Was Our Universe Created Inside the Quantum Chaos of a Black Hole from Another Universe?

Black holes are renowned and frightening phenomena—areas characterized by infinite gravitational force, rendering escape impossible. The process of forming a black hole is relatively uncomplicated: it involves compressing a sufficient amount of mass below a specific size threshold. Once this threshold is surpassed, gravity prevails over all other forces, resulting in the creation of a black hole.

The critical threshold varies depending on the quantity of mass being condensed. For an average human, this threshold is comparable to the size of an atomic nucleus. Conversely, for the Earth, compressing its entirety into the volume of a chickpea would generate a black hole of comparable size. Similarly, for a typical star with several times the mass of the Sun, the resulting black hole would span a few miles—a dimension akin to an average city.

Interestingly, amalgamating all the matter in the universe in an attempt to create the largest possible black hole would yield a black hole roughly the size of the universe itself.

The Universe Shares Characteristics With Black Holes

Another unexpected revelation is the resemblance between the universe and black holes in two key aspects. The most recognizable feature of a black hole is its surface, known as the event horizon. This delineates the point of no return around a black hole, where gravitational pull is so formidable that surpassing the speed of light is necessary for escape— an impossibility in reality, hence entrapping any entity within.

Similarly, our universe harbors its own event horizon, referred to as the cosmological event horizon. However, it is considerably distant and arises from the universe’s expansion. With each passing day, the universe expands further, causing galaxies farther away to recede at speeds surpassing that of closer ones. Beyond a certain distance—approximately 14 billion light-years—galaxies appear to move away from us faster than the speed of light. This expansion creates a barrier beyond which we cannot traverse, akin to being trapped outside the universe’s boundary, analogous to the predicament of being ensnared within a black hole.

The second shared characteristic between black holes and the universe is the presence of a singularity. A singularity denotes a point of infinite density where gravity has compressed all matter into an infinitely minuscule space. The nature of singularities remains enigmatic, necessitating a quantum description of gravity for elucidation—a feat yet to be accomplished.

Black holes house a singularity at their core, encapsulating all matter that contributed to their formation. Likewise, our universe harbors a singularity— the Big Bang. Approximately 13 billion years ago, all matter within the universe was condensed into an infinitesimal point from which expansion ensued, giving rise to particles, celestial bodies, and ultimately, life.

But the Discrepancies Are Significant

Despite these parallels, our universe diverges significantly from the black hole paradigm due to the disparity in the nature of singularities. Unlike black hole singularities, which occupy a specific spatial location, the singularity of the Big Bang exists temporally. The cosmological singularity is not a tangible entity within the universe but rather a point in the universe’s past, forever beyond our reach.

This disparity holds profound implications in gravitational mathematics, underscoring the fundamental dissimilarity between the singularity of the Big Bang and that of black holes. Consequently, the notion of our universe existing within a colossal black hole is untenable, given the incongruity between the nature of these singularities.

However, an Intriguing Connection Persists

Despite the disparities, the presence of the singularity at the Big Bang may signify something profound. The true nature of black hole singularities remains elusive, constrained by the limitations of current gravitational theories. Speculation abounds regarding the possibility that black hole singularities extend beyond mere ultra-compressed matter, exhibiting complex quantum phenomena and gravitational instabilities.

These instabilities could precipitate the formation of isolated “bubbles” branching off from the parent universe, each constituting a self-contained universe with its own distinct properties and evolution. This conjecture proposes a scenario wherein our universe emerges from the quantum tumult within another universe’s black hole—a concept teeming with hypothetical intrigue, albeit grounded in uncertain physics.

Despite its speculative nature, this idea underscores the limits of our understanding regarding singularities, inviting contemplation and further exploration into the enigmatic realms of cosmology and quantum mechanics.