S3E17: Black holes, climate change, & ... Christianity?—w/ Dr. Heino Falcke, astrophysicist
"We humans are just specks of dust on a slightly bigger speck of dust in the immeasurable vastness of space. We can't cause stars to
explode, we don't set the wheels of galaxies spinning, and it is not we who span the vault of heaven above us. But we can marvel at the
universe and ask questions about it. We can have faith, hope, and love in this world-and this makes us stardust of a very special kind."
—Dr. Heino Falcke
We tend to think that science and spirituality are mutually exclusive. But for Dr. Heino Falcke, a belief in something bigger complements his understanding of the universe.
Dr. Falcke is a Professor of Astroparticle Physics and Radio Astronomy at Radboud University. He is also the author of Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us.
On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Dr. Falcke joins Ross and cohost and Nori advisor David Addison to discuss the origin of carbon molecules and describe what drew him to the study of black holes.
Dr. Falcke explains how he captured the first photograph of a black hole through the Event Horizon Telescope project, sharing what he learned from collaborating with 350 other astrophysicists on EHT and how we might apply those learnings to other global challenges like climate change.
Listen in to understand why the complex systems of the universe are inherently unpredictable and learn how Dr. Falcke bridges the gap between the scientific and the spiritual world.
Resources
Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us by Heino Falcke
‘Viewing the Shadow of the Black Hole at the Galactic Center’ in The Astrophysical Journal
Press Conference Introducing the First Image of the Black Hole
Peter Brannen on Reversing Climate Change EP087
Event Horizon Telescope Project
Contact: A Novel by Carl Sagan
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