Exploring the Enigmatic Nature of Black Holes and Physics

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Black holes are like infinitely deep potholes with an event horizon where nothing, not even light, can escape. Inside this event horizon lies a singularity where known laws of physics break down. Einstein initially struggled to accept this reality as it seemed mathematically unnatural. Crossing the event horizon poses unknown mysteries, challenging our understanding of the universe and sparking fundamental questions about the need for new physics or a complete rethinking of existing scientific frameworks.

From our narrow vantage point on Earth, how can we see what's out there, beyond our skies? We look to how scientists and scholars have studied eclipses, dark matter, deep-space transmissions from intelligent life and more, all in the hopes of painting a clearer picture of a vast and invisible universe.

Original Air Date: August 19, 2017

Interviews In This Hour:

How Eclipse Chasing Inspires Generations of Scientists — How Do We Investigate The Invisible Parts of the Universe? — Search For Life In All The Wrong Places — What Can You Hear In Space? — The Universe Is Under No Obligation To Make Sense To Us

Guests:

David Baron, Priya Natarajan, Seth Shostak, Don Gurnett, Neil deGrasse Tyson

Further Reading:

NASA: 2024 Eclipse Explorer

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