StarTalk Radio Cosmic Queries – Get Some Space
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Sep 26, 2025 Can anything survive a black hole? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice tackle this question and delve into tidal spaghettification. They discuss the implications of finding extraterrestrial life versus uncovering dark matter. Future colonization of Mars seems unlikely as they explore human challenges in space. The duo also debates the impact of reallocating military funding to enhance scientific advancement. They consider the universe's mysteries, such as the observable edge and simulation theory, while emphasizing the importance of science in shaping policy.
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Inevitable Spaghettification
- Tidal forces near black holes grow until they overcome molecular and atomic bonds, stretching and ripping matter apart.
- Nothing, not even solid steel, can ultimately resist spaghettification as you approach the singularity.
Singularity Marks Theory's Limit
- General relativity predicts a singularity of infinite density but that prediction marks the theory's limit.
- A new theory (e.g., quantum gravity or string theory) is likely required to describe the black hole core.
Hawking Radiation Returns Information
- Hawking radiation lets black holes evaporate by emitting particles created near the horizon.
- The emitted particle inventory encodes information about what fell in, so information isn't lost to another universe.