Abstract

A famous Newtonian argument by Michell and Laplace, regarding the existence of “dark bodies” and dating back to the end of the 18th century, is able to provide an exact general-relativistic result, namely the exact formula for the Schwarzschild radius. Since general relativity was formulated more than a century after this argument had been issued, it looks quite surprising that such a correct prediction could have been possible. Far from being merely a fortuitous coincidence (as one might justifiably be induced to think), this fact can find a reasonable explanation once the question is approached the other way round, i.e. from the general-relativistic point of view. By reexamining Laplace’s proof from this point of view, we discuss here the reasons why Michell-Laplace argument can be so “unexpectedly" correct in its general-relativistic prediction