Black holes are regions of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. They can form when large stars collapse at the end of their life cycles, compressing their mass into a tiny space. Black holes warp spacetime so severely that they can pull objects inward and may potentially serve as portals to other universes or allow for time travel according to some theories. Scientists study black holes by observing the effects of their strong gravitational forces, such as emitting x-rays and warping of light.