Carla Rodrigues Almeida

Carla Rodrigues Almeida is a Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) in Berlin, where she conducts research on the History of Black Holes Physics in collaboration with Senior Researcher Jean Eisenstaedt from CNRS.

Her academic journey began with mathematics studies at the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES) in Brazil, where she earned a master's degree in pure mathematics in 2013, focusing on geometry and topology. She continued at UFES to complete her PhD in physics in 2017, with a thesis on quantum cosmology. Prior to her current position, she was a Junior Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF) in Rio de Janeiro from October 2017 to February 2018.

Dr. Almeida's research bridges the history of science with theoretical physics, examining how concepts of black holes evolved from 18th century 'dark stars' through Einstein's general relativity to modern gravitational wave observations. Her work illuminates the historical development of one of physics' most fascinating phenomena, showing how scientific concepts transform through time and how historical context shapes scientific discovery.

Her notable publications include the 2018 article 'A Brief History of Black Holes' published by The Conversation, and her 2023 seminar 'Historical Epistemology of the Final Theory' at MPIWG. These works demonstrate her expertise in tracing the historical trajectory of black hole theory while connecting it to broader themes in the history and philosophy of science.

As a researcher at MPIWG, Dr. Almeida contributes to the institute's mission of understanding scientific thinking and practice as historical phenomena, particularly through the lens of physics and cosmology.