iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 26/09/2026

When a YouTube author has Numerical Recipes and the like in her bookshelf, I remember grad school and see a scientific sister, not someone asking to be tutored on some theory of plural sci terms.

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 25/09/2026

The latest issue of the @ligomagazine.bsky.social is now out with all the latest #GravitationalWaves news! Read it for free at ligo.org/wp-content/u... 🔭🧪⚛️🎶

LIGO Magazine Issue 29

A+ bigger beamsplitters: A major upgrade for LIGO's A+ phase, p 18
GWTC-5.0 - the catalogue continues: 161 events added to the collection, p 6
LIGO Virgo KAGRA teamwork: Gravitational-wave autotune, p 8
Sept. 2026 LVK Meeting in Pune: GW research in India, p 11
A decade on... LISA Pathfinder persists in discovery, p 28

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 14/09/2026

Happy birthday #GW150914! 11 years ago today, we caught our first gravitational wave, and founded a new type of astronomy A decade later, we now have hundreds of observations! 🔭🧪🎂

Classic plot showing GW150914. Filtered data from LIGO Livingston and LIGO Hanford are shown, both show the characteristic signal of a binary black hole. Crucially, data from the two observatories agree, indicating a real signal.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 11/09/2026

On the other hand, I’m listening to Saturation Point on a stormy day in south Louisiana. I’m confident it will all end well.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 11/09/2026

Interesting article in Physics Today about NSF grantmaking trends for recent years and the present one. I’m grateful that US taxpayer support through NSF has funded high-risk high-reward work. It’s nice to see that photo of LIGO’s test mass suspension, now at the Smithsonian.

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 17/08/2026

Were were only able to localize the source of #GW170817 thanks to the addition of @egovirgo.bsky.social to our network Having at least 3 detectors makes a big difference! bsky.app/profile/egov... #NeutronStarWeek

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 17/08/2026

Happy birthday #GW170817, our first observation of a binary neutron star and first gravitational-wave detection with a multimessenger counterpart www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yt5... 🔭🧪⚛️ #NeutronStarWeek

youtube.com

Discovery Plot: GRB170817A

YouTube video by LIGO Virgo KAGRA

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 22/08/2026

We have not yet detected gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars, but this is already telling us something about what they are made from ligo.org/science-summ... #NeutronStarWeek 🧪🔭

ligo.org

Neutron stars: smoother than billiard balls – unfortunately – LSC – LIGO Scientific Collaboration

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 18/08/2026

Still one of my favorites.

DVORAK
SERENADE OP 22
NOTTURNO OP40
WALDESRUHE
(SILENT WOODS)

DOUGLAS DAVIS CELLO
DELOS
GERARD SCHWARZ, CONDUCTOR
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 03/07/2026

Swift’s collaborators in LIGO and elsewhere are rooting for this mission!

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Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 23/06/2026

Side Effect xkcd.com/3261/

5-panel comic. (1) Two people standing, one with a ponytail and the second with white beret] PERSON 2: This new topical medication makes me extra sensitive to sun exposure and gravitational waves. (2) PERSON 1: Oh yeah, that’s a common... wait, what was that last part? PERSON 2: Here comes one now! (3) [Person 2 stretched taller] (4) [Person 2 squished shorter] (5) [Person 2 stretched taller again] PERSON 2: *Wheee!*

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 20/06/2026

I've been trying to move business to smaller, more specialized stores, but mostly mail-order. There's a store in Saint Paul serving the watch repair trade that sells batteries. Good exp. dates, no grey market or counterfeits. Nifty tools I didn't know I needed but that come in handy now...

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 13/05/2026

Our latest discoveries—two of the loudest gravitational-wave signals ever: #GW240925 and #GW250207 Using these signals, and our understanding of binary black holes, we can verify that our detectors are correctly calibrated ligo.org/science-summ... 🧪⚛️☄️🔭

The gravitational-wave events GW240924 (top row) and GW250207 (bottom row) as observed by the LIGO Hanford (left column), LIGO Livingston (middle column), and Virgo (right column) observatories. The plots, called spectrograms, show the power spectrum (energy at different frequencies) as a function of time. The signals can be seen as the increase in energy over time (in seconds) and at specific frequencies (in hertz), represented by green and yellow bands. Their shape follows the characteristic chirp pattern produced by gravitational-wave signals. The thickness and brightness of GW250207 shows just how loud it was!

