We all have heard about the black holes. Some people talk a lot about them. But did you ever wonder why? Why is it very important? What are the uses of the black holes? So we decided to find out if the black holes were useful.
History
With Einstein’s physics, existence of objects like black holes became a possibility. Even though Einstein himself admited it, he thought the idea was ‘far-fetched’. But later, the Oxford professor Roger Penrose shows such things can exist. Many scientists are now starting to believe that the forces in the universe can indeed create a black hole.
Dr. Hawking massively contributed to the study of black holes in the 21st century. He discovered that black holes emit radiation that can be detected by special instruments. Black holes became a public topic again with the first photograph of a black hole. It lies at the center of the M87 galaxy. In collaboration with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), we were able to picture a black hole 55 million light-years away from Earth.
Research about black holes are still going on as the main objective alongside quantum physics. Researchers study the presence of black holes because they can’t observe x-rays, light, or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. One discovery they recently made was that the axis of rotation of a black hole in a binary system is tilted more than 40 degrees relative to the axis of the stellar orbit.
Star formation within galaxies
Black holes are considered to be massive, destructive, monstrous and dissevering everything approaching towards it. But now we know without blackholes our universe will not be the same. Black holes play an important role in the star formation. Within the galaxies, they dictate when the production slows down or ceases altogether. Some discoveries completely change how we used to think about black holes.
Without them, we could not have existed and evolved. When a black hole is growing, it releases a massive amount of energy that powers weaker nuclei. Black holes hold star systems together. If massive enough they could be the centers of galaxies. The gravity of the black hole can affect every star in the galaxy. Black holes are very useful in that manner.
Universes’ recycling plants
This might be strange, but some theory supports the idea of black holes as recycling plants of the universe. You know black holes attract matter. Matter is broken down to building blocks there. Thereafter, energy is released to the universe as plasma streams. So, light has a way of escaping a black hole.
We cannot see infrared. When you are switching channels on tv using a remote, you can’t see the light go out. But when you see through a camera you see the light.
Just like that a black hole is black because we can’t see the radiation it is emitting.
To study physics in a way we aren’t used to
Physics evolves into a complex subject today with the contribution of multiple game-changing physicists. Once Sir Isaac Newtons theories were the best we know. Then Einstein came and changed the way we used to perceive physics.
These supermassive black holes have a unique set of rules. And they are very different from the laws of physics we applied to earth.
Whether it’s gravity, general relativity, or quantum theory, black holes are unique and special. Einstein’s mechanics make more sense with the black hole phenomenon. Some believe black holes have infinite density. Density is equal to mass for unit volume. Because black holes have massive mass in a singularity, density should be beyond imagination. But is it infinite dense or just dense than current calculations? It can’t go further with the matter added. So, it would repel information or values. Nothing can escape a black hole.
Time works differently near black holes. People thought time is absolute but now we know it is relative.
Two objects moving relative to each other experience different time flows. In the movie interstellar protagonist, Cooper visits miller’s planet near a black hole (the Gargantua) which moves extremely slower than earth. This difference is the reason for the phenomenon called ‘Time dilation’. So, when he got back to earth, his daughter was old and near death, but he was much young as he left.
Useful future applications of black hole
Some people believe we can use black holes for things like time travel or exploring different universes. Most of these things are not very sensible yet. But there are several applications of black holes that we are excited about.
Black holes are not just large supermassive holes in the space that disappear information. Theoretically, they can be used as energy sources. Maybe they will be big powerful enough to power an interstellar ship. However, this is not a very good idea since a large black hole will take around a trillion times the age of the universe to power a light bulb. However small black holes that have an unstable gravitational field will be enough for the task. If we could create a small black hole that has a size of a marble, it would be a viable source for energy.
If we grow up into a galactic species then we can use black holes to dump wasted matter. But it is not a thing anyone is going to do in this or the next century because who wants to spend that much to get to a black hole just to dump some garbage!
Conclusion
Black holes are not monstrous things we used to think of. But they can be also considered as some useful objects in the massive universe. They play a part in the star formation and holding star systems together. Black holes are a speciality in modern physics. Perhaps we will be able to use them for human needs in the future.
That’s it for the usefulness of black holes. Check out more intriguing topics like this here.
