Dr. Henriette Elvang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Einstein's theory of General Relativity contains fascinating objects known as "black holes". Classically these are regions in spacetime from which nothing can escape to an observer far away. Quantum mechanically, however, black holes radiate with a certain temperature. To understand quantum aspects of black holes, String Theory has been very successful, and it motivates a quite broad study of different types of black holes. In this talk I will review some relevant aspects of black holes, string theory and "extra dimensions", and I will discuss the goals and current status of our quest for understanding black holes and their physical properties.