For decades, physicists assumed black holes can merge but cannot split; new calculations suggest a black hole spinning near its maximum speed might break in two, though nobody has ever observed it happening.

Recent theoretical study explores whether rapidly spinning black holes can split into two smaller black holes. Scientists have long believed that black holes are incapable of splitting due to entropy and the area theorem. The research proposes that under specific conditions, a spinning black hole could theoretically divide without violating physical laws. It introduces the concept of a pair-of-pants topology to describe this unusual scenario.