Ahmed Almheiri
Institute for Advanced Study
2021 New Horizons in Physics Prize
For calculating the quantum information content of a black hole and its radiation.
Comments
I find that I can credit a lot of what got me to this point today to a number of fortunate experiences: from the superb instruction of my high school teachers Maroun Abi Nader and Nada Mansour to the endless support of my home country the UAE to the unrivaled guidance of my late PhD advisor Joseph Polchinski, and to the enriching collaborations with luminaries at UCSB, Stanford University, and the Institute for Advanced Study. Such a path doesn’t exist a priori, but rather is paved by the genuine effort of others, which gives me the drive to realize and expand on the opportunities they provided. Most of the credit goes to my loved ones for their support and care in the face of the unforeseen challenges along the way. Being selected for this prize by those I respect and look up to is another one of those fortunate experiences, and I hope to use the doors it opens to further the goals of its message.