Part 2/8:
Black holes are not just scientific curiosities; they represent critical corners of our understanding of fundamental physics. Penrose's singularity theorem does not simply reinforce the existence of black holes but also highlights the limitations of Einstein's general theory of relativity and invites inquiries into the universe's origins.
The concept of black holes dates back to the 1700s when John Mitchell and Pierre-Simon Laplace speculated about "dark stars" that could prevent even light from escaping due to their immense gravity. This idea faced skepticism until the advent of general relativity in 1915, which resurrected interest in black holes.