Laser Light Re-creates 'Black Holes' in the Lab

yodasz writes "The New Scientist reports that a team of researchers from the UK were able to recreate a black hole's event horizon in the lab by firing a laser pulse down an optical fibre. The team's observations confirm predictions made by cosmologists and now they are trying to prove Hawking's hypothesis of escaping particles, dubbed Hawking radiation. 'The first pulse distorts the optical properties of the fibre simply by traveling through it. This distortion forces the speedy probe wave to slow down dramatically when it catches up with the slower pulse and tries to move through it. In fact, the probe wave becomes trapped and can never overtake the pulse's leading edge, which effectively becomes a black hole event horizon, beyond which light cannot escape.'"

Black Hole

[gammygator]

As long as they didn't create a real black hole.

That would suck.

Sounds safe

[192939495969798999]

That sounds safe, to reproduce the effects of the point at which all matter collapses into a virtual singularity. Where were they testing this again? Somewhere on Earth? Alrighty then... Taxi!

Re:Black Hole

[CSMatt]

Well it certainly wouldn't blow.

Test Methodology

[Anonymous Coward]

Step 1: Fire laser into one end of optical fiber
Step 2: Hold other end up to eye and from that day on, "see" *black holes* like, everywhere
Step 4: PROFIT from higher scientific research? You must be joking...

oblig futurama quote

[pak9rabid]

Bret: Pretty scrawny black hole. It must be hungry.
Cubert: Duh! Black holes don't need food.
Bret: Neither do nerds!

oblig

[ArieKremen]

Move on, nothing to be seen here ...

Background info needed..

[lawaetf1]

could someone give me a little prep on this article.. A paragraph or two on how the universe works would be good. cheers. /obligatory

Re:Test Methodology

[spitefulcrow]

Warning: do not look into laser with remaining good eye.

Re:Am I slow?

[sm62704]

Wikipedia? What? You know that's not a reliable source of information. So I looked it up in the uncyclopedia [uncyclopedia.org]:

A Black hole is an impossible object which makes the Universe work. It has the useful property of being "undetectable". It's like when your spouse comes home with a dent in the car, and blames it on an invisible black mass; the dent is proof of the black mass, but you can't, and never will be able to see it with CCTV cameras, but you know it's there. "Dark matter" is an equally undetectable force that causes cars to defy gravity, and hit invisible black holes. Astronomers will tell you that lots of them have spouses with dents in their cars, and can explain this is very technical terms, so you won't be able to understand why it's not possible.

It would blow

[Anonymous Coward]

It would blow Hawking Radiation

Oblig...

[Cervantes]

"I call it a Hawking Hole".

Re:Am I slow?

[orclevegam]

you sir, are correct. well done. refreshing to see someone who pays attention and (holy shit!) looks up the occasional factoid

Looking up the occasional factoid? Hah, we don't need to do that, that's why we have the inter... uh... nevermind.

Re:A black hole event horizon?

[spidercoz]

I've heard it explained as a cosmological censor to block out the horrible violations of natural law that occur inside from the rest of the universe, always amused me

How the universe works

[spun]

God made the universe 6,000 years ago. If you do not worship him and subjugate yourself to his will, he will torture you forever. He just put in things like dinosaur bones and black holes to mess with your head, to get you to disbelieve in him, so that he can torture you forever without feeling guilty about it.

He's kinda messed up because he was alone for like, eternity, until he made up some friends in his head, but he's incapable of imagining anything that is actually his peer, so he secretly hates us all for not providing the companionship he needs. That is how the universe works.

Re:Black Hole

[utnapistim]

it is currently IMPOSSIBLE to produce any kind of singularity.

Ok wise guy, then explain Chuck Norris!

Re:Sounds safe

[Jugalator]

I agree, it's like comparing an actual stretching of a gaping asshole compared to only simulating the properties of the skin as it stretches.

Or something. Damn, I've been scarred by goatse for life. :-(

Re:A black hole event horizon?

[frogzilla]

Why did you insert the...dramatic pause? Does it help...explain the difference?

Re:Sounds safe

[OMNIpotusCOM]

Sonofabitch, you mean that the article, that I didn't read because I wouldn't understand, didn't talk about the same stuff in the little blurb up there that had a bunch of stuff that I had to look up and still don't understand any better after having done so? AND there's ads? Let's just shoot down a satellite.

Hey I created a "Black Hole too"!

[timias1]

It is called a shoebox, and with the lid closed no light can escape. Why is this news?

Re:Black Hole

[B3ryllium]

There was never a big bang - Chuck Norris simply stubbed his toe.

This event has never been repeated.

Re:Please enough already...

[zevans]

Fair point, when you put it like that... ...but at least we aren't breeding creationists.

Everybody is an expert!

[breusin]

Everybody is an expert!