Neutron stars are among the most exotic objects known in the universe. They are like gigantic, rapidly spinning atomic nuclei with masses similar the sun's but diameters smaller than Champaign-Urbana. Some have magnetic fields a million million times stronger than earth's magnetic field and radiate more than a million times the total power of the sun, almost all in X-rays!

 When black holes form, spacetime is curved so strongly that matter and radiation are trapped forever. Black holes are one of the key predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity and their detection, identification, and study is of fundamental importance for physics and astronomy. 

This talk will address how we know neutron stars exist and what they are like, the structure of spacetime outside and inside a black hole, and the latest news on the search for black holes. It will include videos, demonstrations, and computer simulations.