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jorgepullin.bsky.social @jorgepullin.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

"The flight" of the Bigger Beam Splitter into its final position in the vertex of the interferometer. It is the first time in history an advanced interferometer had its beam splitter replaced. (Video credit: Michael F and Kwentin R).

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 17/04/2026

I very much enjoyed a conversation this morning on the Talk Louisiana radio show with Jim Engster, aired locally on WRKF. We talked about LIGO's science, the risks if a proposed budget cut to the NSF is enacted, and a few other things. www.wrkf.org/show/talk-lo...

wrkf.org

Joe Giaime, Mark Ballard

LSU physics professor and observatory head of LIGO Livingston Joseph Giaime discusses the vital funding for LIGO that is in a precarious state. The Advocate's Mark Ballard talks current political topi...

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 04/04/2026

Slasher sequel: Trump again proposes major cuts to U.S. science spending | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Slasher sequel: Trump again proposes major cuts to U.S. science spending

Science advocates urge Congress to reject 2027 budget plan

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jorgepullin.bsky.social @jorgepullin.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

The LIGO electric guitar goes golden. The new beam splitter mirror is suspended by gold plated wires. As usual, we pre-tensioned them by strumming them as a guitar and measuring the frequency. We do it with an actual electric guitar pickup hooked up to an oscilloscope. @ LIGO - Livingston

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LIGO Magazine @ligomagazine.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

New #LIGOMagazine out now! : Check it out at: 👉 www.ligo.org/magazine where you can find all editions of LIGO Magazine free to download! @ligo.org - @egovirgo.bsky.social - KAGRA

The front cover of the latest edition of the LIGO Magazine. The main cover image highlights Observing Run 4 (O4) results with the headline "O4 A cornucopia of results". The image shows an artistic illustration of a merging black hole binary with swirling reds and blues. Image by Carl Knox / OzGrav / Swinburne.

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 24/03/2026

Our next LIGO Virgo KAGRA webinar will discuss tests of general relativity with #GWTC4 (papers arxiv.org/abs/2603.19019 arxiv.org/abs/2603.19020 arxiv.org/abs/2603.19021). 26 March at 13:00 UTC, with the recording on YouTube after Register for free wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/webinar/regi... 🔭 ☄️ ⚛️ 🧪

Webinar
GWTC-4.0: Tests of General Relativity
26 March 2026 from 13:00 UTC
Background image: An artistic representation of a binary black hole merger by Aurore Simonnet

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EGO and the Virgo Collaboration @egovirgo.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Alain Brillet, French physicist, who has been one of the founding fathers of gravitational interferometry and Virgo, along with Adalberto Giazotto, who left us in 2017.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 03/03/2026

The team prepares to replace LIGO Livingston’s beam splitter with a larger one. The photo includes a human, giving a sense of the vacuum system’s scale.

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jorgepullin.bsky.social @jorgepullin.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Foggy morning @ LIGO Livingston.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 26/02/2026

As a science professor, I have difficulty convincing colleagues that those words usually shouldn't be treated as a capitalized proper noun, so I don't worry too much about the article. Both ways sound acceptable to me.

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 14/02/2026

Happy Valentine's Day to all gravitational-wave fans, and especially @egovirgo.bsky.social and KAGRA 💞💗💓

I Heart gravitational waves + you. Happy Valentine's Day! The heart outline is part of a plot showing the chirp of GW150914.

Credit: Zane Zocher, LIGO Hanford.

Pictures of LIGO Hanford, KAGRA, LIGO Livingston and Virgo, with the caption "We'll be your Valentine.... just send us a signal". There is a plot of data from GW150914 before signal, because we really love a gravitational wave signal.

Two hearts inspiralling together, like a binary merger, over a space-themed background. The caption reads "You spin my heart right round, right round."

Credit: Zane Zocher, LIGO Hanford.

Artistic representation of a black hole, with an astronaut in a heart. The caption reads "You must be approaching the event horizon... because time seems to stop when I look at you."

Credit: Carl Knox, OzGrav, Swinburne University of Technology

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 12/02/2026

In addition to the main announcement in Washington DC of LIGO's discovery 10 years ago (yesterday), the two observatory sites held announcement events, including the one pictured here in Livingston, Louisiana.

View of auditorium with around 150 people present for 2016 announcement of gravitational wave discovery.

