Gravitational waves in the southeast

After decades of development and recent upgrades, a network of ground-based gravitational-wave detectors has begun regular operation. Last year the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory's (LIGO's) two detectors ran for ca.\ 4 months, observing waves emitted during the inspiral and coalescence of pairs of black holes hundreds of megaparsec from Earth. This informal after-dinner talk will discuss the benefits of long-term persistence and effective collaboration, as well as the salient activities and contributions that took place in the southeastern U.S.