Where Do Black Hole Singularities Send All the Matter They Consume?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of black holes, particularly focusing on the fate of matter that falls into them and the implications for information loss and the potential creation of universes. Participants explore theoretical concepts related to black holes, including singularities, information conservation, and cosmological theories.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that matter is destroyed upon entering a black hole, leading to speculation about the fate of the resultant energy.
  • Others mention the possibility of information being conserved holographically within a black hole and potentially retrieved as Hawking radiation, questioning whether these ideas are accurately represented in layman's terms.
  • A participant notes that the existence of singularities inside black holes has not been confirmed, suggesting that particles may become part of the black hole's mass.
  • There are speculations about whether our universe could exist within a black hole, with some theories suggesting that a black hole could lead to the creation of new universes.
  • Participants discuss the implications of a potential Big Crunch followed by a Big Bang, questioning whether the universe would be the same or different in subsequent cycles.
  • Some express uncertainty about the nature of information loss in black holes, indicating that while it appears to violate thermodynamic principles, there is no consensus on how information is preserved or lost.
  • One participant reflects on the implications of the uncertainty principle and chaos theory, suggesting that even if a universe were to collapse and expand again, it would not be identical to its previous state.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints regarding the fate of matter and information in black holes, with no consensus reached on the nature of singularities, information loss, or the implications for the universe. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing theories and ideas presented.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the speculative nature of many claims regarding black holes, the dependence on definitions of information and singularities, and unresolved questions about the laws of physics in extreme conditions.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in theoretical physics, cosmology, and the philosophical implications of black holes and the nature of the universe may find this discussion engaging.

aricho
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If black holes suck all matter into a singularity, where does it go and what does it do from there?
 
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aricho said:
If black holes suck all matter into a singularity, where does it go and what does it do from there?
No one can answer that for sure; that's one of the defining characteristics of a black hole. All information is destroyed after entering one, so there is no way to interogate a hole to find out what's going on inside. The matter itself is destroyed on the way in; what becomes of the resultant energy is speculative.
 
Danger said:
No one can answer that for sure; that's one of the defining characteristics of a black hole. All information is destroyed after entering one, so there is no way to interogate a hole to find out what's going on inside. The matter itself is destroyed on the way in; what becomes of the resultant energy is speculative.
Is that the latest view? I read something in Scientific American (I think it was) a loooong time back about the possibility of information being conserved holographically in a black hole (I know nothing about holography), and also that it may be retrieved (albeit randomly) in the form of Hawking radiation. Do either of those points make any sense, or is it another case of facts being lost in translation to layman's language?
 
First of all , singularity inside black holes has not been confirmed, but even if it existed,after hitting singularity, the particle becomes a part of the huge dense mass of the black hole and further strengthens it.

BJ
 
our universe?

could our universe be in a black hole?

Could the "Big Bang" have occurred from the possible "singularity" inside a black hole.

Also, i know that light can't get out, but can light get in?
 
aricho said:
could our universe be in a black hole? Could the "Big Bang" have occurred from the possible "singularity" inside a black hole.
Well, no-one knows the laws of physics in a black hole, so no-one can answer that. There are theories (cosmological Darwinism and black-hole bouncing) that suggest a universe may be created by a black hole, but I don't know if anyone gives these theories much time. When it comes to 'in' a black hole, I guess you can ask any question you like but no-one knows the answers.

aricho said:
Also, i know that light can't get out, but can light get in?
Sure.
 
aricho said:
could our universe be in a black hole?

By definition, a black hole is an object within the universe. But as noted, there are speculations about the possibility of black hole singularities creating universes.

Also, i know that light can't get out, but can light get in?

Light falls into, and gets trapped, in a black hole just like matter does.
 
The implied information loss in a black hole is still actively debated in theoretical circles. It is troubling because it appears to violate some highly cherished principles of thermodynamics. The consensus appears to be there is no actual information loss. There is not, however, a consensus on how this is avoided. For an entertaining [and not mind-numbing] discussion on how different theoretical camps have approached this issue, see:

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0501103
Black hole entropy: inside or out?
Authors: Ted Jacobson, Donald Marolf, Carlo Rovelli
 
El Hombre Invisible said:
Is that the latest view? I read something in Scientific American (I think it was) a loooong time back about the possibility of information being conserved holographically in a black hole (I know nothing about holography), and also that it may be retrieved (albeit randomly) in the form of Hawking radiation. Do either of those points make any sense, or is it another case of facts being lost in translation to layman's language?

There is only one problem,there is no hologram without photons.
 
  • #10
I remember having read that article in SciAm, but not the details. I believe that the general context was in using a black hole as a computer. Given the state of my home, it'll take me a week to find that particular issue. The thing that weirds me out about that is that it might infer a continuation of our universe in the next Big Bang if ours ends up collapsing into a Big Crunch. The though of me being duplicated to wreak havoc upon yet another civilization is truly frightening. :eek:
 
  • #11
Hmm that provokes an interresting thought; say the big crunch occurs, and then it expands again as the big bang. Wouldn't it turn out to be the EXACT SAME universe as it is now? What would prompt it to be different? I mean there arent really any variables when everything is condensed into one point, are there? Would the second, or third or third trillionth big bang be any different? I don't know ,but I just thought of that idea, and maybe it's already been stated or something... Kind of spooky that I've already typed this... an infinite number of times, maybe. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
  • #12
cDimino said:
Hmm that provokes an interresting thought; say the big crunch occurs, and then it expands again as the big bang. Wouldn't it turn out to be the EXACT SAME universe as it is now?
I was kinda kidding about that part of it. The uncertainty principle and chaos theory would rule out an exact duplication even if the resultant new universe began exactly the same as this one. Think of how different just our own little planet would be if, for instance, Napoleon had died in childhood. Extrapolate things like that to an entire universe, and you just couldn't end up the same way twice.
 
  • #13
Yes, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principal would do it. I'm sorry for thinking aloud :-(
 
  • #14
Danger said:
... All information is destroyed after entering one, so there is no way to interogate a hole to find out what's going on inside. ...
Didn't Stephen Hawking recently admit he lost a bet against two other physicists (cosmologists?) on whether information can escape from a black hole? (Hawking had bet on "no information escape.")
 
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