In the past, they were recognized as the most destructive force in nature. Now, following a cascade of astonishing discoveries, supermassive black holes have undergone a dramatic shift in paradigm - these objects may have been critical to the formation of structure in the early universe, spawning bursts of star formation and planets. As many as 300 million of them may now be lurking through the vast expanses of the observable cosmos. The most accessible among them appears to be lurking at the centre of our galaxy. In this talk, we will examine the evidence that has brought us to this point, and we will see why the astrophysical community is now looking with great anticipation to the imminent breakthroughs that will permit us to see the shadow of a black hole within this decade.
BIOGRAPHICAL: Fulvio Melia is Professor of Astronomy and Associate Head of Physics at the University of Arizona. He is also the Associate Editor of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. His research focusses on the properties of black holes and the possibility of imaging them with radio and X-ray telescopes in the near future. A dedicated popularizer of this subject for the lay reader, he has recently published "The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy" and "The Edge of Infinity: Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe".