Gravitational waves, predicted by general relativity almost a century ago, have been elusively hard to detect, and therefore hard to verify as a phenomenon. Over the years, many complex computer models of gravitational radiation have been created, but so far a great many remain outside the realm of direct verification. This has arguably led to a somewhat stagnation in the field of relativity as a whole.
This recent interesting development, based on measurements of the cosmic microwave background by the BICEP2 telescope at the South Pole, is probably just the thing physics needs right now. People are getting excited over the apparent cosmological implications---Big Bang, early-universe physics, multiverses, etc.---but the greater significance is arguably more immediate. Namely, the results seem to provide deep evidence for gravitational waves as predicted by GR.
Who knows what other gravitational wave phenomena might be discovered and explored?
Stuff like this is rather fascinating.
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