--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There has been much debate on the matter…" description: "\"“There has been much debate on the matter, but the present state of understanding is that no useful information can ever emerge from a black hole.\" ~\"U..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/alastair-reynolds-2186_black-hole_there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter_2780989.jpg" --- # There has been much debate on the matter, but the present… ![“There has been much debate on the matter, but the present state of understanding is that no useful information can ever emerge from a black hole." ~"Understanding Space & Time” quote by Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/alastair-reynolds-2186_black-hole_there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter_2780989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/alastair-reynolds-2186_black-hole_there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter_2780989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/alastair-reynolds-2186_black-hole_there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter_2780989.jpg) > ““There has been much debate on the matter, but the present state of understanding is that no useful information can ever emerge from a black hole." ~"Understanding Space & Time”” [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He states that black holes cannot yield useful information, reflecting scientific consensus. **In simple terms:** Black holes give no useful info. Key Takeaway Accept limits of black‑hole knowledge. Themes astysics black holes information theory Mood analytical skeptical Type scientific explanatory When to use this quote - research - education - public outreach Key Concepts science cosmology Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports this claim? - Could future tech alter it? A Different Perspective Future theories may change this view. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black hole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-hole/) [Debate Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate-matter-3309827/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Matter Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-present-3309826/) [Space time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-time/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Understanding Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-space-1183461/) [Useful information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful-information/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is precious. Infinitely so. Perhaps it takes a machine intelligence to appreciate that." ~"Understanding Space & Time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/life-is-precious-infinitely-so-perhaps-it-takes-a-machine/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Sometimes, all it takes to become human again is someone who can see you that way, no matter how you present on the surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/sometimes-all-it-takes-to-become-human-again-is-someone-who-can-see/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“What is the purpose in this context of appealing to opinion and semantic relativism?  The purpose is to get your opponent off your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/what-is-the-purpose-in-this-context-of-appealing-to-opinion-and/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/the-astronomer-may-speak-to-you-of-his-understanding-of-space-but-he/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“Then said a teacher, speak to us of teaching. And he said: The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple among his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/then-said-a-teacher-speak-to-us-of-teaching-and-he-said-the-teacher/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [We've been surrounded by images of space our whole lives, from the speculative images of science fiction to the inspirational visions of artists to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-harger/we-ve-been-surrounded-by-images-of-space-our-whole-lives-from-the/) [Honor Harger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-harger/) > [My passion is to understand the non-linear dynamics of warped space-time, and the ideal venue for this is black-hole collisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kip-thorne/my-passion-is-to-understand-the-non-linear-dynamics-of-warped-space/) [Kip Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kip-thorne/) > [We will soon create intelligences greater than our own ... When this happens, human history will have reached a kind of singularity, an intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/we-will-soon-create-intelligences-greater-than-our-own-when-this/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [Gravitational waves will bring us exquisitely accurate maps of black holes - maps of their space-time. Those maps will make it crystal clear whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kip-thorne/gravitational-waves-will-bring-us-exquisitely-accurate-maps-of-black/) [Kip Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kip-thorne/) > [“But it remains a fundamental challenge to understand the very beginning-this must await a 'final' theory, perhaps some variant of superstrings. Such a theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/but-it-remains-a-fundamental-challenge-to-understand-the-very/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [“We have good reason to believe that space and time begin to merge into quantum mechanical uncertainty at distances this small; they must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-genz/we-have-good-reason-to-believe-that-space-and-time-begin-to-merge/) [Henning Genz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-genz/) > [Black holes can bang against space-time as mallets on a drum and have a very characteristic song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janna-levin/black-holes-can-bang-against-space-time-as-mallets-on-a-drum-and-have/) [Janna Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janna-levin/) > [“In our profession, we tend to name things exactly as we see them. Big red stars we call red giants. Small white stars we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-our-profession-we-tend-to-name-things-exactly-as-we-see-them-big/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“You've found a way to stay sane, Renfew--even if that means admitting a tiny piece of piano-playing madness into your world. But there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/you-ve-found-a-way-to-stay-sane-renfew-even-if-that-means-admitting-a/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“I'll die? I'm going to die anyway, so what difference does it make?"She paused, allowing the melancholic chorus of the machines to swell and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-ll-die-i-m-going-to-die-anyway-so-what-difference-does-it-make-she/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## More by Alastair Reynolds > [“We have made some collective mistakes as a species, it’s true – invested too much power in things we can’t see, let alone control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/we-have-made-some-collective-mistakes-as-a-species-it-s-true-invested/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“So much for the tolerant acceptance of the other. We’re forging out into deep space – who knows what we’ll meet out there? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/so-much-for-the-tolerant-acceptance-of-the-other-we-re-forging-out/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“Believe me, when you're dealing with infectious alien mind parasites, I always find primitive is best." Then, calmly, almost as if it were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/believe-me-when-you-re-dealing-with-infectious-alien-mind-parasites-i/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“There's a vorg loose," Meroka explained. "In case that escaped your attention. Ricasso's doing his bit for Swarm, trying to kill the thing before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-s-a-vorg-loose-meroka-explained-in-case-that-escaped-your/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“The two men -- Fray and Malkin -- were standing near each other. They were not unarmed. They were quite seriously not unarmed. