Are long-lived Planck-mass remnants consistent with quantum field theory? · revision history

Revision 2

Accepted · core change · record

Changes against revision 1:

Title
Are long-lived Planck-mass remnants consistent with quantum field theory?
Plain
If tiny black-hole leftovers stored all the information, each would need an enormous number of internal states. Such objects might then be produced in huge numbers in ordinary processes, contradicting experiment.
Precise · changed · core
Revision 1: Consider objects of mass $\sim m_{P}$ with $N\sim \operatorname{exp}(S_{\mathrm{initial}})$ internal states, where $S_{\mathrm{initial}}$ can be arbitrarily large. Determine whether an effective field theory containing such remnants avoids pair-production rates and thermal contributions proportional to $N$, for example through form factors that suppress their couplings, while remaining unitary and local. Answer yes with a consistent model, or no with a general argument.
Revision 2: Consider objects of mass $\sim m_{P}$ with $N\sim \exp(S_{\mathrm{initial}})$ internal states, where $S_{\mathrm{initial}}$ can be arbitrarily large. Determine whether an effective field theory containing such remnants avoids pair-production rates and thermal contributions proportional to $N$, for example through form factors that suppress their couplings, while remaining unitary and local. Answer yes with a consistent model, or no with a general argument.
Settled by
An explicit consistent effective theory of remnants with bounded production rates, or a theorem excluding them.
Kind
well-posed
Answer type
yes-no
References
(empty)
Literature status
contested
Status note
The infinite-production objection (Giddings, Susskind, 1994-1995) is widely accepted; proposed escapes via remnants with large interiors remain disputed as of 2026.
Posed since
(empty)

Decisions