How Black Holes Became Real

Delve into the fascinating world of supermassive black holes in this 50-minute lecture by astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan, recorded at the 2016 World Science Festival in New York City. Explore the science behind these cosmic phenomena, from their birth to their impact on galaxy development. Learn about cutting-edge research in the field, including concepts such as escape velocity, Einstein's equations, light deflection, and photon spheres. Discover the properties of black holes, including Eddington luminosity and gravitational fields, and examine the challenges in studying them. Investigate the formation, growth, and life cycle of black holes, as well as the role of multi-wavelength data in their observation. Gain insights into recent advancements like LIGO and discuss future prospects in black hole research. Enhance your understanding with the associated free online course available at World Science U.

Introduction
What is intriguing about black holes
The concept of the black hole
Escape velocity
Packing of matter
Einsteins equations
What is a black hole
Light deflection
Photon sphere
Size scales
Black hole definitions
Properties of black holes
Eddington luminosity
Gravitational fields
Challenges
Fasting Black Holes
MultiWavelength Data
Formation of Black Holes
How Black Holes Grow
Life Cycle of Black Holes
LIGO
The Future