Abstract:
During the first and second observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, we observed ten binary black hole mergers and one binary neutron star inspiral, and many more signals will be observed in the coming years. In this talk, I will describe the models and methods which allow us to use our catalog of observed binaries to learn about stellar and binary evolution and present results using the first gravitational-wave transient catalog. I will then discuss a novel targeted search for the stochastic background due to compact binaries which will enable us to probe much further out into the universe.