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I’ve just started a new series on black holes for Medium members. The first part is available now, with three more parts to come. And if enough of you read, they may keep me around to write more, so please read and share!

Exploring Black Holes: Frozen Stars and Gravitational Dynamos

Black holes are gravitational superheroes. Here is their origin story, including World War I, magnificent mustaches, and Albert Einstein

For Medium:

February 11, 2016, was a landmark day. After many decades of searching, scientists announced they had detected gravitational waves for the first time: disturbances in the structure of space-time that travel at light speed. But there was a second triumph of physics hiding inside that one. The waves gave us the best evidence so far for the existence of some of the most fascinating objects in our universe: black holes.
Few scientists these days doubt that black holes exist. But in a way, all our evidence for them is circumstantial. Black holes, by their very nature, are difficult to observe. All light falling on them is absorbed, rendering them nearly invisible.
On the other hand, black holes are the strongest gravitational powerhouses possible. When they strip matter off stars or out of interstellar gas clouds, that material heats up and shines brightly. It’s a seeming paradox: invisible objects that end up being some of the brightest things in the universe. The black holes known as quasars can be seen billions of light-years away. [read the rest at Medium…]