  The explosive coalescence of two black holes 1.3 billion light years away has
for the very first time allowed us to peer into the extreme gravity region of
spacetime surrounding these events. With these maximally compact objects
reaching speeds up to 60% the speed of light, collision events such as these
create harsh spacetime environments where the fields are strong, non-linear,
and highly dynamical -- a place yet un-probed in human history. On September
14, 2015, the iconic chirp signal from such an event was registered
simultaneously by both of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave
Observatory (LIGO) detectors -- by an unparalleled feat of modern engineering.
Dubbed "GW150914", this gravitational wave event paved the way for an entirely
new observing window into the universe, providing for the unique opportunity to
probe fundamental physics from an entirely new viewpoint. Since this historic
event, the LIGO/Virgo collaboration (LVC) has further identified ten additional
gravitational wave signals in its first two observing runs, composed of a
myriad of different events. Important among these new cataloged detections is
GW170817, the first detection of gravitational waves from the merger of two
neutron stars, giving way to new insight into the supranuclear physics resident
within.
  This thesis explores this new unique opportunity to harness the information
encoded within gravitational waves in regards to their source whence they came,
to probe fundamental physics from an entirely new perspective. Part A focuses
on probing nuclear physics by way of the tidal information encoded within
gravitational waves from binary neutron star mergers. Part B focuses on testing
general relativity from such events by way of the remnants of such spacetime
encoded within the gravitational wave signal.
