Falling Into A Black Hole Could Turn You Into A Hologram

Falling Into A Black Hole Could Turn You Into A Hologram

Scientists have come up with a theory which could explain what happens to matter once it enters a black hole: it becomes a hologram.

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Now we know what you're thinking, but hang tight because this isn't a case of our bodies simply appearing at the other end as projected beams of light.

Instead this is about what happens to anything, from human to planet once it becomes sucked into a black hole.

The key problem they've had before, is that while we know a black hole definitely sucks in matter, we have literally no clue what happens to that 'information' once the black hole disappears and fizzles out. This is crucial to determining the age of a black hole and then working out its beginning and end.

Quantum mechanics is very strict on the view that in the universe, no information can be lost or created, instead it's simply shifted around and used in different ways.

While black holes are by very definition holes in the universe, they still have to play by the rules, which means that at present they're breaking our theories of quantum mechanics.

Over at The Conversation, they've rather handily reconciled all the theories we currently have and presented us with a rather poetic alternative: rather than measure the information using three-dimensions, all the information that's sucked into a black hole is measured by two dimensions, as a hologram.

By measuring the surface area of a black hole you helpfully remove the problem that gravity presents and are able to determine the eventual age.

So now we know how to measure them, the next question is what actually happens when we fall into them. If you're going with the 'Interstellar' theory then while bizarre, a black hole isn't the end of your existence.

If you're going with every other theory, then sadly your existence would be ended fairly swiftly through the enormous tidal forces placed upon your fragile human body.

While this discussion will almost certainly carry on for some time, the holographic theory does give us one vital new piece of the puzzle.