Articles
Black Hole Embedding Diagrams Explained (What the ‘Funnel’ Picture Represents)
How to interpret a black hole embedding diagram, what it represents geometrically, and how to connect it to lensing intuition.
Black Hole Gravitational Lensing Explained (Einstein Rings, Photon Sphere, and the Shadow)
A clear, science-accurate guide to how black holes bend light, what the photon sphere is, and why Einstein rings appear—plus links to interactive simulations.
Black Hole Shadow Explained (What Was Actually Imaged and Why It Looks Like a Ring)
What the black hole “shadow” means in relativity and imaging, why rings appear, and how lensing and photon paths shape the picture.
Einstein–Rosen Bridge Explained (Wormholes in GR: Traversable vs Non‑Traversable)
What an Einstein–Rosen bridge is, why the classic solution isn’t traversable, and how later models differ.
Ellis Wormhole vs Morris–Thorne Wormhole (Similar Names, Different Assumptions)
A practical comparison of common traversable wormhole models, what the equations assume, and what “exotic matter” means in this context.
Energy Conditions and “Negative Energy” (What ‘Exotic Matter’ Means in Wormhole Discussions)
A clear, non-sensational explanation of energy conditions, why traversable wormholes often violate them, and what that implies.
Event Horizon vs Photon Sphere vs Singularity (Clear Definitions + Visual Intuition)
A clear glossary-style guide to three commonly confused concepts in black hole physics, with links to the simulations and chapter notes.
Gargantua Explained: The Science of Interstellar’s Black Hole
How big Gargantua is, why it spins so fast, why the film’s images use a slower spin, and what the glowing halo over the top really is, compared with real Event Horizon Telescope images.
Gravitational Waves From Black Hole Mergers (What They Are and What Detectors Measure)
A careful intro to gravitational waves, black hole mergers, and what observatories like LIGO/Virgo actually measure (no hype).
Hawking Radiation Explained (What It Is, What We’ve Observed, and What’s Still Theoretical)
A grounded explanation of Hawking radiation: the idea, what it would imply, and why it’s difficult to observe directly.
How Black Hole Ray Tracing Works (Backwards Ray Tracing, Geodesics, and What the Simulation Computes)
Understand the core idea behind black hole rendering: light geodesics in curved spacetime, backwards ray tracing, and why images show repeated rings.
Kerr vs Schwarzschild Black Holes (Rotation, Frames, and What Changes Visually)
Compare rotating (Kerr) vs non-rotating (Schwarzschild) black holes: what changes in physics, and what changes in images and intuition.
Miller’s Planet Time Dilation: Could 1 Hour Really Equal 7 Years?
The physics behind Interstellar’s Miller’s planet: why a non-spinning black hole can’t do it, how Gargantua’s near-maximal spin makes 1 hour = 7 years possible, and the numbers you can check yourself.
Schwarzschild Radius Explained (What It Means, What It Doesn’t, and Common Misconceptions)
A beginner-friendly explanation of the Schwarzschild radius and why it’s not a physical surface—plus links to lensing/ray-tracing notes.
Spacetime Curvature for Beginners (From Minkowski Space to Gravity as Geometry)
A structured beginner guide to spacetime curvature and geodesics, connecting tensor calculus and metrics to what black holes actually do to light.
The Black Hole Information Paradox Explained (The Core Tension Without the Hype)
An accessible overview of the information paradox: why it matters, what’s being argued, and what’s still open in theory.
The Interstellar Wormhole Explained: Why It Looks Like a Crystal Ball
The three-parameter wormhole built for Interstellar: throat radius, length and lensing width, why it appears as a sphere showing another galaxy, and what keeping it open would require.
Time Dilation Near Black Holes (What’s Real Physics vs Movie Shortcuts)
A careful explanation of gravitational time dilation near black holes, what different observers actually measure, and the most common misconceptions.
Why Black Holes Are Not Cosmic Vacuum Cleaners (Gravity, Orbits, and Realistic Risk)
A myth-busting, physics-accurate explanation of how black hole gravity behaves and why distant objects don’t get “sucked in”.
Wormhole Embedded Diagrams Explained (What the Shape Means and What It Doesn’t)
Learn how to read a wormhole embedding diagram, what “throat radius” means, and how geometry changes as parameters change—without hype or fake claims.
Wormholes and Time Travel (Closed Timelike Curves, Paradoxes, and What Physics Actually Says)
A careful look at wormholes and time travel ideas: CTCs, paradoxes, and why this remains speculative physics.
Looking for the interactive tools?
- Black hole image simulation (upload an image and see lensing distortions)
- Black hole embedding diagram (visualize curvature as an embedded surface)
- Wormhole embedding diagram (explore how parameters change the “throat” geometry)
- Research & Data (chapter-style notes)