WeWow On The Weekend (12/9/23)

Black Hole Types

Black holes are fascinating cosmic entities that vary in size and mass. Guy Raz explains that the smallest black holes, known as primordial black holes, can be as tiny as an atom yet weigh as much as a mountain 1. These are followed by stellar black holes, which are about 10 miles wide and can weigh up to 20 times the mass of our sun 1. The largest, supermassive black holes, are as big as our solar system and weigh millions of times more than our sun 2. Mindy Thomas humorously notes, "That was the sound of my mind blowing," when learning about these colossal entities 2.

   

Cosmic Events

Cosmic phenomena like quasars and cosmic burps reveal the dynamic nature of black holes. Guy Raz describes quasars as the brightest objects in the universe, formed when black holes consume stars and emit energy 3. These events can be observed from Earth using telescopes like Hubble and Chandra, which detect the energy emitted by quasars 4. Mindy Thomas humorously compares the process to a bathtub drain, saying, "When you drain your bathtub and then all of that dirt and water finally just disappears down the drain," to explain how material disappears into a black hole 3.

   

Eating Analogies

The podcast draws humorous parallels between black holes and competitive eating. Guy Raz likens black holes to "galactic guzzlers" that consume entire stars, much like competitive eaters devour food 5. Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz engage in a playful discussion about training for a hot dog eating contest, with Mindy humorously struggling to keep up with the pace 6. Mindy quips, "Maybe I should just listen to everyone's advice and leave it for the professional competitive eaters," highlighting the challenges of speed eating 6.