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Physics

Black holes scramble information – but may not be the best at it

Information contained within quantum objects gets scrambled when they interact. Physicists have now derived a speed limit for this process, challenging the idea that black holes are the fastest data scramblers

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

6 May 2024

Previously, physicists theorised that black holes are the fastest possible scramblers of information

MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Alamy

When two quantum objects interact, all the information they carry becomes scrambled. Now, physicists have calculated a fundamental limit for how quickly this can happen.

One striking example of information scrambling happens in black holes, says Victor Galitski at the University of Maryland. When objects fall into these super-dense bodies, some of the information they contain reemerges in the black hole’s emitted radiation – but in a highly scrambled form.

In fact, physicists have theorised that black holes are the fastest possible scramblers…

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