The idea of black holes sounds so quintessentially modern and 20th-century that it may come as a surprise to learn that it originated over 200 years ago; John Michell, a natural philosopher and clergyman, used Newtonian physics to conceive of a star massive enough to prevent even light from escaping its gravitational pull.
Already a subscriber? Log in
As the US decides, so can you
Subscribe today and get a $50 Amazon gift card if you correctly predict the next US president.
- Unlimited access to spectator.com.au
- The weekly edition on the Spectator Australia app
- Spectator podcasts and newsletters
- Full access to spectator.co.uk
Or
Unlock this article
Available from the Spectator Bookshop, £13.49 Tel: 08430 600033. Pippa Goldschmidt is the author of The Falling Sky.
Comments
As the US decides, so can you
Subscribe today and get a $50 Amazon gift card if you correctly predict the next US president.
SUBSCRIBE AND ENTERAlready a subscriber? Log in