Scientists: Black Holes Energy-Efficient

[NVMojo]

With gasoline hitting $3 per gallon, scientists have just found the most energy-efficient engines in the universe - black holes, those whirling super-dense centers of galaxies that suck in nearly everything.

The jets of energy spurting out of older ultra-efficient black holes also seem to be playing a crucial role as zoning cops in large galaxies, preventing too many stars from sprouting. That explains why there aren't as many burgeoning galaxies chock full of stars as previously expected, said scientists citing results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory that were released Monday.

For the first time, scientists measured both the mass of hot gas that is being sucked into nine older black holes and the unseen super-speedy jets of high energy particles spit out, which essentially form a cosmic engine. Then they determined a rate of how efficient these older black hole engines are and were awe-struck.

These black holes are 25 times more efficient than anything man has built, with nuclear power being the most efficient of man-made efforts, said study lead author Steve Allen of Stanford University and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

"If you could make a car engine that was as efficient as one of these black hole engines you could get about a billion miles per gallon of gas," Allen said. "In anyone's book that would be pretty green."

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2006/apr/24/042403237.html

[opihimoimoi]

1. I suspect only a few fully comprehend/understand this stuff

Our Present leaders included

Instead more research monies...its been less each and every year under Bush...whose focus is Bigger, Better/Smarter Bombs/Bullets/Rockets/Ships/Subs/BodyBags/Coffins/Aircraft/etc

Bush got sticky glue over his face...can't see shit...neither his Crew of dummies....

[Peace Patriot]

2. Yeah, it's incredible, isn't it? Some of the most amazing things are

happening in science--mapping of human DNA, discovery of, I think it's now FIVE sources of water in our solar system alone, discovery of solid, earth-like planets wa-a-a-ay far away, orbiting distant stars and many kinds of planets everywhere (both of these discoveries--water throughout our solar system, and many planets elsewhere hugely increasing the odds for both life and sentient life elsewhere), the Hubble photos of the mind-boggling array of visible galaxies and strange, inexplicable cosmic objects, flybys of Saturn and Jupiter, dropping a camera onto Titan, and vehicles on Mars....the list goes on and on of staggering discoveries...

and we're stuck with the dumbest government in the history of the world!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Sort of balances things out eh?? n/t

[NVMojo]

4. the dumbest government controlled by the hate filled Christian fundie

Taliban!

May the Gods/Goddesses have mercy!

[phantom power]

5. Huh. This was science fiction staple back in the 70s....

These must be the first real-world measurements.

[htuttle]

6. Sounds to me like the idea of a black hole being a 'hole' is not correct

IIRC, it's undefined what happens inside the event horizon of a black hole. Most people just assume it's some sort of 'hole' in space/time.

But if it's kicking out almost all of the energy that it could generate from the matter it takes in, maybe it's not a hole at all, but an E=MC2 converter thingie (I just made that up -- not a scientific term...:) ). In other words, it's a relatively small, incredibly efficient furnace that not only breaks up atoms -- it breaks up subatomic particles, too.

To me, Hawking's theory that black holes evaporate over time would seem to square better with a 'non-hole' black hole explanation, rather than a 'wormhole' type model. When the fuel (matter) runs out, the furnace burns out. The matter didn't get 'sucked away' somewhere -- some got radiated as energy, the rest got compacted inside, perhaps. :shrug:

[DrGonzoLives]

7. "Hole" is a simplifying term

And, no, it's not "actually" a hole, it's a singularity, but it is an effective, easy means of describing it. It's a spot where nothing comes back out, like a hole.