Physicist says black holes aren’t so bleak

October 26, 2009 by Hannah Birch and Taylor Nielson 

Discussing positive view to counteract image of black holes

“Many see black holes as sources of ultimate destruction, conjured up by wicked physicists looking for good stuff to scare children with,” Stanford University lecturer Roger Blandford said.  “My job is to give you the upside, the optimistic side, of black holes.”

Blandford’s lecture, “Black Holes: The End of Time or A New Beginning?” had a specific message: contrary to popular belief and Hollywood hype, black holes are not the bleak destroyers they are made out to be.

Blandford presented his lecture at a UNLV physics and astronomy department forum, one of an ongoing series dedicated to honoring the International Year of Astronomy. 

He said the “optimistic side” to black holes is found in the energy and life-giving properties of black holes.  He explained that black holes were sources of energy superior to the sun. 

“Black holes are really in practice a tremendous machine for harvesting energy,” Blandford said.

Blandford, the second-to-last speaker in the lecture series, earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Cambridge University and is now one of the most distinguished astrophysicists in the country.

Blandford acts as a friendly crusader for what he views as misunderstood cosmic beings. “If you want to solve the energy crisis in the United States, find a black hole and sell it [to utility companies],” Blandford said.

Blandford used principles of physics to describe how black holes are associated with the formation of cosmic rays, elements and conceivably, life.  “They have a major role in how the galaxy grows and how it evolves,” Blandford said. “They can make amazing things.” 

He cited examples of what happens when a black hole is “fueled” by a nearby star. He displayed images taken from devices like gamma ray telescopes to show how energy increases as cast-off material from stars enters a black hole.  “Black holes can be associated with the formation of elements, cosmic rays and in essence, those basic building blocks of life,” Dr. Blandford said.  “A lot of the stuff in (our) bodies comes from these supernova explosions.”

Using a small black rubber ball to represent a black hole, Blandford explained, in jargon-free English, how gravitational forces act on what he called “compact stars,” or those that are at least 2.6 times larger than the galaxy’s sun but have a considerably smaller radius. This makes the star much more dense and creates the conditions necessary for a black hole to form.

“Knowing the fact that there is a black hole in the center of a galaxy, we realize that these black holes have a large effect on their environments within those specific galaxies,” Blandford said.

Audience members were able to ask questions and interact with the speaker. 

A man that attended the lecture detailed a Hollywood scenario where beings from “beyond a black hole” were photographed. He asked if the light manipulation necessary for photography would be possible so close to a black hole. 

Blandford answered the question concerning photography with science and commented only briefly on the potentiality of interstellar beings. “Everything you’ve heard… it’s all true, I’m sure,” Blandford said, amidst laughter from the audience.

For all the publicity that black holes receive involving foreboding circumstances and destruction, Blandford was highly optimistic about the potential use of black holes. 

“They’re bringers of life as well,” Blandford said. 

George Rhee, who has organized this year’s astronomy lecture series, encourages people from the general public to attend. 

“It’s for anybody that’s interested in astronomy,” Rhee said. “Anyone that’s looked at the sky and wondered what’s up there.”

Rhee said he believes the forums offer the public a window into current astronomy research.

The series also helps bring attention to the research on campus.

“It’s been more successful than we anticipated,” Rhee said, adding that the university has plans for a similar, but smaller, series for next year.

Blandford illustrated how far scientific technology has come since the development of Newton’s theories about gravity, but he also pointed out how much more there is to discover. 

“Do we know how it all works? No, we do not,” Blandford said. “But we’re working on it.”