Brian Greene and physicist Samir Mathur explore one of the deepest puzzles in modern physics, the true nature of black holes and the fate of information in the universe.

Their conversation centers on the black hole information paradox, a problem that has challenged physicists for decades. If quantum mechanics says information can never be destroyed, how can black holes once thought to erase everything that falls into them be reconciled with that principle? Mathur introduces the fuzzball theory, a proposal from string theory suggesting that black holes are not empty regions but complex structures that preserve information.

Greene and Mathur also revisit key developments in black hole physics, from entropy and Hawking radiation to modern ideas like firewalls and wormholes. They reflect on why certain approaches may fall short and whether recent theoretical insights are bringing the paradox closer to resolution. This conversation offers an engaging look at how physicists are rethinking black holes, quantum gravity, and the fundamental structure of reality.

This program is part of the Rethinking Reality series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

Participant: Samir Mathur.
Moderator: Brian Greene.

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