# @worldscifest on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/BjLTs-5Aq-L
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/2460756-worldscifest-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/7908aef6bd.jpg
- **Posted:** 2018-05-24T22:19:59.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** WorldScienceFestival (@WorldSciFest) — https://gondola.cc/WorldSciFest

## Caption

Epiphanies often happen when we least expect them. Einstein had predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916 but in the 1960s, an off-hand comment in a class inspired physicist Rainer Weiss to hypothesize a way to actually measure gravitational waves. He originally hadn't given the comment much thought until about a year later when he had an epiphany and "worked the whole summer on the idea." He would continue his mission to detect these waves until 2015, nearly 100 years after Einstein's prediction, when Weiss and a team of scientists made a groundbreaking discovery: they recorded a gravitational wave, a first for scientists around the world. Don't wait for an epiphany, tag a friend or colleague below to share Rainer's story today. (Images and footage courtesy of MIT and LIGO)

This video is part of our Brilliant Breakthroughs series: our new 20-episode mini-series exploring the "Eureka!" moments and proud accomplishments of the greatest scientific minds of our time. Join us as we "Countdown to Kavli" by featuring the achievements of the Kavli Award winners from the last decade (2008-2018) until The Kavli Prize for 2018 is announced via livestream on May 31st. Learn more about the announcement livestream here: http://bit.ly/kavliprizelive

Which scientists do you think should win on May 31st?

Check out the #CRISPR conversation at "ReWriting Life: The Promise and Peril of Editing Your DNA" program moderated by journalist Lesley Stahl and sponsored by The Kavli Foundation. http://bit.ly/rewritinglife
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#WorldScienceFestival #KavliCountdown #KavliFoundation #physics #newyork #newyorkcity #nyc #events #kavli #scientists #science #einstein #eureka #dna #technology #physics #math #engineering #nycevents #tickets #event

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
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## Tags

crispr, engineering, newyorkcity, tickets, scientists, event, einstein, kavli, newyork, events, nyc, science, kavlicountdown, eureka, math, nycevents, kavlifoundation, physics, technology, worldsciencefestival, dna

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