Janna Levin is the Claire Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also the Chair and Founding Director of the Science Studios at Pioneer Works. In this episode, Robinson and Janna talk all about black holes and how to survive them. More particularly, they discuss how black holes were discovered both theoretically and empirically, common misconceptions about black holes, their role in theories of quantum gravity, and how they do and will contribute to both the life and death of the universe. If you’d like to learn more about black holes, read Janna’s latest book, Black Hole Survival Guide (Anchor, 2022).

Janna’s Website: https://jannalevin.com

Black Hole Survival Guide: https://a.co/d/biGGqZc

Pioneer Works: https://pioneerworks.org

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

06:10 The Original Theory of Black Holes

14:45 Is There Gravity in Space?

20:40 Just What IS a Black Hole?

38:47 Why Physicists Resisted the Possibility of Black Holes

50:44 What’s at the Center of a Black Hole?

55:34 What Happens When Something Falls into a Black Hole?

1:03:23 Is Leonard Susskind a Genius Physicist?

1:12:07 What Is the Fine-Tuning Problem?

1:17:52 How Close Can You Get to a Black Hole and Still Survive?

1:25:10 Why Are Black Holes Perfect Objects?

1:32:12 How Do Black Holes Form?

1:41:31 What Will Happen to the Sun When It Dies?

1:50:38 Black Holes, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

1:54:45 The Heat Death of the Universe

1:59:18 Pioneer Works

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.