More funding for basic science required

THE GRAVITATIONAL WAVES, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, were detected for the first time last week by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory in the United States. The landmark discovery of gravitational waves will inspire scientists around the world to deepen their researches, and China should not lag behind, says Beijing Youth Daily:

Indeed, scientists have every reason to celebrate the detection of gravitational waves, which confirm a major prediction of Albert Einstein's 1915 General Theory of Relativity and may open an unprecedented new window on the cosmos. Ordinary people's enthusiasm for physics and cosmology, which often seem far away from their daily lives, has seemed to be kindled too.

It was the United States that launched the detection and carved its name in the history of basic research, although scientists from over 10 countries - including China - all made notable contributions to the discovery of gravitational waves. China also has a gravitational wave project.