Ask Ethan: Are singularities physically real?

One of the most important advances in all of physics was the development of Einstein’s General Relativity: our greatest and most predictively powerful theory of gravity. Replacing the idea of a “gravitational force” that acts on objects that never physically touch one another with the notion that all objects exist within the fabric of spacetime, and that the curvature of spacetime determines how those objects will move, is a concept that many — even professionals — <a href="https://bigthink.com/hard-science/gravity-force-complicated/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">still struggle to wrap their heads around</a>. However, it comes along with consequences: certain configurations of matter-and-energy within spacetime inevitably lead to a condition that marks an effective “end” or “beginning” to spacetime itself, more commonly known as a singularity. But are these singularities necessarily physically real, representing something profound that’s occurring within the Universe? Or might there be some way to avoid them, perhaps signaling a very different scenario than space and time themselves ceasing to exist? (At least, as we understand them.) That’s what <a href="https://www.patreon.com/startswithabang" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon supporter</a> Cameron Sowards wants to know, as he writes in to ask: <a href="https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/ask-ethan-are-singularities-physically-real-06af984d7ca6">Read More</a>