If you ask Dr. Katie Bouman, she’ll humbly tell you that it was a team effort – and it certainly was. But there’s no denying how impactful the 29-year-old was in generating the world’s first image of a black hole, which was released by NASA this week.
Bouman, a computer scientist and assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology, started her work three years ago on an algorithm that would allow this discovery to happen. On Wednesday, she was rewarded in pretty amazing ways, earning global praise and the knowledge that she has altered the field of astronomy.
It’s truly an inspirational story – and it’s a human one, too. Bouman shared a picture of herself reacting to loading the photo for the first time, and the pure joy is evident on her face.
Also worth noting is that Macbook laptop that she’s using in the photo. Hey, Apple – want to inspire the next generation of consumers? Consider giving Dr. Bouman a call!
Image Courtesy of Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration