Black holes are perhaps the most mysterious and enigmatic objects that one can imagine.
Their gravitational fields are so strong that light is unable to escape their
grasp, and even fundamental quantities such as space and time are severely
disrupted by their presence. Yet, despite their fantastical nature,
astronomers have compiled significant evidence that black holes are actually
quite common and are lying at the centers of almost all massive galaxies.
Therefore, black holes are no longer the theoretical subjects of mathematical
physicists; they are now known to be crucial to our understanding of how
galaxies and other structures in the Universe formed and evolved. This talk
will provide an overview of our understanding of black holes in the
observable universe, and outline how astrophysicists are using them to probe
some of the deepest questions in the cosmos.