Expert: Ed - 3/6/2008

Question
if light cannot escape black holes (and light is travelling at the speed of light{a speed too great to attain}) then how can gravitons escape a black hole. because if there actually are gravitons, shouldn't they have a mass, or if it is really just information being passed allong, then how could they be passed so quickly that the next atoms not be devoured before passing hte information on again?

Answer
Josh,

Yes, you are right, this is a problem.  All I can tell you is that there is a theory, in string theory, that gravitons may be STATES of other particles, not particles in their own right.  This could clear up the concerns you are presenting.

On this link, scroll down to the 3rd item in the "Score Card."
http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~siegel/vs.html

Google the word "gravitons, the word "state," and the phrase "string theory" all together, for many articles about this.

I hope this is helpful.

Keep Looking Up,
--Ed