I know what you just said... What on earth, is Human Spaghettification?
I was watching a show with my significant other when I heard a term that I had never heard before "Human Spaghettification". If your like me, the more you know about random things, the easier it is to make awkward conversation with random people :)
Science Time!
Human spaghettification is a rather morbid term used to describe what would happen to an individual falling into a black hole. In essence, it's a consequence of extreme tidal forces exerted by the black hole's gravity. As someone ventures closer to a black hole, the gravitational pull on their feet becomes significantly stronger than on their head due to the immense difference in distance. This leads to a stretching effect, where the person is pulled apart, resembling the stretching of spaghetti. This phenomenon is a result of the gravitational gradient, which causes what's known as "tidal forces."
The process of human spaghettification follows a sequence of events as one nears a black hole. Initially, the gravitational force at the feet becomes stronger than that at the head, causing the person to be stretched vertically. Eventually, the difference in gravitational force becomes so extreme that it overcomes the molecular forces holding the person together. At this point, the individual is torn apart into a stream of matter, forming an elongated, spaghetti-like structure. This process is a stark illustration of the extreme and incomprehensible nature of the gravitational forces within a black hole's vicinity.
While human spaghettification is a fascinating concept to ponder from a theoretical standpoint, it's a grim reminder of the sheer power and unforgiving nature of black holes. It serves as a reminder of the extreme conditions that exist in the cosmos, where the laws of physics as we understand them can be stretched to their limits, often with catastrophic consequences for anything unfortunate enough to venture too close.
RESOURCES:
What would happen if you fell into a black hole? Spaghettification explained
What Happens When Something Gets ‘Too Close' to a Black Hole? - NASA Science
"Spaghettification": How black holes stretch objects into oblivion - Big Think
Spaghettification: The Bizarre Phenomenon in the Gravitational Embrace - The Average Scientist
Author - Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd
Jason T
Retired EMT - Heart & Stroke Foundation Senior Instructor