Mind-Bending Ideas About Black Holes

 by Benjamin Thomas

 fact checked by Darci Heikkinen

Black holes are bizarre yet fascinating objects. Regions of space and time are so dense and have such strong gravitational attraction that they consume anything and everything that might wander too close. Not even light can escape their pull, making it impossible to see directly. Instead, scientists scour the cosmos for a lack of photons—a sudden drop in light particles—or for the radiation they emit.

Technology in astronomy is constantly improving, and as it does, we move further forward in our understanding of these mysterious giants. Every month heralds a new breakthrough. Sometimes, it’s an observation of a black hole ripping a star to shreds or two of them devouring a shared gas cloud. At other times, scientists come up with extravagant new theories, like the idea of cosmic censorship or the idea that the universe, as we know it, might be part of a black hole of unimaginable size. Here are ten of the most breathtaking recent black hole moments for you to try and get your head around.

 

Cosmic Censorship: Why We Cannot See the Inside of a Black Hole

 

 

Einstein’s theory of general relativity redefined the way we think about gravity. His groundbreaking work predicted points of infinite density scattered across the cosmos. These are known as singularities—points at which the fabric of time and space becomes distorted chaos, and the laws of physics fall apart. Singularities exist at the heart of every black hole.

So, how come when we look out at the universe, we don’t see these points contorting time and space into an unknowable cataclysm? For this, we turn to British physicist Roger Penrose. He proposed that singularities are shielded by the black holes’ event horizons. He called this idea the cosmic censorship conjecture.

 

Penrose’s hypothesis is fascinating, but it is based on scarce evidence. For decades, scientists have been unable to find much to prove or disprove it. Discoveries about the behavior of tiny particles could change all that. Researchers applied Penrose’s ideas to quantum mechanics and discovered what’s known as quantum cosmic censorship.

Scientists are now bringing in ideas around the mass and energy of space-time and the second law of thermodynamics. This far-out research could pave the way for a more rigorous explanation for why we cannot see the anarchic inequalities that lurk inside black holes.

 

Supermassive Black Hole Defies All Theoretical Limits

 

 At the heart of a galaxy 12 billion light-years from Earth lies a black hole like none other scientists have ever seen. Supermassive guzzler LID-568 eats up matter at 40 times the theoretical limit. It sucks in surrounding cosmic material and spews out intense X-ray emissions, which is what drew researchers to its existence. They located the record-breaking beast thanks to readings from the James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory.

The gargantuan glutton formed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. That might sound like an enormous amount of time, but the universe was still in its infancy. Scientists hope that by studying LID-568, they can learn how supermassive black holes became huge so soon after the Big Bang.

 

Nessie again: new footage of a mysterious creature roaming Loch Ness

The two mysterious humps floating near the surface of Loch Ness are nothing short of a monster. That's the verdict of Nessie hunter Eoin O'Faodhagain, who watched the creature via webcam. 

 

At about 7.5 m long, the waterfowl is too large to be a common inhabitant of the lake.

Eoin said: "When this creature cuts through the water, two distinctive features can be seen: a large front hump and an even larger second hump behind."

 

 “Both humps are black and gray in color, but stand out against the background of the environment. I was amazed and fascinated by this huge, fast-moving animal. Instinctively I knew that this was nothing more than the Loch Ness monster.”

 

The Internet Wants to Know if Women Have Periods While in a Coma, Experts Finally Answered the Tricky Question

 

The Internet Wants to Know if Women Have Periods While in a Coma, Experts Finally Answered the Tricky Question

by  Yulia Z.

 

A bizarre question has recently sparked a heated debate across social media. What started as an innocent spark of curiosity, grew up into an absolutely viral discussion, with many people wanting to know the answer immediately. A question that made people die of curiosity, sounded like this, “Do women still get their periods while in a coma?” And finally, doctors shared an explanation and one of them even provided absolutely mind-boggling information that shattered the minds of many.

A user unexpectedly provoked a massive reaction after posting a simple yet curious question on “X”.

 

 

The question of whether women still get their periods while in a coma sparked a frenzy on social media after user @CloudxRaven posted it on December, 2. The query quickly went viral, amassing nearly 24 million views and over 3,000 comments, ranging from informative to... less so.

One user described it as “the best yet most bizarre question” they’d seen, capturing the confusion shared by thousands of internet users intrigued by the topic. Some users, despite lacking expertise in gynecology, boldly attempted to answer the question with confidence.

The question quickly went viral on social media, with experts revealing what truly happened.

 

 

How to Take Nudes You’ll Actually Love, According to Boudoir Photographers

Your guide to snapping sexy photos of yourself and feeling great about them.

By Erica Sloan

 

 

Evgenia Ribinik Studios/Lauren Miller - DC Boudoir/Julia Pomodoro

 

Even for the hottest among us, snapping a fantastic selfie can be tough and tiresome. (Trust me: I once laid eyes on the camera roll of a beauty influencer and spotted at least three thumb-scrolls of shots for one picture.) Figuring out how to take great nudes? A whole other level of challenging. The fewer clothes you wear, the more body parts visible for your inner critic to judge—it’s just math. Not to mention, the process can feel super vulnerable, given our society doesn’t exactly celebrate people stripping down on camera.

And yet there are plenty of valid reasons why you might want to take some steamy nudes. Classically, they could be a hot gift for a partner or an arousing visual for you both to look at when you’re in a spicy mood (or want to get there). Or maybe you just want to have a sexy record for yourself of what your bare body looks like at this moment in your life.

So long as you’re an adult making the decision to snap nudes yourself and not feeling pressured by anyone else to do so, the process can be empowering and can help you feel more confident and comfortable naked—which can boost your mental health and sex life. Indeed, consensually exchanging nudes with a partner can crank up feelings of desire between the two of you and deepen your sense of intimacy and eroticism, psychotherapist and AASECT-certified sex therapist Todd Baratz, LMHC, member of the plusOne Wellness Collective, tells SELF.

 

But again, even if you’re psyched about the idea of taking hot selfies—whether for yourself, your partner, your OnlyFans, or anyone else—the mechanics of snapping the pics can be pretty awkward, if not entirely humbling. So we sought some advice straight from the pros: boudoir photographers whose literal job is nudes (gorgeous ones, at that). Below, their best tips for shooting your own sexy photos and feeling great about them.

4000-year-old Temple With A 2.30 Meters Central Monolith Discovered in Cyprus

 

An Italian archaeological mission, the Erimi Archaeological Project of the University of Siena, discovered a 4,000-year-old temple in Cyprus. This is the oldest sacred space ever found on the island.

The discovery was made in collaboration with the Cypriot Department of Antiquities and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The temple provides a glimpse into the past of the island’s artisan community and is characterized by an enigmatic central monolith adorned with a circular motif of small cups.

Over fifteen years, under the direction of archaeologist Luca Bombardieri, the excavation revealed a temple-like building tucked away inside a sizable workshop complex. This “temple before the temple,” as Bombardieri puts it, illuminates the pivotal role that religion played in these prehistoric peoples’ lives. The complex, which spanned more than 1000 square meters and was built during the Middle Bronze Age (2000–1600 BC), contained dyeing vats, warehouses, and workshops.