Black Hole Initiative

The Black Hole Initiative (BHI) is an interdisciplinary program at Harvard University that includes the fields of Astronomy, Physics and Philosophy, and is claimed to be the first center in the world to focus on the study of black holes.[1][2][3] Notable principal participants include: Sheperd Doeleman, Peter Galison, Avi Loeb, Andrew Strominger and Shing-Tung Yau.[1] The BHI Inauguration was held on 18 April 2016 and was attended by Stephen Hawking;[4] related workshop events were held on 19 April 2016.[1] Robert Dijkgraaf created the mural for the BHI Inauguration.[5]
Black hole with corona and X-Ray source
(artist concept).

If determinism — the predictability of the universe — breaks down in black holes, it could break down in other situations. Even worse, if determinism breaks down, we can’t be sure of our past history either. The history books and our memories could just be illusions. It is the past that tells us who we are. Without it, we lose our identity.
— Stephen Hawking, BHI Inauguration, Harvard University, 18 April 2016[4]

See also

Cosmology
Galactic Center
Galaxy
General relativity
List of black holes
Outline of black holes
Timeline of black hole physics

References

Staff (2017). "Black Hole Initiative - Harvard University". Harvard University. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
Grigorian, Alec J. (11 May 2016). "Black Hole Initiative Receives $7.2 Million in Funding". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
Staff (2016). "The Black Hole Initiative: Towards A Center For Interdisciplinary Research". John Templeton Foundation. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
Reuell, Peter (18 April 2016). "Hawking at Harvard - At packed Sanders Theatre, theoretical physicist and cosmologist tackles the contradictory qualities of black holes". Harvard University. Retrieved 18 November 2017.

Staff. "Robbert Dijkgraaf Creates Mural for Black Hole Initiative". Institute for Advanced Study. Retrieved 18 November 2017.

External links

Official website
Official Youtube Channel
Inauguration workshop events (19 April 2017):
BHI 100#1 − Video (112:43) on YouTube
BHI 100#2 − Video (058:39) on YouTube
BHI 100#3 − Video (093:12) on YouTube
BHI 100#4 − Video (077:47) on YouTube

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Black holes
Types

Schwarzschild Rotating Charged Virtual Kugelblitz Primordial Planck particle

Size

Micro
Extremal Electron Stellar
Microquasar Intermediate-mass Supermassive
Active galactic nucleus Quasar Blazar

Formation

Stellar evolution Gravitational collapse Neutron star
Related links Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit White dwarf
Related links Supernova
Related links Hypernova Gamma-ray burst Binary black hole

Properties

Gravitational singularity
Ring singularity Theorems Event horizon Photon sphere Innermost stable circular orbit Ergosphere
Penrose process Blandford–Znajek process Accretion disk Hawking radiation Gravitational lens Bondi accretion M–sigma relation Quasi-periodic oscillation Thermodynamics
Immirzi parameter Schwarzschild radius Spaghettification