Black Holes

What is a black hole, really, and could one ever put Earth in danger? In this episode of Five Minute Gist, we explain black holes, the places where gravity gets so strong that not even light can escape. We look at how they form, from giant stars collapsing in supernova explosions to the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. We break down how scientists know they exist, from gravitational waves to the first photo of a black hole in 2019, and whether any of them poses a real risk to us. Finally, we ask the biggest question of all: what's inside a black hole, and why can't anyone say for sure?

One topic. Five minutes. Just the gist.

Have a topic you'd like explained simply? Send it to topic@fiveminutegist.com.

Have a topic you want discussed on the show? Send a voicemail here, or email us at topic@fiveminutegist.com