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/the-two-men-fray-and-malkin-were-standing-near-each-other-they-were/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [I couldn't think of anything more pointless than reading a piece of fiction written by a robot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-couldn-t-think-of-anything-more-pointless-than-reading-a-piece-of/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [When I'm working on one book, part of my imagination is thinking ahead to the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/when-i-m-working-on-one-book-part-of-my-imagination-is-thinking-ahead/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [There is enough material in the Kuiper Belt to build anything out there. We could gobble up all the little asteroids, filtering out all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-is-enough-material-in-the-kuiper-belt-to-build-anything-out/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Victory loses its meaning without the memory of what you've vanquished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/victory-loses-its-meaning-without-the-memory-of-what-you-ve-vanquished/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“I don't know." That was typical Sajaki; like all the genuinely clever people Sylveste had met he knew better than to feign understanding where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-don-t-know-that-was-typical-sajaki-like-all-the-genuinely-clever/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Autocratic governments are masters of self-contradiction. They say one thing, do another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/autocratic-governments-are-masters-of-self-contradiction-they-say-one/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Speaking for myself, I really struggle to pinpoint whether I became a scientist because I like science fiction, or did I gravitate to science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/speaking-for-myself-i-really-struggle-to-pinpoint-whether-i-became-a/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“It’s not the span of time that counts, but what you do with it. While you humans have been grubbing around the galaxy, looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/it-s-not-the-span-of-time-that-counts-but-what-you-do-with-it-while/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Dreams of warp drives and hyperspace are just that - dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/dreams-of-warp-drives-and-hyperspace-are-just-that-dreams/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [I had - and continued to have - great fun exploring the Revelation Space universe, but it was always clear to me that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-had-and-continued-to-have-great-fun-exploring-the-revelation-space/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) [Explore all 176 Alastair Reynolds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## More Black hole quotes > [“Our irises are galaxies; our pupils are black holes if we allow ourselves to bottle up everything inside us instead of allowing ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaclyn-johnston/our-irises-are-galaxies-our-pupils-are-black-holes-if-we-allow/) [Jaclyn Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaclyn-johnston/) > [I hate studios. A studio is a black hole. I never use a studio to work. It's very artificial to go to a studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-hate-studios-a-studio-is-a-black-hole-i-never-use-a-studio-to-work/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [I definitely have a different perspective on music in general. But once I actually have a guitar in my hands, I think I disappear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-orcutt/i-definitely-have-a-different-perspective-on-music-in-general-but/) [Bill Orcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-orcutt/) > [“Nothing will ever be enough to satisfy the black hole in our hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soman-chainani/nothing-will-ever-be-enough-to-satisfy-the-black-hole-in-our-hearts/) [Soman Chainani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soman-chainani/) > [“The sting of not having or not having enough bores a pain black hole that sucks all the other of life’s injuries into one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-powell-watts/the-sting-of-not-having-or-not-having-enough-bores-a-pain-black-hole/) [Stephanie Powell Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-powell-watts/) > [Supermassive black hole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muse/supermassive-black-hole/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muse/) > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [The waves travel with the velocity of light and slightly squeeze and stretch space transverse to the direction of their motion. The first waves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/the-waves-travel-with-the-velocity-of-light-and-slightly-squeeze-and/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [“The bank man had been standing quietly by our picnic table, waiting to lock up the house. Around his waist he wore a live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-medford/the-bank-man-had-been-standing-quietly-by-our-picnic-table-waiting-to/) [C.E. Medford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-medford/) > [If space is a fabric, then of course fabrics can have ripples, which we have now seen directly. But fabrics can also rip. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/if-space-is-a-fabric-then-of-course-fabrics-can-have-ripples-which-we/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [It's hard for me to speculate about what motivates somebody like Stephen Hawking or Elon Musk to talk so extensively about AI. I'd have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/it-s-hard-for-me-to-speculate-about-what-motivates-somebody-like/) [Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/) > [“Garraty thought that memories were like a line drawn in the dirt. The further back you went the scuffier and harder to see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bachman/garraty-thought-that-memories-were-like-a-line-drawn-in-the-dirt-the/) [Richard Bachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bachman/) > [“It's not that I'm being shy. It's just that -- well, for one, I don't even remember the event. It's a blank: a white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-mccarthy/it-s-not-that-i-m-being-shy-it-s-just-that-well-for-one-i-don-t-even/) [Tom McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-mccarthy/) > [“Struggling transforms her captor into a Chinese finger trap. She’s suffocating. Sucking in air without relief. Her lungs expand. Contract. Expand. They fill with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kreitzer/struggling-transforms-her-captor-into-a-chinese-finger-trap-she-s/) [Laura Kreitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kreitzer/) > [“Fear is the bane of all creatures and bubbles inside all forming a rock of solidifying darkness, sucking all will power to act or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-irini-poretsis/fear-is-the-bane-of-all-creatures-and-bubbles-inside-all-forming-a/) [Isabella Irini Poretsis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-irini-poretsis/) [Browse all 503 Black hole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-hole/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There has been much debate on the matter, but the present state of understanding is that no useful information can ever emerge from a black hole.\" ~\"Understanding Space & Time”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alastair Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter-but-the-present-state-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black hole" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter-but-the-present-state-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/alastair-reynolds-2186_black-hole_there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter_2780989.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/alastair-reynolds-2186_black-hole_there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter_2780989.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/alastair-reynolds-2186_black-hole_there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter_2780989.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There has been much debate on the matter, but the present state of understanding is that no useful…” — Alastair Reynolds", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alastair Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There has been much debate on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter-but-the-present-state-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-has-been-much-debate-on-the-matter-but-the-present-state-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```