Join Us for an Intellectual Experience!

Date: 27th Sep 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Knockout sports bar, Baner, Pune

The cost includes food & drinks.

About the lecture

As Stephen Hawking famously said, “black holes are stranger than anything conjured up by science fiction writers, yet they are matters of firm scientific fact.”

The lecture will explore what black holes are and examine the observational evidence that confirms their existence—including the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own galaxy. It will then explore why black holes present a fundamental conflict with our existing understanding of physics, particularly quantum mechanics—the same theory that underpins technologies such as smartphones.

Finally, the lecture will offer a glimpse into the creative and sometimes radical ideas scientists are exploring to resolve this deep conflict between our two most successful theories of nature.

About the speaker

Prof. Suneeta Vardarajan is a Professor of Physics at IISER Pune, specialising in gravitation and mathematical physics.

Her research focuses on black hole physics, spanning astrophysical signatures of black holes to their quantum features.

She holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, and has previously conducted research at the University of Munich and the University of Alberta.