Can an Atom Become a Black Hole?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the concept of whether an atom can become a black hole if it is shrunk to a certain size, exploring the theoretical implications and challenges of such a scenario.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that if an atom were shrunk to a certain point, it could theoretically become a black hole, questioning how small it would need to be.
  • Others express skepticism about the feasibility of shrinking an atom, suggesting that if it were possible, the atom would evaporate almost instantaneously, complicating measurement.
  • One participant questions the method by which one might shrink an atom, indicating a need for clarity on the process involved.
  • A participant references an article discussing the potential for creating black holes in particle accelerators, noting that current technology is insufficient to reach the necessary energy levels.
  • Another participant emphasizes the limitations of human knowledge regarding cosmic phenomena, suggesting that our impact on such scales is minimal.
  • One participant mentions the possibility of forming artificial black holes through high-energy proton collisions, but notes that current accelerator capabilities are far below what would be required.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views, with some agreeing on the theoretical possibility of black hole formation from atoms while others contest the practicality and feasibility of such a process. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of how this could occur.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions about shrinking atoms, the definitions of black holes, and the energy requirements for creating them. The feasibility of the proposed methods is also not fully explored.

Blop
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If you shrunk an atom down to a certain point would it become a black hole like all matter in the universe can? How big would it be?
 
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Blop said:
If you shrunk an atom down to a certain point would it become a black hole like all matter in the universe can? How big would it be?
Even if you could, which I doubt, it would evaporate in the instant of its creation so measuring it would be a bit tough.
 
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Blop said:
If you shrunk an atom down to a certain point would it become a black hole like all matter in the universe can? How big would it be?
Just wondering... by what means do you plan on shrinking down an atom?
 
XZ923 said:
As with many other concepts, we humans don't have the knowledge to make any kind of impact on a cosmic scale.

Considering the mess we've made of things in our own back yard, this is probably a very good thing...
 
If we could accelerate protons to the Planck energy and collide them, we should be able to form artificial black holes (that evaporate quickly - but then we can study the decay products).
Unfortunately the energy we can reach in current accelerators is a factor 100000000000000 (1014) too low.
 

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