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the_zelectro t1_j2bdx5i wrote

There are actually valid criticisms of the theoretical models for black holes. It's possible that the objects we are observing aren't the same as the mathematical models we have of black holes.

We have good reason to believe that our models have a pretty good lead on how these objects behave though.

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SnipeUout t1_j2ben2f wrote

Is it possible that it’s just a star so dense that light, even its own can’t escape it. No not a black hole but a black star.

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PerdHapleyAMA t1_j2bevbf wrote

You’re just describing a black hole. With something that dense, it collapses in under its own gravity. It wouldn’t look like a star, hence the black hole moniker.

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SnipeUout t1_j2bfue3 wrote

Isn’t it still a globe like object. Anything pulled into it will eventually just stop at some point. It’s not going to pass through into some fantasy dimension.

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PerdHapleyAMA t1_j2bhmye wrote

It isn’t really a globe-like object. The event horizon is spherical because that’s the point that light can no longer escape its pull towards the singularity, but it isn’t really a globe.

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Lifesagame81 t1_j2bwen5 wrote

>It’s not going to pass through into some fantasy dimension

Is that a commonly accepted model of a black hole?

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SolarChien t1_j2bhq0g wrote

I believe if it's so dense that light can't escape then the gravitational force pulling everything to the center is so strong that everything is crushed into an infinitely small single point, and it's like a feedback loop where the more stuff that gets sucked in adds to the density and thus the strength of it's gravitational pull which means it can crush more into the singularity. I don't think there is any physical globe like object, no growing buildup of physical material. The "size" appears to increase because as it gains more mass it's able to pull light in from further away.

Not an expert but that's my basic understanding as a layman.

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connart t1_j2bfv5o wrote

He's not, current model of a black hole is a singularity. However, look at bosestars and it's the same effect as a BH but not singularity. Quick thing on them here at 8:02 https://youtu.be/XJMmCg15PpE

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PerdHapleyAMA t1_j2bh12l wrote

I didn’t mean the shape, necessarily, but the effect. He had the right idea without the follow through: a star of that density would be a singularity and almost incomprehensibly small for its mass, and most black holes are created from collapsing stars.

So they were pretty close but couldn’t quite get past the idea that it wouldn’t really be a star anymore.

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the_zelectro t1_j2bfld5 wrote

I think I've seen it suggested: a hyper-dense object of some kind, which isn't a singularity.

Maybe some other effect is in play that we're ignorant to, which prevents singularity formation. This might be a clean way of explaining away why our current math breaks down at the center of these things.

To be clear, I'm not sold on the idea myself. But, if these objects are singularities (I believe this to be the case), the strangeness of them is massively underrated.

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Gabougi t1_j2bfpm8 wrote

That’s pretty much what it is, it’s just that if it’s dense enough so light can’t escape, then it’s not made out of gas/plasma like stars are anymore

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BuzzyShizzle t1_j2bhj51 wrote

Even if you criticize the models that still doesn't justify dismissing the thing we are attempting to explain though does it?

Its kind if like saying I don't believe in clouds. I can see them but I don't believe in them? That's nonsense. I might think they aren't explained properly but I can't say I don't believe in them.

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the_zelectro t1_j2bhufe wrote

I think most of his initial description was lame. But, he promptly deleted it. As for the actual question he posed though? Perfectly valid.

The model has issues, and alternative ideas might be worth looking into. Measured skepticism doesn't hurt, especially in science.

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BuzzyShizzle t1_j2bi3xd wrote

That's not proper skepticism though. Skepticism is what gets us closer to understanding black holes. Simply denying their existence isn't helpful skepticism at all.

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the_zelectro t1_j2biazx wrote

He didn't deny their existence, he just said he doesn't believe. Einstein himself had the same opinion, despite discovering some of the equations.

And, tbh: since the model says to divide by zero, that's a perfectly fair stance. "Black hole" might be erroneous terminology for these objects that we're now detecting.

I think the model is correct myself, but it is incomplete. We definitely don't have a good idea of what dividing by zero even means.

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