Impacts of Technology Innovation on Scientific Discovery

Abstract

Progress in astronomy is largely driven by advances in technology. Yet, only a tiny fraction of the worldwide investment in technology directly targets the needs of astronomy, so astronomers must seek to leverage and harness technology advancements made for other purposes. In this presentation, I will explore the various ways this has been done for three major recent advances in the study of black holes: the detection of merging black holes with LIGO in 2016, the radio imaging of M87's supermassive black hole with EHT in 2019, and the decades-long studies of stellar motions near the galactic center, which revealed the central black hole in our galaxy and is the subject of the 2020 Nobel prize. In each case, the technology story spans decades, and involves a combination of advances in several areas.

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