Editing 1680: Black Hole
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | [[Cueball]] is curious as to why [[Black Hat]] has a miniature {{w|black hole}} on his table; Black Hat responds that it "really brings the room together", making a pun on both the black hole aesthetically completing the look of the room as well as it literally "bringing the room together" through its gravitational pull. Evidently the black hole is massive enough to bring the room together optically into visible {{w|Einstein ring}}s by {{w|gravitational lensing}}. | + | {{incomplete|More details... What would happen if a black hole like this was in a living room.}} |
+ | [[Cueball]] is curious as to why [[Black Hat]] has a miniature {{w|black hole}} on his table; Black Hat responds that it "really brings the room together", making a pun on both the black hole aesthetically completing the look of the room as well as it literally "bringing the room together" through its gravitational pull. Evidently the black hole is massive enough to bring the room together optically into visible {{w|Einstein ring}}s by {{w|gravitational lensing}}. | ||
− | The | + | The expression that something "brings the room together" means it gives visual unity to the room, or makes the room appear to be complete. |
− | + | The title text makes a more contemporary cultural reference to a well-known song lyric from the song "{{w|Milkshake (song)|Milkshake}}" by {{w|Kelis}} (pending explanation); however, in this case, since {{w|gravity}} does not discriminate between which things it will attract, according to the {{w|equivalence principle}}, it brings "the boys, and everything else", to Black Hat's yard. If it wasn't for the house walls, they probably wouldn't remain in the yard but would come into the room with the black hole, and then into the black hole itself. | |
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− | + | [[Randall]] describes a similar scenario in the "Neutron Bullet" chapter of the [http://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ what if? book], and a black hole of similar dimensions in the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|129|Black Hole Moon}}''. | |
− | *A black hole | + | |
− | * | + | As depicted, the black hole is inconsistent with some aspect of physics: |
− | * | + | * A large black hole would bring the room together... in less time than Cueball could converse with Black Hat. [It would have a much stronger gravitational pull, but as I understand it the time dilation effect would significantly slow down the time it would otherwise take for them to get sucked in.] |
− | + | * A small black hole could have {{w|tidal force}}s weak enough to permit Cueball to stand near it. However, unlike the scenario in "Neutron Bullet", it would emit {{w|Hawking radiation}} powerful enough to tear the room apart. | |
+ | * A neutrally charged black hole would fall through the coffee table and burrow to Earth's core. | ||
+ | * This black hole appears to be about the size of a marble. A marble size is approximately earth's {{w|Schwarzschild radius}}, suggesting this black hole to have earth-like mass. [Since Cueball and Black hat are able to stand upright, it suggests the gravitational pull is a fraction of earth's. Making the black hole's mass also a fraction of earth's. The black hole may appear visibly larger due to having a visible accretion disc.] | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:[Cueball is standing near a coffee table as Black Hat approaches. They are presumably in Black Hat's living room. The coffee table has a miniature black hole on top of it, resting on a small pedestal.] | :[Cueball is standing near a coffee table as Black Hat approaches. They are presumably in Black Hat's living room. The coffee table has a miniature black hole on top of it, resting on a small pedestal.] | ||
:Cueball: Why do you have a miniature black hole on your coffee table? | :Cueball: Why do you have a miniature black hole on your coffee table? | ||
:Black Hat: It really brings the room together. | :Black Hat: It really brings the room together. | ||
− | + | {{comic discussion}} | |
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] |