[Alan McDougall (OP)]

Gravitational Waves: What Their Discovery Means for Science and Humanity - See more at: http://www.space.com/31922-gravitational-waves-detection-what-it-means.html#sthash.5wcWVUDc.dpuf

[jerrygg38]

The measurement of gravitational waves will change our understanding of the basic structure of the universe. There are two important possibilities.The present scientific understanding is that space itself has properties that react to rotating physical bodies thereby producing waves that can be picked up. The alternate viewpoint is that physical bodies themselves radiate gravitational waves. The alternative viewpoint suggests that the physical universe slowly erases into dark energy.
  Which viewpoint is correct will eventually be detected as advanced gravitational wave instruments are able to detect the waves coming from out own sun and our earth as well. So we are just starting to discover the true nature of the gravitational field and advanced detectors will help us to understand our universe.

[chris]

We made a programme featuring Martin Rees and Andrew Pontzen that explored in detail gravitational waves and how gravitational waves were discovered earlier in 2016.

We also recently published this article that looks at the future research steps in the gravitational wave story