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Steven Hawking Loses Bet On Black Holes?

st1d writes "Looks like Steven Hawking might have to pay up on an old bet regarding black holes - seems his idea about them destroying information wasn't quite living up to his expectations: 'The about-turn might cost Hawking, a physicist at the University of Cambridge, an encyclopaedia because of a bet he made in 1997. More importantly, it might solve one of the long-standing puzzles in modern physics.' He's due to make a formal announcement July 21."

18 of 477 comments (clear)

  1. Destroying info. by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Funny
    seems his idea about them destroying information wasn't quite living up to his expectations
    In other words, black holes don't run Windows.
  2. Of course, the second part of the bet requiring .. by burgburgburg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hawking to streak naked through the Cambridge campus while screaming "I know nothing about physics!" might be a bit more problematic.

  3. Don't bet on black holes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..the odds get longer the nearer you get to it.

    :)

  4. Re:Integrity by Ari_Haviv · · Score: 5, Funny

    not only that but he "appeared" on Conan O'brian. now that is a man I can respect.

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  5. Re:Integrity by Timesprout · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, he is going to bring a small black hole to the meeting which will consume all the delegates thus destroying them. The now completely destroyed delegates will continue to receive spam so proving that some information about them does still exist. Unfortunately for the delegates though their future legacy is to be considered by our decendants as perverts obsessed with their penis size, women having carnal relations with donkeys and perhaps most bizarrely, a toner cartridge fetish.

    --
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    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  6. Re:I like their sense of humor by JamesP · · Score: 5, Funny

    The duo are expected to present Preskill with an encyclopaedia of his choice "from which information can be recovered at will"."

    So... Your encyclopedia has been thrown at the nearest blackhole... Since you proved me wrong, you'll be quite able to recover the information presented in it...

    --
    how long until /. fixes commenting on Chrome?
  7. Re:Of course, the second part of the bet requiring by pjt33 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Indeed - there isn't a Cambridge campus.

  8. Oh... by DecayCell · · Score: 5, Funny

    So it is safe to store my data in a black hole?
    Great!

  9. Why I read Slashdot by bhima · · Score: 5, Funny
    This article is prime example of why I read Slashdot: I read the article, I knew about the bet and found it interesting. Within *minutes* of this article being posted all of the ideas I had when reading it have been posted:

    Steve Hawkins is an interesting and cool guy (Actually so is Kip Thorne)

    I wish I could tell my grandkids I won a bet against Steven Hawkins (or for that matter lost it)

    I wonder if the encyclopedias will be on CD?

    I like the sense of humor of these guys.

    What a reputation! To be granted time to speak, without prior notice as to topic and specific content.

    Wasn't he on Conan?

    42

    It's scary so many people think like me!

    No I will not comment on donkeys or toner cartridges!

    --
    Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
  10. Re:Of course, the second part of the bet requiring by Bugster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not too big, but cold enough in winter to give extra meaning to the phrase "vanishing black hole".

  11. I've spotted a mistake of his by hype10 · · Score: 5, Funny

    He would certainly be under intense scrutiny. In fact, when reading his book (The Universe in a Nutshell) I spotted a mistake that I've never seen mentioned. Unfortunately it was just a missing space between two words. I was still quite proud though...

  12. Re:Winning a bet... by untaken_name · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jesus, who uses those nowadays anyway?

    Wow. If He answers your question, could you tell me what His /. id is? I have some questions for Him too...if you get His email addy, that'd work too.

  13. Re:Not all he's cracked up to be... by untaken_name · · Score: 5, Funny

    Shame on you, basing your opinions on anecdotal hearsay evidence from your SO! What kind of dumbass are you? Don't you know that on /. it's proper to formulate your opinions based on Internet-posted hearsay and anecdotal evidence! Tsk, tsk!

  14. Re:Winning a bet... by justkarl · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow. If He answers your question, could you tell me what His /. id is? I have some questions for Him too...if you get His email addy, that'd work too.

    At first read, I couldn't tell if you were talking about Jesus or Stephen Hawking. But I'll bet they both have accounts here.

  15. Re:Winning a bet... by MasTRE · · Score: 5, Funny

    > Winning a bet against Hawking would be something to tell the grandchildren about.

    Hey, kids - when I was your age, I used to bet people in wheelchairs who couldn't even speak unassisted and take their money away.

    --
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  16. That cheap bastard !!! by shachart · · Score: 5, Funny

    The about-turn might cost Hawking, a physicist at the University of Cambridge, an encyclopaedia because of a bet he made in 1997

    hawking:~> wget -r http://wikipedia.org | tar czf - | mail preskill@caltech.edu

    --
    Those who can, do. Those who can't, consult.
  17. Re:Integrity by FuzzyBad-Mofo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Applied Cryogenics, 2000

    Fry: So then my chair tilted backwards and I almost fell into this freezer thingy.
    Hawking: I call it a "Hawking Chamber."
    Fry: Instead of falling in and getting frozen, I missed and wanged my head.
    Gore: Well it's obvious what should have happened. That wang to the head should have killed you.
    Fry: Uh what?
    Nichols: Let's finish the job.
    Gore: No wait! There must be a peaceful -
    [Nichols pushes Fry over]
    Hawking: Hold him down.
    Deep Blue: Check.
    [Hawking runs Fry over with his wheelchair]
    Fry: Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!

  18. Futurama quote by Viking+Coder · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nichelle Nichols: "It's about that rip in space-time that you saw!"
    Stephen Hawking: "I call it a Hawking Hole."
    Fry: "No fair! I saw it first!"
    Stephen Hawking: "Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?"

    (And then here's the MP3 of this great quote.)

    --
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