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Nature 421, 702-703 (13 February 2003) | doi:10.1038/421702a

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Quantum gravity: The quantum of area?

John Baez

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What is the smallest unit of area? To find out, theorists have been wrestling with the notion of quantum black holes. Two independent analyses now seem to lead to the same answer.

Among the many curious features of quantum mechanics, one of the first to be discovered was that atoms have a discrete spectrum of energy levels. Could the same be true for black holes?