NYSAPPS 2016
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the author of this NYSSAPS abstract?

Rainer Weiss of MIT wrote the abstract, as the byline on this page indicates.

What is the title of the talk?

The talk carries the title “The remarkable gamble the National Science Foundation took with LIGO.”

What is the abstract about?

It explains how the National Science Foundation started supporting a new gravitational wave astrophysics program in the 1970s, and how Richard Isaacson, then Program Director for Gravity at the NSF, organized and guided the effort that turned LIGO into a reality.

Which organization is associated with this abstract?

The abstract is presented in connection with NYSSAPS, the New York State Society of Ambulatory Surgery, as the page title and site context show.

How can I contact the program organizers?

Program contacts on this page include Dr. Heather Watson, Dr. Nelia Mann, Dr. Samuel Amanuel, and Ms. Lynnette Stec, together with the phone and fax numbers for the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Union College.

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"The remarkable gamble the National Science Foundation took with LIGO"

Rainer Weiss, MIT

At a time when no one had yet measured motions as tiny as one-thousandth of a nuclear radius, and when evidence for gravitational radiation was far from certain and gravitational wave sources were largely unknown, the NSF launched support for a new program in gravitational wave astrophysics during the 1970s. The person behind this vision was Richard Isaacson, then Program Director for Gravity at the NSF. This talk recounts how he organized and steered the effort that turned LIGO into a reality — in essence, it is the story of LIGO.

About This Abstract

This page hosts the abstract for the NYSSAPS talk “The remarkable gamble the National Science Foundation took with LIGO,” given by Rainer Weiss of MIT. It sets out the historical backdrop against which the National Science Foundation started funding gravitational wave astrophysics in the 1970s, and it credits Richard Isaacson, then Program Director for Gravity at the NSF, with organizing and steering the work that brought LIGO into being.

Key Themes

  • The early years of NSF backing for gravitational wave astrophysics.
  • Richard Isaacson’s part as Program Director for Gravity at the NSF.
  • The scientific and organizational route that culminated in LIGO.
For program, contact:  
Dr. Heather Watson – [email protected]
Dr. Nelia Mann – [email protected]
Dr. Samuel Amanuel – [email protected]		 Ms. Lynnette Stec – [email protected]
Phone: 518-388-6254
Fax: 518-388-6947
Department of Physics & Astronomy, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308