Is Language Barrier a Reason for Our Limited Understanding of Black Holes?

[A. Neumaier]

Summary:: The most basic issue queried

Why do we know so little about black holes?

 

[A. Neumaier]

Because whenever new light is shed on them, it immediately disappears behind the horizon!

 

[ergospherical]

Many physicists are satisfied with a Kerrsory understanding.

 

[Nugatory]

I've fixed the thread level prefix

 

[PeroK]

Doesn't this belong in the "lame jokes" thread?

 

[phinds]

Doesn't this belong in the "lame jokes" thread?

It actually started off as a serious question by @DaveC426913 but his post #1 somehow disappeared

 

[berkeman]

It actually started off as a serious question by @DaveC426913 but his post #1 somehow disappeared

So Dave is, is, spaghettified now?

 

[PeterDonis]

So Dave is, is, spaghettified now?

Or maybe firewalled...

 

[DaveC426913]

It actually started off as a serious question by @DaveC426913 but his post #1 somehow disappeared

I do not recall this. Are you suggesting I started this thread? No. I would have been more descriptive with my subject line.

 

[martinbn]

I do not recall this. Are you suggesting I started this thread? No. I would have been more descriptive with my subject line.

Unless there was information loss.

 

[phinds]

I do not recall this. Are you suggesting I started this thread? No. I would have been more descriptive with my subject line.

Huh. Maybe I'm having a senior moment but I could have sworn the original post was yours. Guess my memory isn't what it used to be *

* to be fair, my memory never was what it used to be

 

[DaveC426913]

I would have been more descriptive with my subject line.

Whereas this subject line has no hair.

 

[vanhees71]

...but quantum hair!

 

[jedishrfu]

jedi: That would be entangled quantum hair.

dark jedi: A frayed knot.

 

[PeroK]

Glaswegian joke:

Is that a black hole or a meringue?

You're right enough, it's a black hole!

 

[A. Neumaier]

Doesn't this belong in the "lame jokes" thread?

No. It belongs in the "April 1 jokes" thread - wherever that thread is...

 

[Klystron]

Rumor has it French speaking scientists objected to the term as undignified.

 

[strangerep]

No. It belongs in the "April 1 jokes" thread - wherever that thread is...

Heh, heh, I started one several years ago, here.

But the joke character would be lost if they were all put in an obviously-Apr1 thread.

 

[strangerep]

Rumor has it French speaking scientists objected to the term as undignified.

Huh? Is that because they have a stronger cultural emphasis on bleaching?

 

[Oldman too]

Since it's no longer April fools day, how about another question?
What is the closest analogue to Quantum Particle?

https://www.quantamagazine.org/massive-black-holes-shown-to-act-like-quantum-particles-20220329/

"Physicists are using quantum math to understand what happens when black holes collide. In a surprise, they’ve shown that a single particle can describe a collision’s entire gravitational wave."

 

[robphy]

Many physicists are satisfied with a Kerrsory understanding.

Sadly, most physicists don’t Kerr.

 

[Klystron]

Huh? Is that because they have a stronger cultural emphasis on bleaching?

My knowledge of French colloquialism being non-existent, the translation evoked a different body part.

 

[DaveC426913]

My knowledge of French colloquialism being non-existent, the translation evoked a different body part.

Even rereading the thread several times, I still don't know what term exactly it is the French find undignified... Unless it's 'black hole'.

 

[Klystron]

Even rereading the thread several times, I still don't know what term exactly it is the French find undignified... Unless it's 'black hole'.

When I was a child, I was taught by engineers and scientists who had read physics papers in German and certain math and electronics papers in French. English translations for Americans contained many assumptions, misunderstandings and errors. My dad's old science textbooks written in English often contained untranslated sections in European languages that the student was assumed to understand. To this day I am still learning what some old textbooks actually meant.

In this context many jokes arose due to colloquial expressions. For instance, I think a lot of nonsense surrounding Albert Einstein 'quotations' arose from poor translations and outright jokes from colleagues. The OP retains a certain dignified Old World style in his textbooks IMO that I enjoy reading.

Hence, my use of the term 'undignified' when alluding to the 'black hole' naming kerfuffle. All in fun.