Civil Services Prep

Prelims 2019 · Science and Technology · Question 47

Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant 'blackholes' billions of light-years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation?

  1. 'Higgs boson particles' were detected.
  2. 'Gravitational waves' were detected.
  3. Possibility of inter-galactic space travel through 'wormhole' was confirmed.
  4. It enabled the scientists to understand 'singularity'.

Answer

'Gravitational waves' were detected.

  • (a) Higgs boson particles were detected — Incorrect. Higgs boson was detected at CERN in 2012 through particle collisions, not from black hole mergers.
  • (b) Gravitational waves were detected — Correct. The observed merger of giant black holes was significant because it produced gravitational waves, detected by LIGO, confirming Einstein’s prediction.
  • (c) Wormhole-based inter-galactic travel was confirmed — Incorrect. No such confirmation came from this observation; wormholes remain hypothetical.
  • (d) It enabled understanding of singularity — Incorrect. The observation supported gravitational-wave astronomy, but it did not directly explain singularity.

Answer: (b)

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