Watson Lecture: Katie Bouman Discusses Imaging the Invisible

How can we extend the limits of observation to "see" the seemingly invisible? On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Katie Bouman, professor of computing and mathematical sciences, electrical engineering and astronomy; Rosenberg Scholar; and a Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, will share how her lab combines physics and machine learning to see things in the universe that are invisible to traditional sensors.

In a public talk titled "Illuminating the Hidden Universe with Physics and AI," Bouman will explain how scientific images are increasingly constructed rather than simply captured, not only in extreme astrophysics—such as through black hole imaging—but also in other disciplines.

For centuries, traditional cameras and photography have been modeled on the human eye, Bouman explains. "But if we want to see things that traditional cameras can't, we need to rethink what a camera can be. Instead of simply trying to capture what our eyes would see, we can design sensors that collect information in entirely new ways, then use algorithms and machine learning to fill in missing pieces. The key is doing this responsibly, making sure that what we reconstruct is still grounded in the physics of the measurements we actually collect."

Growing up in West Lafayette, Indiana, Bouman was often encouraged by her father, a professor of electrical engineering, to explore scientific pursuits. One of her earliest memories of doing science was constructing and launching a tissue-paper hot-air balloon with him. Through middle and high school science projects analyzing fingerprint images and investigating whether people all perceive colors in the same way, Bouman developed an early interest in images and visual perception that would eventually lead her to study in the field of computational imaging. Bouman earned her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2011 and later completed her master's and doctoral studies in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT in 2017. Prior to Caltech, she was a postdoctoral fellow with the Event Horizon Telescope, which published the first picture of a black hole in 2019.

Starting at 6 p.m., members of Katie Bouman's lab will be present to answer questions about their research.

About the series

The Watson Lectures offer new opportunities each month to hear how Caltech researchers are tackling society's most pressing challenges and inventing the technologies of the future. Join a community of curiosity outside Beckman Auditorium to enjoy food, drinks, and music together before each lecture. Interactive displays related to the evening's topic will give audience members additional context and information. The festivities start at 6 p.m. Guests are also encouraged to stay for post-talk coffee and tea as well as the chance to chat with attendees and researchers.

Watson Lectures are free and open to the public.

Advance registration for Bouman's talk is full. Guests who have not registered are still welcome to attend the preshow, which does not require registration, beginning at 6 p.m., featuring food, music, and interactive displays.

After the preshow, non-ticketed guests interested in attending the talk may join our standby line by 6:50 p.m.

A recording will be made available on our YouTube channel.

Learn more about the topic at Katie Bouman's speaker page.