The Death of Black Holes and the Birth of White Holes

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This chapter explores the concept of the death of a black hole and the possibility of it transforming into a white hole. It discusses the emission of Hawking radiation by black holes and the potential explanations for the transition from a black hole to a white hole. The chapter also considers the idea that white holes could be a form of dark matter and the ongoing debate surrounding their existence.

Ian Sample meets the Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli to find out about his cutting-edge research into white holes. A white hole is essentially a time-reversed black hole: a region of spacetime where matter spontaneously appears and explodes outwards. At the moment they are hypothetical objects, so Rovelli explains why he thinks they are worth exploring and reveals how they could explain one of the greatest mysteries of physics. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod