/sci/ - Science & Math

What really goes on when two of these things "merge"? It's said that a significant proportion of a black hole's mass is radiated away in the form of gravitational waves. But how does this mass pass through the event horizon? Moreover, could mergers of black holes supply any clues about the nature of matter inside the event horizon (ie. could observations of quantum effects around the edges of black holes tell us whether it's comprised of elementary particles, strings, or just no matter - a singularity). If I'm asking the wrong questions, redpill me.