Supermassive Black Hole Research: Session Overview . ... 2000. ... While black holes have long been hypothesized as the engines that power active galactic nuclei, conclusive detections and mass measurements long remained elusive. ... I will provide a brief overview of supermassive black hole research in general, aimed at providing listeners outside the subject area the context necessary for a proper understanding of the subsequent talks in the session. ... Last modified June 14, 2000. ...