10/27/2026
What do black holes, gravitational waves and North Idaho have in common?
Lasers, mirrors and a little experimentation.
Students, educators and community members recently gathered at NIC X-Labs to explore how scientists are working to detect gravitational waves - tiny ripples in space-time caused by massive cosmic events, including colliding black holes.
At the recent NASA Space Hack held on campus, participants were challenged to explore the science behind gravitational waves. They examined scientific data, worked together and built demonstration prototypes with lasers and mirrors to understand how scientists can measure incredibly small changes in distance.
Black holes might be billions of miles away, but the science behind studying them is being explored right here in North Idaho at NIC X-Labs.
Learn more about NIC X-Labs at ➤nic.edu/x-labs.
