Prepare for a cosmic show: black hole bangs likely soon
Scientists now say there's a 90% chance we'll actually see a primordial black hole (PBH) explode sometime in the next decade—a huge shift from older estimates that said it would only happen once every 100,000 years.
PBHs are theoretical ancient cosmic objects that may have formed right after the Big Bang, and they're expected to eventually explode as they emit Hawking radiation.
PBHs might have a 'dark electric charge'
The new study suggests PBHs might carry a tiny "dark electric charge" thanks to mysterious particles called "dark electrons."
This hidden charge can temporarily stabilize them, delaying their explosions—meaning these events could be way more common than we thought, possibly happening about once every 10 years.
Telescopes are ready to spot these cosmic fireworks
Catching a PBH explosion would be a big deal: it could confirm Hawking radiation and help us learn about both familiar particles (like electrons and quarks) and unknown ones tied to dark matter.
The cool part? Our current telescopes are already set up to spot these cosmic fireworks if they go off soon.