Black holes reveal something astonishing about our universe.
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This extended cut is a deep dive into cutting edge research about black holes. It’s an interview with famous physicist Dr. Brian Cox. We start with “what if you fell into a black hole?” and end on the cutting edge research that had me questioning my whole reality.
I interviewed Dr. Cox originally for a shorter Huge If True episode all about what would happen if you fell into a black hole.
Watch our Huge If True episode about “What If You Fell Into A Black Hole?” here: https://youtu.be/BKIkTKqWMfg?si=bTde4QxUeN6bN1Io
But there was SO much weird and mind bending stuff about the cutting edge of black holes that didn't fit into that shorter episode, and we knew you'd want to hear it. So we decided we had to release the full conversation. It's just too cool and I think you'll love it.
Now, strap in, because the cutting edge of black holes is absolutely WILD.
As always, if you want more optimistic science and tech stories, subscribe to support Huge If True.
Chapters
00:00 What really is a black hole?
04:02 Warping space and time
8:08 Whats inside a black hole?
10:04 Photo of Sagittarius A*
13:03 How big are black holes?
15:19 How small are black holes?
19:37 Passing through the event horizon
23:45 Two perspectives
25:00 Spaghettification
29:22 You see this on Earth
31:08 Can we get out? Maybe!
34:04 The central question
38:08 What bothered everybody
42:07 Information encoded in pixels?
46:22 Black hole complementarity
51:30 Holographic principle
55:00 It’s hard for us
56:17 The universe as a network of qubits
57:08 Why black holes teach us so much
1:00:15 The firewall paradox
1:05:59 Are we living on the outside of a black hole?
1:07:55 Impacts on quantum computers
1:10:05 Why study black holes?
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Bio:
Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated independent video journalist. On her show, Huge If True, Cleo explores complex technology topics with rigor and optimism, helping her audience understand the world around them and see positive futures they can help build. Before going independent, Cleo was a video producer for Vox. She wrote and directed the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox’s Netflix show, Explained. She produced videos for Vox’s popular YouTube channel, was the host and senior producer of Vox’s first ever daily show, Answered, and was co-host and producer of Vox’s YouTube Originals show, Glad You Asked.
Additional reading and watching:
- “What If You Fell Into A Black Hole?” Huge If True: https://youtu.be/BKIkTKqWMfg?si=bTde4QxUeN6bN1Io
- Black Holes Explained – From Birth to Death, Kurzgesagt: https://youtu.be/e-P5IFTqB98?si=wFZijDyvIk-B2rG-
- How Gravity Actually Works, Veritasium: https://youtu.be/XRr1kaXKBsU?si=ZsvnUR4NwiAPZgvi
- Brian Cox on how black holes could unlock the mysteries of our universe, Big Think: https://youtu.be/pGsbEd6w7PI?si=HysqaVGkVHyoyNLC
- Travel Inside A Black Hole, VSauce: https://youtu.be/3pAnRKD4raY?si=9aA96AYZta4pZxsx
- Brian Cox, Joe Rogan Interview: https://youtu.be/Rc7OHXJtWco?si=eaQjo7kxx4OiFoux
- Do black holes explode? Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00768-4
- The Most Famous Paradox in Physics Nears Its End, Quanta Magazine: https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-most-famous-paradox-in-physics-nears-its-end-20201029/
Vox: https://www.vox.com/authors/cleo-abram
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10108242/
Gear I use:
Camera: Sony A7SIII
Lens: Sony 16–35 mm F2.8 GM
Audio: Sennheiser SK AVX and Zoom H4N Pro
Music: Musicbed, Tom Fox
Follow along for more episodes of Huge If True: https://www.youtube.com/cleoabram?sub_confirmation=1
—
Welcome to the joke down low:
Why should you never trust an atom?
Because they make everything up!
Find a way to use “atom” in a comment to let me know you’re a real one who made it to the end of the description :)