Chapter 1: The Nature of Gravitational Waves

Recently, a subscriber posed an intriguing question about gravitational waves detected by the LIGO collaboration. They wondered, "Shouldn't we all feel the gravitational waves passing through us? Or is it that ordinary matter doesn't interact with them?" While gravitational waves are indeed detectable, this does not imply that we can physically sense them.

In theory, humans could detect gravitational waves; however, in practice, the energy carried by these waves is typically minimal. For a gravitational wave to exert a noticeable effect, it would need to originate from a significant cosmic event, such as the collision of black holes or neutron stars.

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Section 1.1: How Gravitational Waves Interact with Matter

Ordinary matter functions poorly as an "antenna" for gravitational waves. To illustrate, if we compare it to light, regular matter is nearly transparent to these waves, allowing them to traverse through humans, planets, and even stars without any interruption.

For an individual to genuinely feel the gravitational wave's passage, the wave would need to be incredibly potent, requiring proximity to its source.

Section 1.2: The Source of Detected Gravitational Waves

The gravitational waves detected a few years back were the result of two black holes merging, each with a mass roughly 30 times that of the Sun, located over one billion light-years away. At their peak, these waves surpassed the total energy output of all electromagnetic radiation in the observable universe. However, since they are gravitational rather than electromagnetic waves, they remain invisible to telescopes, necessitating sophisticated instruments for detection.

Chapter 2: Proximity and Perception

Imagine being significantly closer to the source of gravitational waves—say, just eight light minutes away, akin to the distance from us to the Sun. During peak activity, the frequency of these waves would range in the hundreds of hertz, which falls within the audible spectrum. In such a scenario, the mechanical disturbances altering spacetime would likely impact our eardrums.

The sounds we might perceive would resemble a loud whistle, akin to a bell ringing, but this auditory experience would last only a few seconds. Hearing sound in a vacuum—specifically, in the context of the spacetime metric—would be a rare event.

Thus, while it is theoretically possible to sense a gravitational wave's passage without instruments, doing so would necessitate being extremely close to its source. However, in reality, a person situated near such an event, like the collision of neutron stars, would likely meet a tragic fate in the ensuing kilonova explosion before having the chance to experience any sound.

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