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss, who was named one of the recipients of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for the “decades of determination” he invested in detecting gravitational waves. Moskowitz writes that Weiss is still, “as energized as ever by the thrill of scientific discovery.”

New York Times

Prof. David Kaiser writes for The New York Times that the LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s successful detections of gravitational waves, for which Prof. Rainer Weiss was awarded a Nobel Prize, underscores the importance of basic scientific research. “By building machines of exquisite sensitivity and training cadres of smart, dedicated young scientists and engineers, we can test our fundamental understanding of nature to unprecedented accuracy.”

Forbes

Forbes reporter Ethan Siegel writes about how Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss and two of his colleagues were awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for their work detecting gravitational waves, “the culmination of theoretical and experimental work dating all the way back to Einstein.” Siegel adds that the detection of gravitational waves, “has transformed our idea of what's possible in astronomy.”

CBS Boston

CBS Boston reports on Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss winning the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work detecting gravitational waves. “It’s quite awe-inspiring to think that somehow the three of us got mixed up with a prize that was won by the giants of this science,” said Weiss of his emotions upon winning the award. “It’s amazing.”

Guardian

Guardian reporter Hannah Devlin writes that this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss. Weiss said the successful detection of gravitational waves was the culmination of “40 years of people thinking about this, trying to make detections, sometimes failing … and then slowly but surely getting the technology together to be able do it.”

Associated Press

Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss has won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work developing a device that detects gravitational waves, reports the AP. Weiss said that he views the prize as recognition for the entire LIGO team, and “more as a thing that recognizes the work of a thousand people."

Boston Globe

Boston Globe reporters Sean Smyth, John Ellement and Eric Moskowitz report that Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss was honored with the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. Weiss explained that LIGO has helped change, “the way you look at the way you fit into the universe. It makes you understand what’s going on all around us in the vastness of the universe.”