Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking conceded today that his famous 1975 theory on black holes was wrong, thus losing one of the most famous bets in the history of science. The author of “A Brief History of Time” originally said that no trace of the matter that enters a black hole ever re-emerges. This assumption allowed science fiction fans to imagine black holes as potential transports to alternate universes.

Physicist John Preskill challenged Hawking’s theory in 1997, asserting his belief that the radiation flowing out from a black hole does, in fact, contain a memory of the matter that originally entered it. Today Hawking finally acknowledged that he agrees with Preskill and apologized to sci-fi fans for closing the book on black hole transports.

Robert Naeye, Senior Editor at Sky and Telescope Magazine, explains the myths and truths of black holes, and the importance of an astronomical bet lost.

Guests:

Robert Naeye, Senior Editor at Sky and Telescope Magazine