The Dark and the Light: Black Holes, Dark Halos, and their Influence on Galaxy Evolution

Supermassive black holes are amazingly exotic and yet ubiquitous objects, residing in the centers of essentially all stellar bulges in galaxies. Recent years have seen remarkable advances in our understanding of how these black holes form and grow over cosmic time, and how energy released by active galactic nuclei (AGN) connects the growth of black holes to their host galaxies and large-scale structures. I will review some recent work that explores these connections, with a focus on statistical studies of AGN clustering and the links between black hole growth and and star formation. I will highlight some new insights into how and when AGN "feedback" is important for galaxy evolution, and discuss some prospects for exciting future progress.