LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, recently announced that their project had detected ripples in the fabric of spacetime, proving a prediction made 100 years ago by Einstein. Many teams collaborated to ensure this result, and behind the scenes, they rely on effective federated identity management.
What this means, in the simplest terms, is scientists rely on the ability of research services to get attributes about their users from their Home Organisations. However, as REFEDS (Research and Education Federations) points out in an important blog entry, this is not at all smooth sailing.