Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe Could stars have black holes at their cores?
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Jul 22, 2025 The hosts explore the wild idea of stars harboring black holes at their cores, diving into cosmic principles and exciting research. Their light-hearted pizza debate adds a fun twist to the serious astrophysics discussion. They unravel the life cycles of stars and the formation of black holes, touching on stellar giants like Stevenson 218. With insights into supernovae and the evolution of these celestial bodies, they highlight ongoing mysteries and the importance of curiosity in scientific inquiry.
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Stars' Exotic Core Possibility
- Stars' cores are extremely dense fusion furnaces creating heavy elements for life.\n- A radical theory suggests stars might harbor black holes at their cores instead of just dense matter.
Fusion versus Gravity Balance
- Inside stars, fusion pressure balances gravity, preventing collapse.\n- This fusion-radiation pressure keeps stars stable and bright for millions to billions of years.
Fusion Energy Limits in Stars
- Fusion up to iron releases energy, but fusing elements heavier than iron consumes energy.\n- This causes star cooling and leads to eventual gravitational collapse, potentially forming black holes.