Ask A Scientist - Topic: Black Holes January 11, 2006

This Month's Topic: Black Holes, Space Warps, Time Machines: Einstein's Universe in Everyday Language

Welcome to the bizarre and wonderful world of black holes?collapsed stars where gravity has overwhelmed every other force in the universe. In the neighborhood of these stellar corpses, strange things happen to space, time, and the unwary visitor. Learn why falling into a black hole is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, how black holes make a serious kind of time machine possible, and how new instruments have allowed astronomers to detect the presence of these elusive dark objects in our galaxy and beyond.

Speaker: Andrew Fraknoi; Chair, Astronomy Program, Foothill College

About the Series: Ask a Scientist is a new and different kind of lecture series. If you love watching Nova specials and reading Scientific American at the doctor's office, then this event is for you. Enjoy food, drinks, socializing, and conversation about the universe's most fascinating mysteries! http://www.askascientistsf.com/