The Black Hole Initiative joins mathematicians, physicists, astrophysicists, historians, and philosophers of science—all seizing the chance to collaborate on these mysterious spacetime phenomena. It was a gamble when we began in 2016. Since then, the first Event Horizon Telescope images of M87* and Sgr A* emerged (first glimpsed at the BHI) changing the reality status of black holes, seen by a billion people. Our 2020 photon ring paper ring originated at the BHI with its combination of physics, astrophysics, and philosophy. Groundbreaking work took place at the BHI on the information loss paradox, on black hole formation, and on intermediate-mass black holes. From the BHI came a film on black hole work seen by millions; by 2024, the BHI is hosting a worldwide “History Philosophy Culture” collaboration on black holes, tied to BHI work.
Professional training has been foundational to the BHI. Our alumni now lead their own research groups. For our signature BHI postdoctoral program, 9 of 20 former recipients hold faculty positions, and 11 have continued postdoctoral appointments. Of 21 BHI grad students, 6 are faculty. From the BHI have come 482 papers cited 10,000+ times. The BHI’s interdisciplinary success has spawned parallel programs around the world. The BHI is ready for the next step, focusing on four linked projects that organically coalesced, each advanced by their presence at the BHI, each drawing two or more PIs.
Together these form the core of our project: The next-generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) builds out the EHT, deploying new telescopes to optimal locations enhancing current capabilities. Quantum Black Holes and Holography links 4D gravity to lower-dimensional quantum field theory. Bridging the Scales unifies simulations spanning 10 orders of magnitude, from horizon- through Bondi- to galaxy-scales. The Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) extends VLBI into space to detect and measure the photon ring, a portal into the basic nature of black holes.
