Starstruck wrote:ScienceIsCool wrote:The gravity waves are caused by two super-massive (black holes, neutron stars, etc) that are just about to collide. As they orbit one another, the distortions in the fabric of space create a wave-like pattern that ripples outwards. Just before the objects collide is when the effect is strongest and therefore "easiest" to detect. And what are they detecting? The wave is actually a contraction of space itself. Imagine that one meter is now less than a meter. Weird huh? But two independent detectors measured such a contraction and the data correlates perfectly. How much of a contraction? 10^-15 meters per meter... Absolutely amazing stuff.
Check it out: https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/
In short, we are not inventing. We are very much observing.
John Swanson
Given the nature of quantum theory I don't know how you can say that with such certainty. Regardless, how is it possible for two black holes to occupy the same area of space, given their inherent (theoretical) properties? There's something wrong/funny with that proposition.
There's nothing wrong with merging black holes. In fact, now we've observed one! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_black_hole
As for quantum, I am very sure we aren't inventing anything. We've measured quantum effects quite exhaustively and use them in our daily lives. Just down the road from me, they're building quantum computers (well, quantum annealers, anyways) at a company called D-Wave. It's all very real.
I think what you're referring to is the idea of how to interpret quantum mechanics - and that has kept philosophers fairly busy as well as the scientists. I'm betting you'd enjoy this Wikipedia entry very much: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_quantum_mechanics
The most widely accepted interpretation is called the Copenhagen Interpretation and it's served us quite well. Does it describe the reality of quantum mechanics? We haven't nailed that down yet and there are other possibilities that are being worked on. The Many Worlds Interpretation is one of them and would have multiverses as a consequence.
Note that none of this is "inventing" in any sense. They are hypotheses to describe our observations of quantum mechanics. Much like in the search for the Higgs boson, people are very actively working on ways to test and confirm which hypothesis is correct. Or... in the course of testing we might get a surprising result which would require us to form even newer hypotheses.
In the meantime, I'm enjoying the fact that we haven't ruled out the multiverse.

John Swanson