Stephen Hawking: Black holes could be portals to other universes

Black holes are often viewed as inescapable vortexes, but, in a recent talk at Harvard University, Stephen Hawking suggested they might be more like portals than prisons, reports the Boston Globe.

"Things can get out of a black hole, both from the outside and possibly through another universe," said Hawking.

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Embracing the opportunity to use the forces as a metaphor for life, he also commented, "So if you feel you're in a black hole, don't give up. There's a way out."

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Of course what comes out of the other side of a black hole would unlikely resemble what went in.

According to the Boston Globe, on the matter, Hawking noted, "It's like burning an encyclopedia. The information is not lost, if you keep all the ashes. But it's difficult to read."

Also see some of the most incredible recent space photos: