⚛️ Stephen Hawking proved black holes emit radiation (Hawking radiation) due to quantum effects near the event horizon, causing them to slowly evaporate. This groundbreaking 1974 discovery merged quantum mechanics with general relativity. He also showed black holes have temperature and entropy proportional to their surface area, revolutionizing our understanding of thermodynamics in spacetime.⁠ ⁠ Hawking's "no-hair theorem" states that black holes are characterized by only three properties: mass, electric charge, and angular momentum. All other information about matter that falls in appears lost, creating the "information paradox" - a fundamental conflict between quantum mechanics (which says information is conserved) and general relativity that remains one of physics's greatest unsolved problems.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #stephenhawking #hawking #science #scientist #physicist #physics #spacetime #blackholes #theorem #quantummechanics