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This is just a simple riddle I thought of just now!

You may make me, but you cannot destroy me.

You can see through anything with my help.

When I'm (really) big and black, nobody and nothing can escape from me.

I'm not used very frequently.

Sometimes, I make objects unusable.

Who/What am I?

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3 Answers 3

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I expect that you're a

hole!

You may make me but you cannot destroy me.

You can cut or drill (or many other verbs) holes into things, but once they're there you cannot destroy them - fill them or patch them, maybe, but you can never destroy what's not there.

You can see through anything with my help.

Put a hole in it and you can see through it!

When I'm (really) big and black, nobody and nothing can escape from me.

This is what really gave it away for me. This is of course referencing black holes.

I'm not used very frequently.

(from PirateSoul) There isn't a lot you can do with a hole, other than fill it; therefore, you don't use them very frequently.

Sometimes, I make objects unusable.

Some things can't be used if there are holes in them. Clothes come to mind as an example, but a larger scale example could be a boat! The options here are limitless (to an extent).

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    $\begingroup$ Beat me by 2 seconds! $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:09
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    $\begingroup$ But....I can 'destroy' you. I just fill you in with something. $\endgroup$
    – Mark N
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:10
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    $\begingroup$ @SharadGautam, You can with some. If i dig a hole in the sand at a beach, then overfill it with sand again. Then there is no hole, it was 'destroyed'. $\endgroup$
    – Mark N
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:14
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    $\begingroup$ Any ideas on the "I'm not used very frequently" line? I'm at a loss... $\endgroup$
    – Bailey M
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:21
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    $\begingroup$ But we CAN pick up and move a hole! (Albeit indirectly) For example, if we pick up a donut and move it, have we not also indirectly picked up and moved the donut hole? We haven't made any NEW holes, but the hole remains there... $\endgroup$
    – Aify
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 16:55
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Maybe a

black hole!

You may make me but you cannot destroy me.

People, can create black holes, but cannot destroy them. ( Look up the large hadron collider)

You can see through anything with my help.

As suggested by Samuel, gravitational lensing is one way in which black holes allow us to see things. Because they are very heavy and dense, they bend space-time. This means if a planet or a star is not visible to us, black holes can bend light so that it can be seen by us.

When I'm (really)big black, nobody and nothing can escape from me.

Black holes are big and black. Nothing can escape them, not even light.

I'm not used very frequently.

People do not use black holes in their day-to-day lives.

Sometimes, I make object unusable

Anything which enters a black hole will be stretched to a great extent and will be rendered useless. ( this information is from one of Vsauce's videos on black holes)

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    $\begingroup$ Good point. I cannot even remember the last time I used a black hole! :) $\endgroup$
    – JLee
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:30
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    $\begingroup$ For the last point, throw your phone into a black hole and tell me if it's still usable! (PS: no nokia, don't cheat) $\endgroup$
    – leoll2
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 17:03
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    $\begingroup$ For point two, you might try gravitational lensing. $\endgroup$
    – Samuel
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 21:25
  • $\begingroup$ @Samuel Thank you for your help. :) $\endgroup$
    – user41805
    Commented Jun 13, 2015 at 6:22
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It could be a

Plastic bag(polythene cover).

You may make me, but you cannot destroy me.

We make it but cant be destroyed by us.

You can see through anything with my help.

plastic covers are see through

When I'm (really) big and black, nobody and nothing can escape from me.

Big and black covers when sealed does not allow anything out.

I'm not used very frequently.

These days we try to use bio degradable bags.

Sometimes, I make objects unusable.

objects that are inside it cannot be used.

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  • $\begingroup$ Its not biodegradable.In that sense, Does that not mean it cannot be destroyed? $\endgroup$
    – user4321
    Commented Jun 15, 2015 at 13:23

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