Summary
In this episode of StarTalk Cosmic Queries, the hosts and guest discuss the recent Nobel Prizes in Physics related to black holes. The prize was split between Roger Penrose, Andrea Ghez, and Reinhard Genzel for their contributions to our understanding of black holes. Penrose made the prediction that black holes would be the end state of the collapse of a star and proved the inevitability of black holes. Ghez and Genzel independently discovered the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy through decades of observing stars orbiting around it.
The conversation then moves on to the age of black holes and how they can give us a sense of how long they have been in existence. However, it is difficult to determine their precise age. The conversation also touches on the formation of supermassive black holes and their relationship with galaxies. There is still some uncertainty about whether these black holes nucleated the formation of galaxies or if the galaxies had mechanisms that funneled material to the center.
In this podcast segment, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Janna Levin discuss black holes and their impact on the universe. They explain that black holes have the ability to regulate the size, shape, and number of stars that form in a galaxy. They also discuss the formation of black holes and how they spew out materials in order to become what they are. They mention that black holes can have strong jets that can puncture neighboring galaxies and wipe out planetary life.
The hosts explain that the event horizon of a black hole is the point at which light cannot escape and that photons can sit there but not move. They also discuss the fact that you cannot see the photon at the event horizon unless it enters your eye. Finally, they explain that Roger Penrose was able to prove that all paths of light point towards the singularity within the event horizon, regardless of the shape of the collapsing object.
The hosts answer listener questions about the laws of physics and how they apply to black holes, including how the geometry at the center of a black hole differs from a regular implosion and whether throwing antimatter into a black hole would shrink or expand it. They also discuss the possibility of a new theory that could explain the singularity in black holes. The episode ends with a mention of Janet's upcoming book and the hosts expressing their appreciation for her contributions to the field of astrophysics.
