As early as 1783 science was already speculating about dark stars, the gravitation of which would be so strong that not even light could escape. Direct observation of such objects is therefore impossible. Their modern name, black holes, reveals that nothing in 'finite' time can escape such an object. Or can it? Using a paper she had published at the age of 17, the scientist Cornelia Faustmann conveys to us the most recent insights into this strange phenomena. She describes their formation, their features, collisions, and many more astonishing facts – and yet she never shrinks back from questions such as, „What would happen if you fell into a black hole?“ or “Could black holes be used as 'worm holes' for space travel?“

About the author:

Cornelia Faustmann was born in 1986. At the age of 17 she published a paper on the features of black holes which brought her notoriety and was awarded a prize by the Austrian Society of Physics (ÖPG) and the Austrian Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ÖGAA). Her book, „Einstein without Formulas“ which she co-authored with the world famous physicist Walter Thirring, added to her standing. She has studied Astronomy and Latin at the University of Vienna since 2004 and in 2007 she took on the post of tutor in Latin grammar at the same university.