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Could a black hole erase your past? Wipe out every memory, every detail, that makes you who you are?

That’s just one of the crazy questions we explore as we encounter the insane paradoxes of black holes. 

Black holes don’t just trap matter. They trap information too. This is what makes them one of the greatest mysteries of our universe. They challenge our fundamental understanding of physics and our reality. Everything we know about our world breaks down when we confront their mystifying properties.

Today's guest, Marcus Chown, has spent years tracing the history of black holes—not just the science, but also the brilliant scientists who gave us the knowledge and insight into these marvels. From equations scribbled in the trenches of WWI to a vanishing dark star in the 1970s, Marcus takes us on a journey from discovery to understanding…of all that we know so far.

His latest book, A Crack in Everything, tells the astonishing story of how black holes went from absurd fantasy to perhaps the fundamental phenomenon that shapes our entire reality.

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Key Takeaways: 

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:09 The most terrifying object in the universe

00:03:05 Judging a book by its cover 

00:05:10 Paradoxes and information in black holes 

00:10:26 Historical figures and black holes

00:23:23 The future of black hole research 

00:34:44 Are black holes responsible for our existence?

00:38:53 Do black holes create universes? 

00:44:06 Human stories that didn’t make it into the book 

00:59:37 Outro

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Additional resources: 

➡️ Learn more about Marcus Chown: 

📚 A Crack in Everything: https://a.co/d/5KI9iZK

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating⁠⁠⁠ 

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📝 Join my mailing list:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://briankeating.com/list⁠⁠⁠ 

✍️ Check out my blog:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/⁠⁠⁠ 

🎙️ Follow my podcast:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://briankeating.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠ 

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!

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