Cosmic Censorship: The Role of Quantum Gravity

Abstract

The cosmic censorship hypothesis introduced by Penrose thirty years ago is still one of the most important open questions in {\it classical} general relativity. In this essay we put forward the idea that cosmic censorship is intrinsically a {\it quantum gravity} phenomena. To that end we construct a gedanken experiment in which cosmic censorship is violated within the purely {\it classical} framework of general relativity. We prove, however, that {\it quantum} effects restore the validity of the conjecture. This suggests that classical general relativity is inconsistent and that cosmic censorship might be enforced only by a quantum theory of gravity.

7 pages. This essay received the Second Prize from the Gravity Research Foundation 2000

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