Hosted by EIC Mikael Angelo Francisco, Ask Theory shines the spotlight on Pinoy scientific brilliance, in a fun and entertaining “kwentuhan” format. Each episode of Ask Theory features a Pinoy scientist from one of the various scientific disciplines. In a very casual Taglish conversation, guests explain what they do in simple terms, as well as share their fascinating stories: how they got into science, the challenges they face, what motivates them to pursue their fields, what future scientists from the Philippines can look forward to, and so much more.
Episode 9: Bakit Ba Natin Pinag-Aaralan Ang Mga Black Hole?
Despite being a longtime trope in science fiction and pop culture, black holes remain as fascinating and mysterious to us as ever. In fact, we’ve only just begun to improve our understanding of them, thanks to the advancements in theoretical physics, especially black hole research, in recent years. Unfortunately, the value of knowledge and discoveries tend to be measured in terms of their immediate practical applications – and when you’re dealing with something like black hole research, well, it’s not hard to see how that can become a problem.
Our guest on today’s show is Dr. Ian Vega, a professor at the National Institute of Physics, program coordinator of the Theoretical Physics Group, and head of the Gravity Group at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He was also the recipient of the Outstanding Young Scientist award from the National Academy of Science and Technology for his work in theoretical physics.
We talked about the basics of black holes, the important things we can learn from studying black holes, addressing a toxic misconception about theoretical research, how cosmic mysteries can help us better understand our place in the universe, why communication is vital in every scientist’s life, and more.
Listen to Ask Theory Episode 009: Bakit Ba Natin Pinag-Aaralan Ang Mga Black Hole? here:
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This episode of Ask Theory was made possible by the Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc., a private, non-stock, non-profit organization and the corporate social responsibility arm of Mercury Drug Corporation.
