Are the Laws of Physics Really Laws?

Question

Researching black holes, I read that at certain points within the black hole, called Singularities, the laws of physics do not apply. Is this true, and how can these "laws" truly be called laws, if true?

Answer 1

The laws of physics are a comparison point in the context of your question; scientists base their observations upon what are determined as normally "absolute" conditions on Earth.

Thus, extraordinary occurrences on Earth, and conditions away from Earth are not bound by the "laws of physics."

Answer 2

Saying "the laws of physics do not apply" may be a bit overly poetic, for science. It is the laws of physics that allow the black hole in the first place, so the "laws" actually do apply. A black hole is the extreme end of the universe that physical "laws" describe.

Perhaps they should have said "the regular laws of physics do not apply" or "the earthbound laws of physics do not apply".
Some of the "Laws" are mathematically provable, which would move them to the realm of facts. Some are backed by experimental evidence, repeatable tests that work every time, and indicate that particular actions (like stirring salt in water) always produce the same results. If those results were correctly predicted by the theory, the theory is considered valid. That doesn't make it the truth, science doesn't deal with truth, it deals with facts (yes, there is a difference).

Personally, I wish they would stop calling them laws. I think TV may be somewhat responsible for representing scientific facts as "The Truth". And maybe some of the Anti-science lobbies, that purposely misconstrue what science is saying. Also some of us who aren't willing to wade through the jargon.
This is why most scientific statements start with disclaimers like:
"The best evidence points to..."; and "There is evidential proof for the theory that..." etc.

Answer 3

They are more than laws in the usual sense because nothing can break them (prisons are filled with people who broke normal laws). But they are subject to revision should counter examples to them be found.

In the case of a black hole, what you read was wrong. Our current laws of physics basically say that you cannot trace the laws of physics through a singularity. This does not mean that they, or some other laws, do not apply but that it is impossible to know what laws do apply. It is possible that we can never overcome this limitation, but Steven Hawking has suggested a way around it by the introduction of imaginary (in the mathematical sense) time.

Answer 4

Black holes are an anomaly. It breaks all the rules. Also, the definition of a law does not mean it can't be broken. Sounds like your confusing the word "absolute" with "law."

Answer 5

A Black Hole is not a good example of Laws in
Physics. Why? No one has "hands on" experience
with them.

Answer 6

Does it seem to be something else? I think that the laws of physics are in fact the manifestations of the universe and it's quantities and qualities.

Answer 7

Because theoritical physics gives no room for measurements and and accurate experiments so it allows scientist to go wild in their uncontrolled imaginations and come up with all sort of theories, never mind Mankind will not live long enough to prove most of these theories...........

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Science is conditional truth, because science is incapable of absolute measurement (humans can only perceive and communicate generalizations).

So, they are laws if we mean conditional laws. Absolute laws do not exist.

-Aztec276

Answer 10

no man it's just sicence mumbo jumbo
and keep inmind that i like sicence more then religent, like i put my faith in science over some blind faith thing, but not the laws of black hole thing man