Information is one of the constituent parts of the

universe—so what happens to information if it falls

into a black hole?
One of the most intriguing as-yet-unsolved mysteries for the scientific
community is known as the black hole information paradox. First, what
is meant by the term information? In this context, information describes
quantum information. This refers to the properties of the
individual particles that build physical material. The law of conservation
of information states that the total amount of information in the universe
must be conserved: new information cannot be created, nor can existing
information be destroyed.
So, what does this have to do with black holes? Black holes contain
massive amounts of information, as they have consumed vast amounts
of material. In 1974, physicist Stephen Hawking discovered that black
holes evaporate. This occurs over extremely long periods of time, by
giving off particles now known as Hawking radiation. But this radiation is
seemingly unrelated to the information within the black hole, thus
indicating that a black hole and all information it contains could be
destroyed entirely. This presents a serious problem for scientists. If
information truly is destroyed through Hawking radiation, it would mean
rewriting all of quantum physics. If it is not destroyed, how is it
conserved?

There have been many theories as to how this could work. One early idea
suggested is that the information is sent through a wormhole to an
entirely different universe. However, I believe—along with many noted
physicists—that information actually escapes black holes through
Hawking radiation and remains in this universe; unfortunately, it is simply
not yet known how that information affects Hawking radiation.
Einstein was wrong when he said, "God does not play
dice." Consideration of black holes suggests, not only
that God does play dice, but that he sometimes
confuses us by throwing them where they can't be seen.
Stephen Hawking

There are alternative speculations. Physicist Gerard t’Hooft discovered

that information does not freeze on the event horizon, but instead forms
a distortion that contains information. He suggested that these
distortions could influence Hawking radiation, causing the information
they contain to be carried out into the universe. Hawking himself has
proposed another solution: that quantum tunneling within the black hole
could be a mechanism by which information escapes. These seem to be
plausible explanations for how information is imprinted on Hawking
radiation, but they do not account for the fact that the concept itself also
breaks the law of conservation of quantum information. The reason for
this is simple. When an object approaches a black hole, it appears to
freeze on the event horizon, though it does in fact cross it. The object’s
quantum information is thus duplicated—one copy is seen on the
horizon, and one copy is inside the black hole. But as mentioned earlier,
conservation of information requires that no new information be created,
so another paradox results.

This does not mean the end of the theory, however. Physicist Leonard
Susskind contends that the law is not violated, because the two copies
of information do not actually occur on the same timeline: i.e., they do
not truly exist at the same time. This theory is known as black hole
complementarity, and it provides a legitimate way to keep the laws of
physics intact. However, this brings forth yet another paradox! Namely, it
breaches the principle of monogamy of quantum entanglement, which
states that a particle may be entangled with only one other at a time
(quantum entanglement is a specific type of relationship between
particles). Black hole complementarity suggests that every particle of
Hawking radiation ought to be entangled with both the interior of the
black hole it escapes, and all past Hawking radiation. No credible
solution has yet been found to this problem by scientists.
Psalm 8:3-4 says, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that
you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” The
black hole information paradox is certainly an example of this. As I learn
more about the cosmos, I realize how much I don’t know—each new
answer opens up endless new questions to be explored. The more I
study, the more I am humbled by God’s majesty and the vastness of His
creation. I can’t wait to delve deeper into this paradox as I continue my
education and begin my career in astrophysics.