Physicists May Have Witnessed a Primordial Black Hole Exploding, Revolutionizing Dark Matter Understanding

In February 2025, the KM3NeT collaboration detected an ultra-high-energy neutrino, sparking a novel hypothesis: it could be the signal of a primordial black hole exploding. Stephen Hawking theorized that the Big Bang might have created numerous small black holes. This neutrino, possessing energy exceeding 25 times that of particles in the Large Hadron Collider, has puzzled physicists. A team suggests it originated from a black hole evaporating, as Hawking predicted in the 1970s, emitting radiation and eventually exploding. Such a black hole would be exceptionally small, around 10,000 kg, compressed to a size smaller than an atom. The existence of these black holes could be explained by chaotic events during the Big Bang. Researchers propose a "memory burden" quantum mechanism might allow these mini black holes to survive longer than expected. If confirmed, this discovery could transform our understanding of dark matter, high-energy neutrinos, and the early universe. Further neutrino detections by KM3NeT in the coming years could validate this theory.