The history of black-hole research is almost as fascinating as the holes themselves. Prof Gustafsson will sketch the history, describe the present knowledge, and finish with the problems remaining and the remarkable solutions that have been suggested for their resolution.

About Prof Bengt Gustafsson

In addition to being a famous astrophysicist, an eloquent speaker and a gifted teacher, Bengt Gustafsson has worked and published in cross-disciplinary areas including research ethics, social responsibilities of science, science-religion interaction, science policy and science teaching. He has held posts as professor at Stockholm and Uppsala universities and is corresponding fellow of the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics. Prof Gustafsson has held important positions in Sweden including that of Secretary General of the Swedish government’s Advisory Council on Research, as a board member of the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education and on the Nobel Committee for Physics. He is a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Science and of the Balzan Prize Committee. The international community has benefited from his service to the International Council for Science (ICSU) for which he co-chaired a review committee on Science and Society, and chaired the committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the Conduct of Science.

Prof Gustafsson is well known for his popularisation of science, particularly astronomy. He regularly participates in Swedish radio and TV programmes and has been involved in writing and performing two theatrical science plays. He has received the Lars Salvius Prize and the Nils Gustav Rosén Prize, the foremost Swedish award for popularisation of science, in recognition of these activities.

RSVP: Martie Marneweck at [email protected]