This just in: There *is* a supermassive black hole in the galactic core. (1 Viewer)

[Brian Perry]

You can't see a black hole?

That's correct. One of the characteristics of a black hole is that the gravitational force is so strong, even light cannot escape.

 

[Patrick Sun]

So where does the stuff inside a black hole go?

 

[Jack Briggs]

Physics as we know it pretty much breaks down when it comes to the interior of a black hole. At this point, we are dealing completely with unknowns. But nothing above the subatomic level can survive a black hole.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I don't know what's more fascinating: black holes or the technology we use today to discover findings concerning black holes.

If we can't see a black hole, how does one go about detecting such a thing? As you can all probably tell by now, I'm big into biologial and chemical sciences, but the whole of physics and astronomy eludes me. :b

Interesting question, why do people bring up the subject of "something being on the other side of black holes"? I thought black holes were huge, dense collections of matter in which even light cannot escape. So how can there be an other side?

 

[Jack Briggs]

There isn't. At least not in this universe. Again, this is unknown territory.

We can detect black holes by their effects on the surrounding neighborhood, the jets of plasma shooting out from galactic cores, etc.

 

[RobertR]

Hmmm, and eventually, all matter in the univese will converge into one big black hole, so powerful that nothing can escape it and with a mass so large that it cannot exist without contracting into a single dot and exploding? I wonder how many times this may have happened in the past already?

That may or may not happen. Current observations point to there being insufficient matter to stop the expansion of the universe. It may expand forever. On the other hand, it's thought that perhaps most of the matter in the universe is "dark matter" that we can't see, which may cause a contraction.

 

[Mary M S]

Black Holes are the ‘Locks’ and ‘Levelers’ of the galaxies. Draining compacting matter out of contracting galaxies into expanding galaxies elsewhere. A relief valve adding eons to the rates of expansion and contraction in galaxies.

Just kidding…but they are wonderful to mull upon.

I like to think on Black Holes - as a ‘door’ or ‘other sided’ into dimensions and an existential existence I cannot presently imagine that they or something like them are a conduit to ?

I still believe that there is absolutely no reason why man, if he continues long enough cannot walk through solid objects eventually, in the best tradition of (in honor of the month) CGI wraiths.
I concluded this when I first learned that a wall or any object is made up of molecules at different density levels with a propensity to remain in a particular cohesive mass and type than the air or any object surrounding it.
I impatiently await him who can come up with the first versions of spreading molecules of a denser sort to allow other unrelated molecules to filter between or ‘pass through’. After releasing the stretched and spread molecules to bounce back into original configuration without significant damage to its normal structured juxtapositions.

 

[Steve Christou]

PARALLEL UNIVERSES CAN THEY EXIST?
"I rather like the theory that Black Holes are gateways to parallel universes, because the existence of parallel universes could explain the lack of antimatter in our universe. In parallel dimensions there could be objects similar to the planets and stars we are familiar with in our own, but constructed of antimatter [this is one of the most recent theories, after the principles of dissymetry], are you with me so far?
Ok, well according to the universe's governing principle of symmetry, there must be equal amounts of matter and antimatter. However, we have failed to discover the slightest trace of antimatter! There may be countless parallel universes out there, or even in here where we are sitting now, that may explain people hearing voices or seeing ghosts, the forum slowing down and other unexplained phenomena.
58% of physicists (including Stephen Hawking) think multiple universes exist."

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

In parallel dimensions there could be objects similar to the planets and stars we are familiar with in our own, but constructed of antimatter [this is one of the most recent theories, after the principles of dissymetry], are you with me so far?

Recent theories? Hell, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby came up with this one in The Fantastic Four around 1965. The Negative Zone was a parallel universe where everything was composed of anti-matter. Reed Richards invented some harnesses that somehow allowed the FF to travel in the Zone for brief periods without blowing everything to hell-and-gone.
Regards,
Joe

 

[Grant B]

So there might be a moc.murofretaehtemoh.www in a parallel universe?
Better tell Nietspe Dlanor!

 

[Seth Paxton]

Hmmm, and eventually, all matter in the univese will converge into one big black hole, so powerful that nothing can escape it and with a mass so large that it cannot exist without contracting into a single dot and exploding? I wonder how many times this may have happened in the past already?

You know, Neil, that Asimov has a great short story about this. A CPU is working on reversing entropy. Humans and CPUs evolve and converge, all the while it keeps working on this problem. The human/CPU things form into a collective (a bit like the Borg), they become global.
Then, just as they/it have used up the very last bit of energy availabe in the universe, their last thought is the solution for the reversal of entropy and "BAM" the universe is born again. Over and over as you say.
Asimov was just the coolest.

 

[Seth Paxton]

By the way, the previous theory that the universe must be collapsing or expanding is no longer the reigning champ as I understand it. A bit of quantum mechanics has been used to show how a massive increase in matter very early on was caused by a...trying to remember the qm event...is it a reverse vaccuum or something like that. QM says that very small particles pop into existence from "nothingness" all the time, but in a special case such particles can pop in and induce this reverse vaccuum or whatever which causes a massive expansion. This changed how we viewed the "big bang". It makes it possible for the entire universe to have come from nowhere. Now if that doesn't mess with your brain I don't know what does.
Anyway, that theory adjusts that number that is used to show the stability of the universe and I guess helps explain the current situation as being much closer to stable than was previously thought. I'm going by memory from a Discover mag article on it. Guess I need to dig it up. The scientist's work is generally believed to be accurate at this point.
Heck, I probably have half of it really screwed up, so it would be best for me to find the article and let you know how to check it out on your own.
BTW, remember that E=MC^2
Energy is equal (proportionally) to mass. Light IS affected just like mass. Even our sun bends light rays in its own gravity well (which is nothing compared to a black hole's gravity). Newton is great for living, but it doesn't do much for explaining existence to us.
Also, Dome, dark matter is even a more amazing discovery to detect IMO. Something else people are working on detection of is GRAVITY WAVES.

 

[Josh Lowe]

how many licks does it take to get to the supermassive black hole at the center of a tootsie roll pop?

ah one
ah two
ah THREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH

the world may never know

 

[Grant B]

I remember how the ancienct Greeks divided up everything into 4 elements -fire, water, earth and air and really believe our attempts to explain black holes as simplistic as the Greeks.
Mind you, you need somewhere to start

 

[RobertR]

Anyway, that theory adjusts that number that is used to show the stability of the universe and I guess helps explain the current situation as being much closer to stable than was previously thought.

Shades of the (modified) steady-state theory!