Simons Foundation Lectures
Physics: Black Holes
The 2026 lecture series in physics is “Black Holes.” Through observational breakthroughs and theoretical advances, this series will explore black holes across scale — from stellar remnants to the supermassive giants at the center of galaxies. Topics will include high-resolution imaging, gravitational wave signals, the black hole information paradox and analogs of black holes in fluids on Earth. These lectures will illuminate how black holes offer a window into fundamental physics and provide a lens for understanding the universe’s most extreme environments.
Upcoming Lectures
Black Hole Mergers: What Gravitational Waves Reveal About Their Origins
Vicky Kalogera, Ph.D.Daniel I. Linzer Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University
Vicky Kalogera, Ph.D.Daniel I. Linzer Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University Past Lectures
Searching for Merging Supermassive Black Holes
Chiara Mingarelli, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Physics, Yale University
Chiara Mingarelli, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Physics, Yale University - Lecture
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From Equations to Superconductors: Matter Under Pressure
Ryotaro Arita, Ph.D.Professor, Department of Physics, University of Tokyo
Ryotaro Arita, Ph.D.Professor, Department of Physics, University of Tokyo - Lecture
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Designing Next-Generation Superconductors through Pressure Quenching
Lilia Boeri, Ph.D.Professor, Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, Sapienza University of Rome
Lilia Boeri, Ph.D.Professor, Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, Sapienza University of Rome - Lecture
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Emergent Phenomena Under Pressure: From Hydrogen to Hot Superconductors
Russell Hemley, Ph.D. Professor and LAS Distinguished Chair in the Natural Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago
Russell Hemley, Ph.D. Professor and LAS Distinguished Chair in the Natural Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago - Lecture
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From Quarks to Nuclei: Computing the Structure of Matter
Phiala Shanahan, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Phiala Shanahan, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Lecture
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Neutron Stars: The Supranuclear-Density Zombies of the Cosmos
Anna Watts, Ph.D.Professor of High Energy Astrophysics, University of Amsterdam
Anna Watts, Ph.D.Professor of High Energy Astrophysics, University of Amsterdam - Lecture
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