Myths About Black Holes
Mia Thillet
Zathura-Literature
In the novel, the black hole is revealed to be Zathura, a very interactive game board. When the players end the game, the black hole appears, reverts the events of the game, and sucks out the playing field. At first, the characters are scared of the black hole because it sucked one of the characters into it, but by the end the black hole is a relief since it ultimately made all the characters safe.
Accuracies:
- If a person were in space and close enough to the black hole's gravitational pull, they would be sucked into it.
- Black holes are only able to form in space.
- Black holes do manipulate light and time as is depicted in the novel.
Inaccuracies:
- Black holes do not form out of nothing-especially not board games. It takes a neutron star being compressed to form a black hole.
- Both characters survived after being sucked into the black hole which is very unlikely.
- As in the novel, a black hole cannot appear and disappear freely.
Power Rangers (Wormhole Episode)-Television
In this episode, the power rangers travel through a wormhole to go back in time and defeat some monsters. The wormhole is a product of a black hole, and allows the rangers to travel 21 years into the past. The wormhole is only available for a certain amount of time and the power rangers struggle to get through it before it closes.
Accuracies:
- There are many theories that allow the possibility of wormholes, and that sate that the laws of physics could allow a human to travel through the forbidden.
- wormholes are theoretically formed as a result of black holes.
Inaccuracies:
- The wormhole did not appear in a black hole to the power rangers.
- Wormholes would not disappear or appear randomly-they are either there or they aren't.
- It is not proven that wormholes can successfully time travel human beings.
Wormhole
power rangers after making it through the wormhole 21 years into the past
The Black Hole-Movie
In this movie, a black hole is formed when a science experiment goes very wrong. The black hole began to form in the city of St. Louis, and when it formed, a creature climbed out of the hole and the more energy it absorbed, the larger the black hole grew. Eventually, the creature climbs back into the hole and the black hole collapsed into itself. The city was in great disrepair but not completely demolished. The army was contacted to "fight" the black hole and attempted to do so with guns.
Accuracies:
- One of the characters states that in a black hole not even light can escape, which is an accurate fact.
Inaccuracies:
- Black holes can only form from the compression of a neutron star-not by a failed experiment.
- No creature or life can exist or leave a black hole once it is sucked into it.
- Black holes cannot destroy themselves by simply collapsing.
- Nothing on Earth or near Earth would come close to surviving if a black hole came near it.
- No amount of gun power could affect a black hole's status.
The Black Hole - Trailer
The Most Accurate
- In a black hole, not even light can escape
- If a person, place, or thing was close enough to a black hole's gravitational pull, it would immediately be sucked into the black hole.
The Most Inaccurate
- gun powder can be used to fight off a black hole
- black holes can form from board games