New Books Network Marcus Chown, "A Crack in Everything: How Black Holes Came in from the Cold and Took Cosmic Centre Stage" (Apollo, 2025)
Nov 7, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Marcus Chown, a former radio astronomer and science writer, delves into the mysterious world of black holes. He explores their historical significance, tracing how they evolved from being dismissed by Einstein to central players in cosmic understanding. Chown shares insights from interviews with key researchers and explains concepts like gravitational waves and Hawking radiation. He also touches on the intriguing relationship between supermassive black holes and galaxy formation, leaving listeners with a sense of wonder about the universe's mysteries.
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Early Inspiration From Cygnus X-1
- Marcus Chown recounts being inspired at 12 by Paul Murdin's talk about Cygnus X-1, the first discovered black hole.
- He later became a researcher on quasars and interviewed many discoverers for his book.
Black Holes Moved To Cosmic Centre
- Chown defines a black hole as a region where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.
- He argues black holes moved "in from the cold" to become central to understanding cosmic structure.
Schwarzschild's Early Shock
- Chown tells how Schwarzschild solved Einstein's equations and revealed a bottomless gravitational pit if mass compresses enough.
- Einstein disliked singularities because they signaled a breakdown of his theory.
