Knowing that quantum gravity solutions must resemble general relativity at macroscopic scales, a new study details black hole solutions in quantum gravity that are a step toward possibly realizing this granddaddy of all theories. This technique has limitations, however—chiefly that it requires a more robust understanding of quantum gravity the closer you get to a black hole’s singularity. The absence of this piece could also explain why general relativity breaks down at the singularity of black holes. “It is nevertheless important to have shown that there are new black hole solutions in quantum gravity that do not exist in general relativity,” Calmet told Space.com. “These new solutions are not just tweaks to the old one—they’re entirely new black holes that exist in a quantum gravity world.”