Posted on 07/15/2004 8:30:32 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
LONDON (AP) - After almost 30 years of arguing that a black hole swallows up everything that falls into it, astrophysicist Stephen Hawking backpedaled Thursday. In doing so, he lost one of the most famous bets in recent scientific history.
The world-famous author of a "Brief History of Time" said he and other scientists had gotten it wrong - the galactic traps may in fact allow information to escape.
"I've been thinking about this problem for the last 30 years, and I think I now have the answer to it," Hawking told the British Broadcasting Corp.'s "Newsnight" program.
"A black hole only appears to form but later opens up and releases information about what fell inside. So we can be sure of the past and predict the future."
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.tbo.com ...
I tell ya... :-)....I've studied exterior ballistics to a degree (for small arms) in the past, and I've ALWAYS been just slightly skeptical about how the differences are measured with things like "light bending" as opposed to more measureable (slower) things like projectiles traveling through a medium.
...actually, it makes my head spin to think about this whole blackhole issue. Interesting yes!....but strange stuff indeed. :-)
But what you said about the path looking curved reminded me of some of what I've studied in ballistics. Good point :-)
"changes his mind" - since it is all speculation anyway, what difference does it make?
Oh wow...thanks :-)...I've got them up now in seperate windows in Opera (my WWW browser), but will have to read them later. If I don't go to bed, I'm gonna turn into a toad! :-)
Care to cite some references?
You are most welcome! :-)
It does, though. This stuff is more real than any political theory.
Such creative minds...yet this is the best prize they could come up with for a bet? Boring!!
It's turtles all the way down!
/obvious
Right now, Paramount/Viacom is panicking, after getting reports of thousands of Star Trek fans throwing their multi-volume DVD episode collections in the garbage due to Hawking changing his mind about space physics.
Meanwhile, Disney has just announced they will re-release their 1978 feature film The Black Hole in a new multi-disc set featuring a text commentary track by Mr. Hawking. Besides that, no it doesn't make much difference.
I guess all those long nights of research at the titty bar have paid off. Seriously though, what goes through the mind of a stripper when Stephen Hawking is staring at her with a glazed look in his eyes - "This guy thinks I'm really hot" or "This guy must be pondering the origin of matter in universe."
Since you like ballistics, imagine the problems of properly leading a "quantum duck" - you know, that's the one flying along with the "QUARK! QUARK!" call.
Not only not curious, but some at times are downright hostile.
He is obviously familiar with my Theory of the Brontasaurus.
Hile, Wordslinger.
thankee-sai.
I'd like to know how the toaster works.
I'm just messin' with you guys.
Physics never ceases to amaze!
Someone corrected me on the earlier thread about Hawkings latest revelation in regards to the meaning of "information" in quantum physics. Seems I had it wrong. I still don't understand it, but here it DOES seem they're talking about something more than just quantum information (whatever that means, lol!).
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