The Hawking paradox (or black hole information paradox) is a fundamental conflict in physics arising when a black hole evaporates via Hawking radiation. It pits quantum mechanics—which mandates that information cannot be destroyed—against general relativity, which suggests information trapped in a black hole is lost when it vanishes, violating unitary evolution.
The information paradox first surfaced in the early 1970s when Stephen Hawking of Cambridge University suggested that black holes are not totally black. Hawking showed that particle-antiparticle pairs generated at the event horizon—the outer periphery of a black hole—would be separated.
Stephen Hawking's "last warning" focused on two key existential threats: Artificial Intelligence (AI), which he feared could surpass and supersede humanity if mismanaged, and the need for humanity to colonize other planets to survive growing risks like overpopulation and climate change, advocating for a new space age to ensure our long-term survival. He warned in 2014 that full AI could "spell the end of the human race," as it could redesign itself at an increasing rate, making humans obsolete. In his final years, he stressed that Earth's problems (like population growth, climate issues) meant we needed to become a multi-planetary species to avoid self-destruction, a goal he hoped a new space program would accelerate.
In his predictions, Hawking saw a world transformed by digital technology in 2025, with global interconnectivity thanks to a “worldwide internet.” This vision seems almost prophetic: in 2025, smartphones, connected devices, and online platforms dominate our lives.
What is the black hole information paradox in simple terms?
The black hole information paradox is a conflict between two apparently incontrovertible facts: first, that semiclassical gravity is valid on scales where gravitational and quantum effects are more or less separate; second, that quantum mechanics is “unitary” and thus all quantum processes are in principle, though not ...
Hawking's black hole paradox explained - Fabio Pacucci
Is Stephen Hawking's theory true?
By analyzing the frequencies of gravitational waves from a merger between two black holes, the team verified Stephen Hawking's 1971 black-hole area theorem, which states the total surface area of black holes cannot decrease.
In a 1935 paper, Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen introduced a thought experiment to argue that quantum mechanics was not a complete physical theory. Known today as the “EPR paradox,” the thought experiment was meant to demonstrate the innate conceptual difficulties of quantum theory.
What is Stephen Hawking's biggest threat to humanity?
The Cambridge physicist regarded global warming as one of the biggest threats to life on the planet. Hawking was particularly fearful of a so-called tipping point, where global warming would become irreversible.
Nostradamus's interpretations for 2025 often point to major global upheaval, including geopolitical conflict, significant natural disasters (like floods, wildfires, volcanic activity, and an asteroid near-miss), and the potential rise of new world powers or an "aquatic empire" linked to rising sea levels, alongside predictions of major medical breakthroughs and economic volatility. These prophecies are vague, interpreted through his cryptic quatrains, and connect to current global concerns like climate change and technological progress, with some suggesting the end of major conflicts (Ukraine) or even the world.
Why did Stephen Hawking say we need to leave Earth?
Stephen Hawking's contemplation of humanity's future doesn't stop at our planetary borders. Recognising the limitations of our home planet, with its finite resources and growing population, he believed that for the survival and prosperity of humankind, we must look beyond the confines of Earth and explore the cosmos.
Stephen Hawking's estimated IQ at the time of his death was 160. Is the challenge (or ease) of imminent death directly proportional to your IQ? Anyway, here's to Hawking, 1/8/42-3/14/18.
What were Stephen Hawking's last words before he died?
Stephen Hawking's "last words" aren't a single phrase from his deathbed but rather his final messages in his posthumously published book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, and a farewell speech, emphasizing hope, curiosity, and humanity's potential, concluding that "There is no God" and that we should strive to make life valuable, while acknowledging life's brevity and the universe's scientific explanations.
I have lived 72 years of struggle over the question of God. I have arrived — in spite of toil, trial and tribulation, and more than my share of each — at what I think is a more than tepid faith in God's existence and in His Grand Design. I believe in His creation of our existence.
The nearest known black hole is Gaia BH1, which was discovered in September 2022 by a team led by Kareem El-Badry. Gaia BH1 is 1,560 light-years away from Earth in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus.
In physics, the twin paradox is a thought experiment in special relativity involving twins, one of whom takes a space voyage at relativistic speeds and returns home to find that the twin who remained on Earth has aged more.
Stephen Hawking's black hole prediction finally comes true – why it's a breakthrough for science. In 1971, Stephen Hawking theorized that a black hole's event horizon can never shrink. Recently, LIGO confirmed this by observing two black holes merging on January 14, 2025.
The late renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking made numerous predictions about the future of our planet, with one of his most famous foreseeing a grim scenario by the year 2600.
Stephen Hawking's most famous quotes often center on curiosity, resilience, and the universe, with "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change" and "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at" being among his most cited, alongside his advice to "look up at the stars and not down at your feet", reflecting his profound wisdom on life and existence.
Based on mathematical models, our longest potential lifespan is around 150 years. But, we know that genetic manipulation of model organisms increases it by up to 100%. So, humans can live up to 244 years.
A star entering our system could collide with the sun or, with its powerful gravitational pull, tug the earth. If its gravity were strong enough, it could pull the earth out of the solar system altogether.
After becoming aware of Oppenheimer's predicament with security clearance, Einstein laughed and said, "The trouble with Oppenheimer is that he loves a woman who doesn't love him—the United States government." At the IAS, Einstein acquired a "grudging respect" for Oppenheimer over his administration skills, and ...
The best-known version of the omnipotence paradox is the paradox of the stone: "Could God create a stone so heavy that even he could not lift it?" This is a paradoxical question because if God could create something he could not lift, then he would not be omnipotent.
There isn't one single "most famous" paradox, but top contenders include Zeno's Paradoxes (like Achilles and the Tortoise) questioning motion, Russell's Paradox shaking mathematics' foundations, the Liar Paradox ("This statement is false") challenging logic, and the Grandfather Paradox in time travel, with the Fermi Paradox (where are the aliens?) also very well-known in science.
