Explore the origins of supermassive black holes in this thought-provoking lecture by Christian Byrnes from the University of Sussex. Delve into the mystery surrounding black holes with masses between one million and one billion solar masses found at the centers of many galaxies, even at high redshifts. Examine the possibility that these massive cosmic entities may be primordial rather than astrophysical in nature. Investigate the challenges in explaining their formation and the difficulties in developing early universe models, such as inflation, that can account for their existence. Learn about the constraints imposed by cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectral distortions on non-standard initial conditions at the relevant length scales for supermassive black holes. Gain insights into cutting-edge research in cosmology and astrophysics as you ponder one of the most intriguing questions in modern astronomy.