Edward Bernard Grothus (June 28, 1923 – February 12, 2009) was an American machinist and technician at the Los Alamos National Laboratory during the 1950s and 1960s.

Originally, the business had no permanent home as Grothus sold unwanted lab items purchased at auction to universities and researchers.

[4] His objective for the Black Hole was to recycle scientific equipment for use in peaceful endeavors and to serve as a base to campaign for nuclear disarmament.

[6] When walking into the gymnasium sized warehouse filled with piles of old computers, function generators, lock in amplifiers, microscopes and piles of wires and cables, a sign on the door reads: One bomb is too manyNo one is secure unless everyone is secureDon't throw anything awayWelcome to The Black HoleGrothus is the subject of three documentaries.

[13] The book includes archival documents, past and recent photographs and a selection of letters from over 50 years of correspondence between Ed Grothus and politicians, scientists, the media and his family.

[21] where Mike Daisey talks about his visits to Trinity Site, The Bradbury Science Museum and his "Welcome to the Black Hole".

National Public Radio (NPR) feature titled "At 85, 'Atomic Ed' Is Still Ticking Off Los Alamos"[22] which described Ed's ongoing buying, selling and saving of "nuclear waste" and his desire to find a location for his twin 40 ton granite monuments - the Rosetta Stones for the Nuclear Age.