Black hole theorem proved correct.

The article discusses how recent gravitational wave observations have successfully tested Stephen Hawking's black hole area theorem, which posits that the event horizon of a merged black hole cannot be smaller than the sum of the areas of the original black holes. This theorem was verified through the detection of gravitational waves from a powerful collision, named GW250114, which was captured with unprecedented detail by upgraded LIGO detectors. The findings not only confirm Hawking's theorem with a confidence level of 99.999 percent but also support Roy Kerr's equations regarding the characterization of black holes by their mass and spin. The advancements in gravitational wave astronomy are paving the way for further research into the fundamental physics of black holes and the potential unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics. [Extracted from the article]