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Gravity is a monster.

Not the kind of monster that jumps out and slashes you.

It's the kind that shuffles slowly, never racing, but always getting closer.

It's patient, happy to wait billions of years until everyone else has had their turn, but it never,

ever, ever gives up. It's always there, ready to tear you to shreds or crush you into a speck.

And in the end, it's gravity that

dominates our cosmic destiny. We rely on quantum forces, like the structural integrity of the

earth or the radiation pressure from fusion that keeps the sun from collapsing. They keep gravity

at bay for now. But inevitably, they will fail us, and gravity will overcome each of our defenses,

making white dwarves and neutron stars and eventually victorious in creating black holes,

gravity's ultimate trophies. But where exactly is the quantum limit? How close can one get to

the black hole threshold without collapsing?

What is the last line of quantum defense against the plotting, unavoidable onslaught of the gravitational

monster? We'll dig into all of that on today's episode. Welcome to Daniel and Kelly's

extraordinarily crushing universe.

Hello, I'm Kelly Wienersmith. I study parasites and space, and today we're going to learn that physicists love noodles.

I got nothing.

Hi, I'm Daniel.

I'm a particle physicist, and I do worship at the arm of his noodily appendage.

Oh, man, that is a throwback.

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