Indian experts laud Physics Nobel winners

US astrophysicists Barry Barish, Kip Thorne and Rainer Weiss were on Tuesday awarded the Nobel Physics Prize for the discovery of gravitational waves. Predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago as part of his theory of general relativity but only first detected in 2015, gravitational waves are ‘ripples’ in the fabric of space-time caused by violent processes in the universe. 

“It is something which is a dream come true,” Professor Bala Iyer, from the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences in Bengaluru said. 

Asked about how the achievement will benefit the Indian research scenario, Rajesh Nayak from IISER-Kolkata, said that this will encourage the new generation of Indian scientists to get involved with the novel area of research that has opened up.