New Books Network Heino Falcke and Jörg Römer, "Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us" (HarperCollins, 2021)
Jan 9, 2026
In this captivating discussion, Heino Falcke, a pioneering astrophysicist known for his role in capturing the first black hole image, shares his journey from childhood curiosity to groundbreaking discoveries. He reflects on the spiritual implications of black holes and how they challenge our understanding of existence. Falcke emphasizes the importance of failure in science and connects cosmic laws to earthly physics. He also delves into the cultural roots of astronomy, the formation of elements, and the profound questions that arise when we look into the cosmos.
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Design Failures That Teach Science
- Use well-designed experiments that can falsify theories to advance science, not poorly executed ones.
- Phrase experiments carefully so negative results still provide new insights and move knowledge forward.
Worldview Shaped Scientific Inquiry
- Falcke links the emergence of modern science to Judeo-Christian notions that nature follows discoverable, non-supernatural laws.
- He argues that seeing stars as things rather than gods encouraged asking how they work and seeking underlying principles.
Finding Aliens Would Be Normalized
- Falcke expects finding extraterrestrial life would be scientifically important but likely quickly normalized by humanity.
- He doubts it would fundamentally alter religion or personal faith, treating the question as empirical.
