Black Holes: The Universe's Dark Secrets
Explore the most mysterious objects in the cosmos — where physics breaks down
10 Episodes
Audio Lessons
236 Minutes
Total Learning
Beginner
Friendly
The Ultimate Cosmic Mystery
Black holes are regions of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing — not even light — can escape. They're the universe's ultimate dead ends, places where our understanding of physics breaks down.
In 2019, we photographed one for the first time. In 2015, we detected gravitational waves from colliding black holes. These objects, once theoretical curiosities, are now confirmed reality.
What You'll Learn
What Is a Black Hole?
A black hole forms when a massive star collapses. Beyond a certain point — the event horizon — escape becomes impossible. At the center lies the singularity, where density becomes infinite and physics as we know it fails.
Types of Black Holes
Weird Physics
- Black holes are laboratories for extreme physics:
- Time dilation near the event horizon
- Spaghettification of falling objects
- Hawking radiation and black hole evaporation
- Information paradox: what happens to information that falls in?
Black Holes in Our Universe
Sagittarius A* at our galaxy's center. The first photographed black hole in M87. Binary black hole mergers. The role of black holes in galaxy formation.
All Episodes
10 audio lessons • 236 minutes total
Inside Black Holes
Definition and basic concepts. Event horizon. Singularity. Escape velocity exceeding light speed. How we conceptualize these objects. Common misconceptions.
How Black Holes Form
Coming SoonStellar collapse. The Chandrasekhar limit. Neutron stars vs black holes. Supermassive black hole formation mysteries. Direct collapse theories.
~25 min
Anatomy of a Black Hole
Coming SoonThe event horizon in detail. The photon sphere. Ergosphere of rotating black holes. The singularity. Kerr vs Schwarzschild black holes.
~25 min
What Happens If You Fall Into a Black Hole?
Coming SoonSpaghettification explained. Time dilation near the horizon. What you'd see. Crossing the event horizon. The journey to the singularity.
~25 min
Galactic Black Holes
Black holes millions to billions of solar masses. Sagittarius A* at our galactic center. Active galactic nuclei and quasars. Role in galaxy formation.
The First Black Hole Image
Coming SoonThe Event Horizon Telescope. How we photographed M87*. What the image shows. Technical challenges. Sagittarius A* image. Future observations.
~25 min
Hawking Radiation: Black Holes Evaporate
Coming SoonStephen Hawking's discovery. Virtual particles at the event horizon. Black hole temperature. Evaporation timeline. The information paradox.
~30 min
Gravitational Waves: Black Hole Collisions
Coming SoonLIGO detection in 2015. What gravitational waves are. Black hole mergers. What we learn from these signals. Future of gravitational wave astronomy.
~25 min
Black Holes Nearby
Known nearby black holes. Gaia discoveries. Are there closer undiscovered ones? Could a black hole threaten Earth? Black holes in our neighborhood.
Black Hole Frontiers
Coming SoonInformation paradox unresolved. Quantum gravity and black holes. Holographic principle. Wormholes and exotic possibilities. What black holes teach us.
~30 min
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