Black Holes
This Record-Breaking Black Hole Could Help Solve a Cosmic Mystery
The earliest active supermassive black hole ever seen offers clues on how these enigmatic objects first formed
Black Holes59 articles archived since 1845
Black Holes
Supermassive Black Hole Feeding Frenzies May Explain Blinking Quasars
A new simulation shows black holes ripping apart and consuming their accretion disk in a matter of months, which may explain why some quasars quickly brighten and dim
Quantum Physics
Bizarre Quantum Theory Explains Why Your Coffee Takes So Long to Drip through a Narrow Filter
Physicist John Cardy and his colleague just won the 2024 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. We spoke with Cardy about conformal field theory, 2D black holes and coffee filters
Black Holes
JWST Finds Strange Harmony in Early Galaxies and Black Holes
Black holes in the extraordinarily distant cosmos are out of tune with their host galaxies, offering insights into their formation
Black Holes
Oppenheimer Almost Discovered Black Holes Before He Became ‘Destroyer of Worlds’
Before leading the Manhattan Project, J. Robert Oppenheimer co-authored a paper explaining that the most massive stars must eventually become what we would now call a black hole
Black Holes
The Universe Is Abuzz with Giant Gravitational Waves, and Scientists Just Heard Them (Maybe)
Researchers, using the galaxy as a detector, believe they have detected gravitational waves from monster black holes for the first time.
Black Holes
First Evidence of Giant Gravitational Waves Thrills Astronomers
Astrophysicists are tuning in to a never-before-seen type of gravitational wave spawned by pairs of supermassive black holes
Black Holes
Black Holes Evaporate—Now Physicists Think Everything Else Does, Too
Particle by particle, all matter may eventually disappear, according to new calculations
Black Holes
Listen to the Astonishing ‘Chirp’ of Two Black Holes Merging
Some of the most violent cosmic collisions occur silently in the vacuum of space, but with the right instrumental ears, we can still hear it happen. Here’s how.
Astrophysics
Is Time Travel Possible?
The laws of physics allow time travel. So why haven’t people become chronological hoppers?
Black Holes
See the Sharp New Image of an Iconic Black Hole
Using machine learning, researchers have now created a much sharper portrait of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87
Black Holes
Colliding Dwarf Galaxies Reveal a Glimpse of the Early Universe
Scientists may have spotted two pairs of merging dwarf galaxies, each pair with a duo of soon-to-collide black holes
Black Holes
Has Anyone Created a Black Hole on Earth?
A lab-made black hole is beyond current technology but could be possible one day
Black Holes
Quantum Entanglement Isn’t All That Spooky After All
The way we teach quantum theory conveys a spookiness that isn’t actually there
Black Holes
Colliding Supermassive Black Holes Discovered in Nearby Galaxy
These merging supermassive black holes are among the closest ever observed and could help unlock deeper secrets of cosmic history
Black Holes
Neutrinos from a Nearby Galaxy Reveal Black Hole Secrets
The IceCube observatory has detected neutrinos from an active galaxy for the first time, revealing clues about how supermassive black holes gobble matter
Astronomy
9 Science Stories That Restore Our Faith in Humanity
A river’s “gut” revived, snake-saving social media, an intragalactic donut, and more success stories of the year
Astronomy
Is Our Universe a Hologram? Physicists Debate Famous Idea on Its 25th Anniversary
The Ads/CFT duality conjecture suggests our universe is a hologram, enabling significant discoveries in the 25 years since it was first proposed
Astronomy
The Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst Ever Recorded Rattled Earth’s Atmosphere
The death of a massive star far across the universe affected lightning on our planet and could teach us about the Milky Way
Black Holes
The First Milky Way Black Hole Image Lets Scientists Test Physics
The first image of the behemoth at the center of our galaxy opens new avenues for understanding the nature of black holes
