Black hole theory
Dear HIW, I have been fascinated by space and the universe’s beginning and end and was wondering if you agree with my theory: the universe started by exploding outwards, and there is a theory that there could be a black hole at the centre of every galaxy, so the universe might end with one giant black hole sucking everything into it, then create a new universe by exploding because of the mass inside. Duncan Craig This is a fascinating theory, and one that has been explored by scientists before. Matter falls into black holes, causing them to grow in size, so it makes sense to believe that eventually everything surrounding them will be destroyed by them. However, it is predicted that less than 0.1 per cent of all matter in the universe will actually experience this outcome. Before more of the universe can be engulfed, a black hole decays. As it is constantly releasing radiation, in many billions of years a black hole will have reduced in mass, eventually vanishing.