Black Hole Stars and LRDs | Universe Not a Simulation episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 11, 2026 · 55 MIN

Black Hole Stars and LRDs | Universe Not a Simulation

from Stars, Cells, and God · host Reasons to Believe

Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence. “Little Red Dots” (LRDs) are emerging galaxy cores seen during the cosmic dawn. They were thought to challenge some big bang creation models because they’re too bright. This challenge assumed that nearly all their light came from stars. A high-sensitivity JWST spectrum of The Cliff, the brightest known LRD, shows no significant metal lines, meaning stars can’t explain its light. Instead, the data matches dense, absorbing gas falling into a supermassive black hole (SMBH), which supports big bang models where SMBHs formed early in cosmic history. It may seem like a bizarre concept, but scientists have tried to find out whether our universe is a big simulation. Evidence for the idea is ambiguous, plus mathematical developments over the last century seem to rule out the possibility. Recent research in quantum gravity suggests that our universe can’t be explained by algorithms operating on axioms (the basis of every simulation). This non-algorithmic component aligns well with the biblical description of the universe and humanity as the products of supernatural creation. LINKS AND RESOURCES: A Remarkable Ruby: Absorption in Dense Gas, Rather Than Evolved Stars, Drives the Extreme Balmer Break of a Little Red Dot at z = 3.5 Is the Big Bang Theory in Trouble? Physicists Prove the Universe Isn’t a Simulation After All Consequences of Undecidability in Physics on the Theory of Everything

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Black Hole Stars and LRDs | Universe Not a Simulation

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