# White Holes, time reversal, and exotic matter **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-holes-time-reversal-and-exotic-matter/533404 "2010-03-22T22:51:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-holes-time-reversal-and-exotic-matter/533404/1 "2010-03-22T22:51:26Z")
White Holes are the theoretical counterparts of Black Holes > **[White hole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_hole)** > > In general relativity, a white hole is a hypothetical region of spacetime and singularity that cannot be entered from the outside, although energy-matter, light and information can escape from it. In this sense, it is the reverse of a black hole, from which energy-matter, light and information cannot escape. White holes appear in the theory of eternal black holes. In addition to a black hole region in the future, such a solution of the Einstein field equations has a white hole region in its past.... Like a black hole, they have a singularity and an event horizon. But instead of absorbing energy and matter, they emit them. Mathematically, they are described by reversing time, and thus the flow of matter and energy, as compared to a black hole. Is it mathematically equivalent to describe a WH as having a quantum singularity constructed from Exotic Matter > **[Exotic matter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotic_matter)** > > There are several proposed types of exotic matter: > Negative mass would possess some strange properties, such as accelerating in the direction opposite of applied force. Despite being inconsistent with the expected behavior of "normal" matter, negative mass is mathematically consistent and introduces no violation of conservation of momentum or energy. It is used in certain speculative theories, such as on the construction of artificial wormholes and the Alcubierre drive. The closest known real ... a theoretical form of matter with the proposed quality of “anti-mass”, and therefore produces a field of anti-gravity? ---
**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:** [March 22, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-holes-time-reversal-and-exotic-matter/533404/2 "2010-03-22T23:22:05Z")
Nope, white holes (were they to exist, which to all evidence they don’t) would still have a positive mass. Gravity remains the same under time reversal. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-holes-time-reversal-and-exotic-matter/533404/3 "2010-03-23T23:07:52Z")
The only thing I’ve ever heard about white holes was on a show on the History Channel, which included many scientist types, stating white holes don’t exist, and notable crackpot [John Huchison](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutchison_effect#Hutchison_effect) claiming they did. John Hutchison is famous for claiming to have invented the [Hutchison Effect,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutchison_effect#Hutchison_effect) and demonstrating this effect with some very, very[faked videos](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BR8Ac7hxbg&feature=fvw). He claimed that the vents we see at the bottom of the ocean are examples of white holes since they ‘create matter from nothing’. If Hutchison says they exist, they almost surely don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-holes-time-reversal-and-exotic-matter/533404/4 "2010-03-24T03:48:56Z")
White holes… black holes… all these physicists are damn racists. Colbert could never be a scientist. I’m sorry. I’m a bit tipsy. _excuses himself._