What Shape Are Black Holes? Yes.

What shape is the event horizon of a black hole? Well, the answer to that question changes if our universe is hiding an extra dimension (or more). Black holes could come in an infinite number of shapes — including a precisely spinning hyper-donut and a family of crumpled up spheres called lens spaces.

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[TheTexas]

“Picture a shape that the human mind cannot physically picture”

[jn]

Okay, I'm considering an infinite number of shapes the human mind can't even imagine. I promise.

[AceSpadeThePikachu]

Would make for a great cosmic horror story where the literally incomprehensible shape of a black hole's event horizon drives all who look at it mad. Literally staring into the abyss.

[maxtonuponry]

This was wonderfully put together pop science. It managed to just straddle the line between "really interesting science" and "portable headache".

[jordanrainone]

Hi! I'm one of the Authors on the 2022 paper which proved there are Infinitely Many Possible Black Hole Shapes. Thank you for this video, it does an excellent job explaining the basics of Black Hole Topology and how to imagine a Lens Space. I'm happy to answer any questions people have about our work or the topic in general!

[clearlyrebecca]

A donut shaped black hole? Or perhaps... an everything bagel?

[madcow]

1:18 When we talk about a black hole's shape, we're talking about the shape of the event horizon." That makes it much more complicated. The black hole itself I always think of as either a point, a sphere, or a spinning disk, none of which are relevant because those shapes don't really have a meaning when space/time is all messed up.
2:50 "Higher dimensional donut." Mmmm, forbidden donut.

[sol_mental]

SciShow + Art Attack = Perfection
Yes, I do want more hands-on stuff from Sam (and all the crew ofc)

[ryanap]

Best Wishes to Hank on Chemo Treatment

[MrBishop]

which reinforces my question ... " Do all parts of a Black Hole spin in the same direction? "

[peter]

Hyperspheres are not too hard to display thanks to a few people who made sandboxes where objects have 4 dimensions but the user only sees 3 and has a slider to move along the fourth. Hyperspheres, when you are not at their exact center in the 4th dimension appear as floating 3 dimensional spheres. For cubes, they tend not to look like cubes anymore but just a polygon. The only evidence that we have that space is 4 dimensions is the lack of directly detectable gravity. It can only be seen as it's affect on the 3 dimensions we see

[zingadooda]

Wishing the best for you Hank <3 much love sent your way

[dj-kqfz]

Best wishes to Hank! Love SciShow and its great crew starting with the GOAT (Hank).

[mattdangerg]

What do you think of the recent paper showing that binary neutron star gravitational waves don't bleed gravity into 4d / extra dimensional space thus providing evidence against macroscopic higher dimensional space?

[geneticjen]

The black shadow we see in the middle isn't actually the event horizon. It includes the event horizon but also more. The event horizon is smaller than the dark circle we see. In terms of light you're essentially seeing the back of the black hole in the outer park of the dark circle. Further in, the event horizon begins.

[tristansm]

HANK WE LOVE YOU!!!! SCIENCE WONT FAIL US NOW😤😤💪🏼

[buzzofftoxicblog]

😊 I think it's keeping up. good work! I do sometimes think none of us know what we're talking about but this is absolutely a phenomenal. thank you!

[andrewallston]

@ Hank!!! Sending ALL the love and support! We are all thinking about you!!

[jerelull]

No disrespect intended, but IMO, the best science communicator about black holes, particle the super-massive an ultra-massive ones at the centers of galaxies —including our own Milky Way— is Dr. Becky Smethurst, who has taken the handle of Dr Becky. Such contagious enthusiasm for her chosen speciality!

[mrtienphysics]

Speedy recovery for the founder of sci show