Peter Galison

Peter Galison is the Joseph Pellegrino University Professor at Harvard University, with joint appointments in Physics and History of Science. He directs the Black Hole Initiative, an interdisciplinary center studying these cosmic phenomena.

His research examines how instrumentation shapes scientific knowledge across physics subcultures, with current focus on black hole imaging and the relationship between technology and identity. Galison combines scholarly work with documentary filmmaking to communicate complex scientific concepts.

Major honors include:

• MacArthur Fellowship (1997)
• Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2020)
• Abraham Pais Prize (2018)

He leads digital visualization projects including 'glue' software for multidimensional data exploration and educational initiatives using WorldWide Telescope.