Science & Cocktails: Priyamvada Natarajan

Science & Cocktails is proud to present an evening with astrophysicist superstar Priyamvada Natarajan — one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in 2024, professor at Yale University, and author of Mapping the Heavens. She will guide us through the mysterious world of black holes and their role in the grand cosmic puzzle.

The evening kicks off with a live performance by Gustaf Ljunggren and Emil de Waal, who will fill the space with evocative rhythms and jazz, followed by a screening of the award-winning film SPACETIME.

What are black holes? How do they form? When in cosmic history did, they emerge? What role do they play in shaping the universe? And what are the open questions in black hole physics today?

Black holes are among the most enigmatic objects in the cosmos — strange, invisible, and yet profoundly influential. In this talk, Priyamvada Natarajan will chart the evolution of black holes from abstract mathematical ideas to essential astronomical entities. She will explore how they form, how we detect them, and how they may be crucial to the formation of galaxies.

She will also share how the James Webb Space Telescope is revolutionizing our understanding of the early universe — revealing the first galaxies and the birth of the earliest black holes. The evening concludes with some of the most recent and exciting discoveries in astrophysics, earlier predictions, and a look at what’s to come.

This event will be held in English and is generously supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Priyamvada Natarajan
Priyamvada Natarajan is an award-winning astrophysicist and professor at Yale University, internationally renowned for her work on dark matter and black holes. She was named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2024. Natarajan is also the author of Mapping the Heavens and is deeply engaged in public science communication and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Gustaf Ljunggren/Emil de Waal
Gustaf Ljunggren and Emil de Waal have performed together for over 25 years and as a duo since 2018. Their music blends jazz, improvisation, and ambient textures, creating an intimate and imaginative space for listeners. They have collaborated widely with artists across genres and perform in clubs, concert halls, and festivals in Denmark and internationally.

Movie Spacetime
A movie about space, time and black holes that received several international awards in film festivals, including in Cannes in 2025.