Peter Galison

Peter Louis Galison, Joseph Pellegrino University Professor at Harvard University, has revolutionized our understanding of science's cultural and material dimensions. After earning dual Ph.D.s in physics and history of science from Harvard, he has built an extraordinary career spanning academic research, philosophical inquiry, and documentary filmmaking. As director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative and co-founder of Critical Media Practice, he bridges multiple disciplines in groundbreaking ways. His influential books, including "How Experiments End" and "Image and Logic," have transformed understanding of scientific practice, while his documentaries like "Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know" and "Containment" explore complex scientific and social issues. His work with artist William Kentridge on "The Refusal of Time" demonstrates his unique ability to merge scientific and artistic perspectives. Galison's achievements have earned numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship (1997), the Max Planck and Humboldt Stiftung Prize (1999), and the American Physical Society's Abraham Pais Prize (2018). Through his research on black holes and the relationship between technology and self, he continues to shape understanding of science's role in society while mentoring the next generation of interdisciplinary scholars.