A new scientific study explores the potentially lethal effects of tiny primordial black holes passing through the human body, revealing that while such an encounter could be fatal, the odds are astronomically low. Primordial black holes, theorised to have formed in the early universe, are much smaller than stellar black holes and range in mass from that of an atom to several times the mass of Earth.
The study, titled as Gravitational Effects of a Small Primordial Black Hole Passing Through the Human Body published on the arXiv, focuses on black holes within the mass range of asteroids, examining the impact of tidal forces and shockwaves.
A path through the head is more dangerous than a small black hole going through a limb, which could result in limited harm similar to a needle prick. Particularly with larger primordial black holes, tidal forces-the differential in gravitational pull across an object-have the potential to damage brain cells.
However, shockwaves generated by the black hole entering the body present a more significant danger. These waves can damage cells and impart harmful heat energy. A small black hole could create a shockwave equivalent in energy to a .22-calibre bullet, proving potentially lethal.
Despite the theoretical possibility of death by tiny black hole, the likelihood of such an event is incredibly small. Even if these primordial black holes exist, their rarity in the vastness of space makes the probability of a human encounter less than one in 10 trillion. The study highlights the intriguing intersection of theoretical physics and real-world consequences, even when those consequences are highly improbable.
