Scientists revisit old theory: Are tiny ancient black holes passing through our bodies unseen?

Are Ancient Black Holes Passing Through Us Unseen? (Representataive Image: Canva)

The idea arrived quietly for many researchers. Some felt a brief chill while reading early drafts. I wondered myself if something so tiny could roam freely around us. The claim now sits at the centre of new debate.

A provocative theory is gaining new support today. Scientists suggest atom-sized black holes may move through Earth. These primordial black holes likely formed after the Big Bang. Some researchers think they could explain missing cosmic mass. Dark matter still puzzles astronomers across several major fields. Observers see its pull but never detect its particles. Ideas like WIMPs and axions keep failing in experiments. Researchers now revisit older models involving black hole origins. These early objects may hide across space without light. They interact weakly and move silently at huge speeds.

A recent paper from the University at Buffalo explores this. Physicist Dr Dejan Stojkovic leads the team behind it. The study appears in Physics Letters B with new claims. Related work appears in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The group argues these objects barely touch normal matter. A PBH may pass through solids without slowing at all. Stojkovic says it would move through material almost unnoticed. He says it would cause no damage inside objects.

General relativity supports this unusual possibility in full. Tiny dense regions after the Big Bang may have collapsed rapidly. These events could have created PBHs scattered across space. Such objects would be extremely hard to detect today.

Many readers ask what happens during an Earth encounter. The idea often triggers concern across online discussions. Scientists say the risk remains small for all life. A PBH passing through Earth would release little energy. The effect would be too small to warm nearby matter. The danger remains far lower than most imagine today.

Some ask what happens if one becomes trapped inside. Theoretically a PBH could stay within a planet for ages. It might consume nearby matter at a very slow rate. The process takes longer than the solar system age. Scientists say the effect likely stays invisible for now. Astrophysicist Dr Katherine Freese supports PBHs as candidates. She says they escape many tests used on particle theories. She says the main challenge is confirming their existence.

Researchers now search for new clues across several fields. Teams study microlensing surveys for tiny gravitational shifts. Others examine LIGO data for helpful signatures in waves. Some even analyse unusual heat patterns inside planets today. A 2019 Nature Astronomy study considered missing asteroids. It suggested these patterns could match past PBH encounters.

Public interest rose after recent media discussions worldwide. A Daily Galaxy article asked if PBHs pass through bodies. Scientists say it is slightly exaggerated but still possible. The real idea is quieter and also more unsettling. PBHs may be everywhere and almost always unnoticed.

These objects offer one non-particle solution for dark matter. Their behaviour may also help explain other cosmic puzzles. Scientists debate how early supermassive black holes formed quickly. PBHs could act as seeds for these huge structures. They may have grown into the objects seen in young galaxies.