
Ask a scientist with professoratrix Scarly!

As an almost Doctorate in Physics, I will answer all your questions about the physical world and make fun of theological ones! So go ahead and ask me something seriously complicated or really stupid I’ll let you know which category it’s in and what the answer is this week!
Remember
“there are no stupid questions, just stupid people”
Mr Garision, South park.
So don’t be shy, here I’ll start for you with some old classics -
Q. Is a black hole a gateway to another dimension?
A. No it’s not, but if you get pulled into one you’ll get squashed down to one dimension.
Q. What is a white hole?
A. An American re-write of a black hole
Q. How accurate do you think Astrology is?
A. About the same as Guliani’s evidence of voter fraud - Zero to the power of all the numbers also amounting to zero.
Q. I’m an Aquarius what star sign are you?
A. Daenerys the-burn-your-village-down-for-being-stupid.
Q. What is a black hole?
A. Finally a fucking proper question!
Q. So what is a black hole?
A. O rite - it’s what is left over after a star at least three times the mass of our sun runs out of fuel and collapses. A star that size will explode like a smaller star but the density of the star’s core has so much gravitational energy it will pull the star in on itself. Once this happens not even light can escape.
Q. What does a black hole look like?
A. So far we don’t have actual images, other than one supermassive black hole, what we do have is telemetry and so we can build the object by it’s effects on various instruments. The object, when we do finally resolve it, or if you were to visit one will appear black because of the effect it has on light, it will also look blury around the edges. Intense gravitational distortion warps space/time amount the object so you it would look like a dark blob with bright swirls around it, those swirls will be super heated plasma falling into and being stripped apart by gravity, two intense light like beacons of gamma-ray discharges will be exiting the poles - in a smaller black hole.
Next?
User Comments
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I have no questions. My scientific knowledge is such that I can't even form a question, but I understood all the answers given... |
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It doesn't have to be complex or particularly deep, and also it's not mandatory, but thanks for the stars and the company x |
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We are actually learning a huge amount about them now as astronomy is going through a sizable revolution in terms of data quantity and quality. They come in a vast variety as well so there is also that. One of the things that's been the most spectacular is that a facility in the USA and it's twin in Italy LIGO and VIRGO detected a phenomena that Einstein predicted called 'gravity waves' when two black holes collided a couple of years ago. This proved that when events like that happen the fabric of the universe ripples - and so do we more or less like an ocean wave - only we are the ocean! You should also check out Neutron stars they are my favorite space wierdness here is an informative little vid - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udFxKZRyQt4&ab_channel=Kurzgesagt%E2%80%93InaNutshell |
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I wait for answers to the deep questions from you until then I look up and see Mother Nature just offering me jaw dropping beauty! :O) |
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I find that mesmerising as well, I used to go out to a remote facility in the outback before the Corona to do research and in my off hours I'd lie on one of the out doors tables and watch the stars. |
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I have a genuine question, Scarly. If sound waves can't travel through empty space, would the Big Bang have been silent? |
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Well, the thing is that in space you can't hear anything because its a vacuum but the radio waves hiss, and it is everywhere pick a direction, it's unavoidable! |
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Can be done, if the texture match and neither is a feature, But there needs to be some padding - blue mainly - I'm thinking Prussian and maybe a yellow? |
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A hate fuck Scarly? So you do have a thing about Metal Heart then? HaHa. I now apologise unreservedly. |
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You call it Preußischblau too? I thought that might be an English term. That would be a nice colour, I love light blues, I painted my living room a light cyan years ago it was like being in the sky. |
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French braid, German measles, Romanian vampires. Nice colour selection - I'll have a red though - or a white - I like wine :) |
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And by our looking at those particles, do we change the nature of them? The old Schrödinger's Cat question. Haven't you solved that yet? (teehee) |
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When I come across stuff I'll pop over - and there is a lot going on now that is in the WTF catagory. Even advances that are being made atm are mind boggling. Hey there is this channel on youtube that I think you might like - it's Fermilab's https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD5B6VoXv41fJ-IW8Wrhz9A It's got enough science without the dumbing down and patronising hosts in it. It's a little on the dorky side but good. Haha nice Schrödinger meme! Dunno if I've recommended this before - I tell this to everyone who is interested in Physics - Richard Feynman's Six easy pieces, its a series of lectures he did in a book, and it's a modern penguin classic so it's not expensive. He is really good at making the brain bending seem sensible. |
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Link saved for the snowy afternoon we've had forecasted and I can probably get the book delivered from our local library. Thank ya muchly! |
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Here is the pdf of it from Accedemia, save your energy x
https://www.academia.edu/42678233/Six_Easy_Pieces_Richard_Feyman_2_ |
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I know you're not keen on google but this is a great resource and I use it a lot for reference, footnoting and keeping up with what's happening in particular fields - |
Why does time seem to flow only in one direction?