---
title: "New Research Shows That a “Naked Singularity” Could Exist in Physics"
description: "At the point of a black hole's singularity, the laws of physics cease to apply. Researchers running a simulation have created such a singularity outside of the confines of a black hole."
date: "2017-05-22"
modified: "2017-05-26"
authors:
  - name: "Patrick Caughill"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/patrickcaughill"
url: "https://futurism.com/new-research-shows-that-a-naked-singularity-could-exist-in-physics"
categories:
  - "Physics"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "Black holes"
  - "cosmic singularity"
  - "curved universe"
---

# New Research Shows That a “Naked Singularity” Could Exist in Physics

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/universe-saddle.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/milky-way-pink-light-mountains-night-471693773" target="\_blank"\>Denis Belitsky/Shutterstock\</a\>\</em\>*

## Naked Physics

Einstein's general theory of relativity is a cornerstone of our understanding of how the universe works. A great deal of the science we do has roots in this theory. As *[Phys.org ](<https://m.phys.org/news/2017-05-saddle-shaped-universe-undermine-relativity.html>)*[points out](<https://m.phys.org/news/2017-05-saddle-shaped-universe-undermine-relativity.html>), estimating the age of stars, using GPS for navigation, and a host of other possibilities exist thanks to Einstien's calculations. The theory has stood the test of time, even with over a century of challenges.

The theory does break down — as do all standard laws of physics — at a singularity. Singularities are points in the universe where a celestial body's gravitational field becomes infinite. In our universe, general relativity says that this phenomenon exists only in the center of a black hole. Singularities existing outside of this condition would be known as "naked singularities." A concept known as the cosmic censorship conjecture, introduced in 1969, stated all singularities would be cloaked by an event horizon. Naked singularities, however, would be exempt from this principle.

![Image of (1 + 1)-dimensional anti-de Sitter space embedded in flat (1 + 2)-dimensional space. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1-saddleshaped.jpg>)
**Anti-de Sitter space. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.**

## Saddle Up

Using computer simulations, researchers have predicted the formation of a naked singularity in three-dimensional space for the first time. That being said, although the simulations may have shown a naked singularity, it wasn't a simulation of our universe. Researchers Toby Crisford and Jorge Santos from Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics used a universe shaped quite differently from our (relatively) flat one. They used anti-de Sitter space for their simulation, which curves in the shape of a saddle. Having a universe with curvature allows for some novel possibilities. Given this shape, researchers were able to force the creation of a naked singularity.

The known universe is not curved, therefore the findings are not directly applicable to our universe. However, that does not make this discovery insignificant: other seemingly unrelated theories of particle physics are connected to gravity in anti-de Sitter space. Equipped with this simulated cosmic censorship violation, there's no telling what the future has in store for the field of theoretical physics.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-caughill-74178a61>)