May 12, 2008

Childhood Nightmare Comes True: Monster Black Holes on the Loose!

(link to New Scientist, their image of the fugitive black hole is HILARIOUS)




I remember learning about Black Holes from my Dad. I must have been about 8-9 years old. At first, I thought he was just making up some crazy story to scare my sister and I into good behavior. But my Mom confirmed his story, and my Mom NEVER lied...


NO ESCAPE! THE TRUTH ABOUT BLACK HOLES...
link to a frightening lesson plan designed to instill a crippling fear of space in the youngsters of today...


So there I was, in the backseat of the car, staring at the blur of passing trees, scared to death that I would one day find myself being sucked into a point of infinite density. I felt helpless and desperate; like when I woke up from the re-occurring nightmare where I 'fell off' the side of the moon and drifted through space, waiting for my oxygen to run out. (I was one kid who NEVER wanted to be an astronaut). As I struggled with my new despair, my sister spoke up, "Hey, are we at the Mall yet?"



Twenty years later, I rarely dream of black holes. Though, I admit a bit of the old fear returned when I found out that there's a SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE right here, in our own galaxy...

"At least, " I thought, " it's not going anywhere..."


Or is it??


As long as roving MONSTER black holes are roaming the Universe, who among us can truly feel safe?

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