When it is about universe, most of the knowledge is hard to grasp. We learnt from latest episode of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ that no one could explain the theory of gravitational waves better than physicist Brian Greene. Green simply defined the extra-terrestrial phenomena as ‘a ripple in the fabric of space’.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) first detected the gravitational waves on September 14 last year. Many experts believe the discovery could offer important clues in understanding the universe.

“Gravity can go into places in the universe that light cannot penetrate ... So, using these gravitational disturbances we may actually be able to study how black holes combine. We may be able to study even the Big Bang itself,” said Greene.

The theory of gravitational waves was first offered by famous physicist Albert Einstein 100 years ago, in 1916. Green showed a video to Colbert to explain the theory by Einstein. It showed that a gravitational wave is capable of stretching and comprising anything when it ripples by that particular thing. The waves could impact earth and may compress everything by less than an atomic diameter, according to Green.

To explain the theory, Green used a small model of the facility. The model showed laser beams that are sensitive enough to detect changes in wave’s activity. He explained how LIGO facility is protected from all factors except gravity. Green did an experiment of changing the lasers with sound waves to explain how laser detect disturbances in wave activity. Colbert also participated in that experiment. The LIGO facility could detect the gravitational waves that were created 1.3 billion years ago by two black holes colliding.