Q: I read a story about the monster black holes. Where do the planets, stars, and even the light that goes into a black hole, go?
—Greg Lawrence, Marietta
A: Any material that falls into a black hole passes from the exterior of the hole to the interior, Ted Bunn, an associate professor of physics at the University of Richmond, told Q&A on the News in an email. "It's still there, just on the other side of the black hole's horizon, in an area that we can't see," Bunn said. "But pretty quickly after that, infalling material makes its way to the center of the black hole, at which, according to the equations of general relativity, there is a singularity." He said scientists don't know what happens at the singularity, which is a point of infinite gravity and infinite density, because the equations of general relativity then break down. "The question of how to describe quantum physics in regions with strong gravity is one of the biggest unsolved problems in theoretical physics," Bunn said.
Q: What is the song that the young woman playing the guitar is singing on the new Chevrolet commercial?
—John Dupre, Lilburn
A: The song is "Billionaire," and it was originally recorded by Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars and released in March 2010. It was the lead single on McCoy's debut album, Lazarus. The song also was recorded by the cast of the TV show "Glee" and performed in the first episode of the second season. Chelsea Williams, a Los Angeles-based musician, sings "Billionaire" in Chevrolet's commercial for the Cruze.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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