Nothing can escape. They can suck in whole galaxies. Black holes used to be science fiction. Now we know they're real. When I was a PhD student, People used to giggle when you'd hear about black holes. They're like unicorns, mythical creatures. We called this the "giggle factor." People would say, beam me up, Scotty. Well, no one is laughing anymore. Krauss: So, they're not science fiction. Even though we've never landed in one, We have enough evidence to know that they're really out there. This image might not look like much to you and me, But to a scientist, it's proof that black holes exist. It's an actual movie of a black hole devouring a star In the constellation of Aquila. Black holes are messy eaters. The red spots you see are gas That's being spit out of the hole, into space. Eventually, over the next million years, This star will be eaten alive and disappear. A black hole is pretty much the end point of everything. It's the end point of a star. It's the end point of matter. It's the end point of energy. It's the end point of gravity. I mean, that's really it. That's the top of the scale.