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LSU College of Science @lsuscience.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Yesterday marked 10 years since LSU Boyd Professor Gabriela González served as spokesperson for the 1,000+ member LIGO Scientific Collaboration to announce the first direct detection of gravitational waves. Watch: www.youtube.com/live/aEPIwEJ... #GeauxScience

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 11/02/2026

10 years ago today, we told the world "We have detected gravitational waves. We did it!" Relive the moment we shared our result with the world www.youtube.com/live/aEPIwEJ... #GW10Years #OTD 🔭🧪⚛️ 🎂

youtube.com

[LIVE] FIRST Gravitational Waves Detected | LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory)

YouTube video by National Science Foundation News

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LISA Community @lisacommunity.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

10 years ago we were all waiting to learn what @ligo.org and @egovirgo.bsky.social would announce! #GW10Years

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 30/01/2026

Follow-up article by @clargrune.bsky.social in @theadvocatebr.bsky.social about passage of this year's funding of the NSF and its positive effects on LIGO. Special thanks to the taxpayers and the Louisiana congressional delegation for their support.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 23/01/2026

Hello from a grey heron at LIGO Livingston Observatory!

Grey Heron looking for snacks, walking along the rim of a pond.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 06/01/2026

Potential good news for research funded by U.S. science agencies NSF and NASA: Congress set to reject Trump’s major budget cuts to NSF, NASA, and energy science | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Congress set to reject Trump’s major budget cuts to NSF, NASA, and energy science

Appropriators agree instead to keep this year’s spending nearly level

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 05/12/2025

My family enjoyed their show in Lafayette, La. this week. Everyone in the house (except me) was a screaming extrovert, in a good way.

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 04/12/2025

2015 was a good year for gravitational-wave astronomy 🔭🧪🛰️ #LPF10anniversary #GW10Years

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 20/11/2025

A coda to Les Guthman's video series about Advanced LIGO, adding an homage to LIGO founder Rainer Weiss.

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 19/11/2025

Our Rapid Response Teams celebrate the end of our fourth observing run. Well done everyone! www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo202... O4 was a success thanks to lots of hard work from across the world. 🔭⚛️🧪

In Japan, KAGRA staff gathered in the control room to celebrate the end of O4. This was the first run that KAGRA took science data simultaneously with Virgo and LIGO.

Staff at LIGO Livingston Observatory in Louisiana gathered in the control room to say farewell to O4

In Italy, Virgo staff gathered in the control room to celebrate the end of O4.

Staff at LIGO Hanford Observatory in Washington State gathered in the control room at 8am to celebrate the end of O4. Everyone enjoyed morning coffee and cake.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 18/11/2025

and here's how the O4 end of run looked at Virgo!

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 18/11/2025

This morning marked the end of the fourth LIGO - Virgo - KAGRA observational run's third segment, O4c. Here's how it looked in LIGO Livingston's control room.

A group of smiling people—scientists, engineers, detector operators and other observatory specialists—post in LIGO Livingston's control room. Video displays on the wall and workstations show various real-time data relevant to the run. Also visible are three clocks: GPS seconds, UTC and local (CDT).

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LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 29/10/2025

We are pleased to announce our discovery of #GW241011 and #GW241110 Both come from binary black holes where one black hole is much larger than the other. The larger black holes have large spin. Could these black holes have formed in a previous merger? ligo.org/science-summ... #O4IsHere 🔭🧪⚛️☄️

Infographic about GW241011 and GW241110

GW241011's source contained black holes about 13 and 8 times the mass of our Sun. The spin of the bigger black hole is high and bear aligned with the orbit.

GW241110's source contained black holes about 17 and 8 times the mass of our Sun. The spin of the larger black hole is high and near anti-aligned with the orbit.

Credit: Shanika Galaudage/Northwestern University/Adler Planetarium

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Caltech @caltech.edu · 28/10/2025

A pair of distant black hole mergers, measured just one month apart in late 2024, are improving how scientists understand the nature and evolution of the most violent deep-space collisions in our universe. www.caltech.edu/about/news/c...

caltech.edu

Colliding black holes might have formed from earlier cosmic smashups

Two recent detections have given the international LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration new insights into black hole formation and evolution

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 19/10/2025

Thanks to jorgepullin.bsky.social, proof that LIGO Livingston's guardian alligator is on duty.

a modest-sized alligator suns itself near a green body of water. This is nothing to worry about.

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Joe Giaime @giaime.net · 05/10/2025

(rough guide, not rouge guide.)

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