Events

Why Black Holes Are Hot

When is a system ‘really’ thermal? Such philosophical questions are increasingly difficult to answer given the many varieties of black hole radiation, acoustic horizon radiation, and other curiosities of modern physics. In this talk, I defend one precise definition of what it means to be ‘thermal’ in the sense of admitting a precise geometrical definition of heat, together with a clear philosophical interpretation. This framework clarifies one sense in which black holes really are hot, and which applies equally to analogical black holes like acoustic horizons, although their thermodynamic properties are radically different from familiar models of thermodynamics like a box of gas.

Zoom

Monday, October 20, 2025 11:00 AM

Inperson
G10