# What did Stephen Hawkings just say about black holes? Is it a big thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674 "2014-01-25T04:42:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/41 "2014-01-28T08:05:13Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > … > > Look just because the US Right is held hostage to gibbering morons is no reason the rest of us have to give them the time of day. Must feel good to be so moral–and so _intelligent_ too! ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/42 "2014-01-28T11:35:40Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Must feel good to be so moral–and so _intelligent_ too! We all have our crosses to bear I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/43 "2014-01-28T15:21:42Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Look just because the US Right is held hostage to gibbering morons is no reason the rest of us have to give them the time of day. > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Must feel good to be so moral–and so _intelligent_ too! **Moderator Note** **Grey** , I should have mod-noted your post too as violating the rule against political jabs. Don’t do this again. **Leo Bloom** , don’t make personal remarks about other posters in this forum. No warning issued, but in the future leave it to the moderators to respond. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/44 "2014-01-28T16:04:03Z")
It should also be noted that in academia, retirement doesn’t really mean much anyway. People like Hawking aren’t doing physics for the money-- They’re doing it because that’s what they do. So when they retire, they just keep on doing the same thing. When I left grad school, the most prolific professor in the department was a guy who had retired a decade before. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/45 "2014-01-29T15:15:08Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Now isn’t this interesting…what has happened to the credulity of your most famous Independent Scientist, hmmmmmmmm? :rolleyes: Is “credulity” the word you intended to use here? If you instead meant “credibility,” then I think being persuaded by new evidence says a lot for the credibility of an independent scientist. Great question - thanks for asking! If in fact you meant “credulity,” then I see no reason to believe Hawking has made his decision hastily. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/46 "2014-01-30T08:22:23Z")
:Sigh: I know the difference. :rolleyes: “Credibility” is the word I meant. I even commented on Hawking’s waffling to my doctor, who called Hawking “coocoo.” ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/47 "2014-01-30T12:40:59Z")
Well, if your doctor said so, then. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/48 "2014-01-30T16:23:09Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Interesting stuff. Now, I have to read a lot so that when some kid says in class “sir, is it true that black holes don’t exist?” I have the right answer for a 12-year-old. My answer would be “Well, we really don’t quite know yet. Maybe you’ll be the one to figure it out someday.” ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/49 "2014-01-30T17:08:24Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > :Sigh: I know the difference. :rolleyes: “Credibility” is the word I meant. I even commented on Hawking’s waffling to my doctor, who called Hawking “coocoo.” Did you mean cuckoo? What kind of doctor? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/50 "2014-01-31T07:42:26Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Did you mean cuckoo? What kind of doctor? Yes, I did; just a different spelling. FYI, this is a physician in family practice; my physician for about ten years now. He’s Korean, and has a lot of Korean-speaking patients. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/51 "2014-01-31T07:43:50Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > My answer would be “Well, we really don’t quite know yet. Maybe you’ll be the one to figure it out someday.” That sounds like a better answer anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674/52 "2014-01-31T07:47:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It should also be noted that in academia, retirement doesn’t really mean much anyway. People like Hawking aren’t doing physics for the money-- They’re doing it because that’s what they do. So when they retire, they just keep on doing the same thing. When I left grad school, the most prolific professor in the department was a guy who had retired a decade before. Truer words were never spoken; otherwise he’d leave an awful hole in his life. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-stephen-hawkings-just-say-about-black-holes-is-it-a-big-thing/679674.md?page=2)