Nobel Prize winner's love for mathematics started in London, Ont., biographer says
U.K. Mathematician Roger Penrose helped advance our understanding of black holes
A scientist with a connection to London, Ont. won the Nobel Prize in Physics Tuesday.
British mathematician Roger Penrose was recognized alongside German Reinhard Genzel and American Andrea Ghez for their contributions in advancing our understanding of black holes, the all-consuming phenomena that capture everything that enters them.
Back in 1965, Penrose used mathematical methods to prove that black holes are a consequence of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.
His article, described as groundbreaking by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is still seen as one of the most important contributions to the general theory of relativity since Einstein.
Long before his contributions to the discovery, Penrose fell in love with mathematics as a young boy in London, Ont.
For more insight on his life, Afternoon Drive host Chris dela Torre spoke with Patchen Barss, a science journalist and author who is writing Penrose's biography.