Black Holes, An Informational Manual

The Definitively Inaccurate Guide To Supercompressed Matter

by Matt Baier (geiiga42@cjnetworks.com)
written 24 Nov 1997

This article is classified "Partly real, partly fictional"


There has been much written about dead stars that have undergone
gravitational collapse.  Scientists, in their quest to find dull common
names for interesting subject material (i.e. 'Big Bang' instead of, say,
'Horrendous Space Kablooie') have coined the term 'black hole.'
Speculations govern most of the black hole community, and the objects
themselves have still not been proven to exist.  Like most scientists, they
have developed an advanced theory on something they have no clue about.  The
following is a condensed version of it.

The outer planets in the Sol system are peculiar.  Neptune, Uranus, and
Pluto all have eccentricities in their orbits.  Neptune's is explained by
the presence of Uranus.  Uranus, however, has a greater eccentricity than
can be explained by the presence of Pluto.  Pluto is just messed up.  To
explain Uranus's eccentricity, three theories have been offered.  The least
credible of these is that Pluto is made of some incredibly dense substance
which gives it more gravity than one would theorize.  Another theory is that
there is another gas giant further away from Sol even than Pluto.  This is
possible, and the most widely accepted theory, but I prefer a third theory.
It states that there is a black hole closer to Sol than the 4.2 light years
to Alpha Centauri.

Essentially, a black hole is a gravity drain.  It pulls stuff into itself
in much the same as water goes down a drain when one pulls the plug.  The
Event Horizon of a black hole is the point where nothing, not even light,
can escape.  It is estimated that the event horizon from a black hole
formed of a medium-sized star the size of Sol, would extend three times the
diameter of Pluto's orbit.

As you pass through the event horizon, eventually you will find yourself
turning into what is called Quantum Foam.  This is bad.  Imagine yourself
melting into a puddle of viscous goo.  This is not unlike quantum foam.
Continuing towards the core of the black hole, for you have no choice, you
will then become Quantum Spaghetti.  This is quantum foam after all the
molecules have broken down and the atoms rearranged.  It looks rather like
quantum foam, only stretched into long, thin strands.  It also tastes
marginally better than quantum foam.

All in all, black holes are a hoopy place to go if you are one of those
people who drives five miles per hour below the posted speed limit, are a
militant vegetarian (or veganist), or thinks Tina Turner looks good in a
miniskirt (or even at all).

See also:
  • Black Holes
  • Drivers With Hats

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