No black hole in the real universe contains singularities. A flawed physical theory can
lead to singularities, which are nonphysical mathematical results.
In talking about black hole singularities, we are talking about errors that appear in
our current theories and not about objects that exist. Singularities are not real, so
when scientists and non-scientists talk about them, they're just demonstrating their ignorance.
Essentially, they are referring to any errors that might arise in the theories that we hold
about the things in space that exist. In other words, when we talk about singularities as
if they exist, we are perpetuating incorrect assumptions about space, and in the case of
black holes. Singularities are also defined as points in
space where there is an infinite density of mass. Since mass affects spacetime and is
related to gravity, the spacetime in that area would have an infinite curvature.
According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, black holes contain singularities,
and the theory is remarkably well-matched by experimental results.
The problem is that infinity cannot exist in the real world. The appearance of infinity
in a theory is simply a sign that it is too simple to handle extreme cases.
This is attributed to Einstein's theory since it usually matches experiments very well.
The theory is widely trusted for this reason. Due to Einstein's theory, people believe that
infinities don't exist in the real world. Many scientists believe that if another person
comes up with a theory that relies on infinity, then that theory is too simple to think of
anything else. Imagine the simplest physical model that accurately
describes how waves travel on a guitar string. If you drive a string at its resonant frequency,
the simplest model predicts that its vibration will increase exponentially with time, even
if you are driving it gently. It does this, but only to a certain point.
However, the exponential function quickly approaches infinity. As a result, a guitar
string-driven at its resonant frequency will, at some point, vibrate out to infinity and
back again. Does it really vibrate infinitely just because the model says so? No, it doesn't.
The string snaps before it reaches the moon. The infinity in the model indicates that the
model has reached its limits. So long as the vibrations are small, the simple model of
waves on a string is correct. If you want to avoid the infinity in the equations,
you need to build a better theory. If you want to model vibrating guitar strings, you
just need to add a description of when guitar strings snap.
This means that the theory's model has reached its limits. The guitar string model is correct
when there are only small vibrations, but this is where it ends.
There are limitations to pretty much every scientific theory. Valid and accurate theories
are in line with experimental findings. There are a lot of predictions that are considered
nonsense when you go outside of the limitations of the theory.
It would be ideal if physicists could come up with a theory that would work in every
experiment with no limitations. However, we do not yet have such a theory.
In physics, Einstein's theory of general relativity is still the most accurate. As long as they
are used properly, they will yield the right results, even though they are used for very
different reasons. From the size of a human down to the smallest
particles, this theory accurately describes physics. Nevertheless, quantum field theory
fails to explain planets and other astronomical bodies. The theory says nothing about gravity.
Black holes are astronomical objects that are collapsed to quantum sizes. In other words,
they span both perspectives in one lifetime. When a giant star eventually runs out of fuel,
it forms a black hole. In other words, there are no longer enough
atoms to undergo nuclear fusion and emit enough energy to counteract the gravitational pressure
that pushes inward on the star. The gravitational pressure on the star does
not prevent it from collapsing. General relativity predicts that the star will collapse into
an infinitely small object with infinite density. It is basically a prediction based on a theory
that worked when the black hole was a star, but not on a star.
This is not true since such a thing cannot exist in the real universe.
It is because the two most recent and most accurate theories are not adequate to explain
that we do not know what is happening in a black hole.
Based on the theories that we have, we can make predictions, but we cannot know for certain.
There are a lot of theories surrounding black holes because we do not know everything.
When a massive star runs out of fuel to balance out gravity and collapses under its own gravity,
it forms a black hole. According to general relativity, the star collapses into an infinitely
tiny point with an infinite density. As should now be clear, such a beast does
not exist in reality. Observing a black hole singularity in general relativity simply confirms
that general relativity is inaccurate at very small sizes, as we already knew. Objects of
very small sizes need quantum field theory to be described.
Nevertheless, quantum field theory does not include gravitational effects, which are the
main characteristics of black holes. Due to this fact, we will not know exactly what is
taking place inside a black hole until scientists can successfully develop a proper theory.
This encompasses both small sizes and strong gravitational effects.
Whatever the new theory says, it will not say that black holes have singularities. This
would simply show that the revised theory is just as flawed as the old theory.
For the future theory of everything to work, it cannot predict singularities in black holes.
The interiors of black holes are the final frontier for theoretical physics. Almost everything
else in the universe can be explained using current theories.