The mysteries of black holes from "summary" of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
Black holes are the most mysterious objects in the universe. They are places where the gravitational field is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. Our understanding of black holes is based on the theories of general relativity, which describe how gravity works on large scales. However, these theories break down when we try to apply them to the extreme conditions inside a black hole. The event horizon of a black hole is the point of no return - once something crosses this boundary, it is trapped forever. Beyond the event horizon lies the singularity, a point of infinite density where the laws of physics as we know them cease to apply. The concept of a singularity is troubling because it implies that our understanding of the universe is incomplete. Black holes are not just theoretical constructs - we have observed them in the universe. Some black holes are formed when massive stars collapse under their own gravity, while others are the remnants of supernova explosions. The discovery of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies has raised new questions about how these behemoths form and evolve. One of the most puzzling aspects of black holes is their behavior with respect to information. According to quantum mechanics, information cannot be destroyed, but when something falls into a black hole, it seems to vanish without a trace. This apparent contradiction, known as the black hole information paradox, is a major unsolved problem in physics. Despite their enigmatic nature, black holes have captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike. They represent the ultimate test of our understanding of the laws of physics and offer a glimpse into the extreme conditions that exist in the universe. Studying black holes may lead us to new insights about the nature of space, time, and gravity, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge to the very edge of what is possible.
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