Will mankind ever gain control over black holes?

Question

Is this science fiction staple--evident in everything from Hawking theories to Arthur C. Clarke novels--even a remote possibility?

Answer 1

Control them for what purpose? I don't think it's possible even in theory to use black holes as a means of travel, except maybe as one mean-*** gravitational slingshot. (Wormholes are different from black holes.)

There have been some suggested uses for them though that could be scientifically feasable (some day). One use, if we could create microscopic-sized black holes, would be in computing. It's been suggested that a quantum black hole could perform gargantuan feats of computation and memory storage. (But better hope you never see the BSOD!)

Another possible application would be to harness the rotation of a black hole as an energy source; basically just build a giant dynamo around it. Given the mass of a black hole, you could extract rotational energy from it for billions of years before it would even begin to slow down appreciably. I think I saw this in Kip Thorne's book on wormholes, but I'm not sure.

Answer 2

Humankind can't control their own weight, can't stop eating, can't control the weather, the heat, the cold, the poverty, the corruption, can't even control the common cold...So, there's a lot of work to be done right here for a long time before we can worry about or even consider the control of black holes millions of light years away from our current home...However, there's no theoretical reason why black holes should not be controlled. They are material objects subject to the laws of causality, prediction, and control.

Answer 3

Using the technology we have now, we could never even get to a black hole let alone control it.

It also appears that black holes may not be what we've been told for the past 30 or so years. See this story:

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn9620&feedId=online-news_rss20

Answer 4

Everything is possible but right now we know very few things about black holes and only in theory.
There is a very good documentary film about black holes of S.Hawkins that can solve your questions about these things.

Answer 5

Realistically, no. If one were to state that mankind could control something as indomitable as a black hole, he'd be as incompetent as someone who thought he could understand the essence (or supposed lack thereof) of God. Man, like every other object in the universe, will never be outside the realm of the material--as far as our current understanding of physics goes--and because of that, we will forever be at the mercy of the entity that takes matter, ALL matter within itself as its own.

Answer 6

Black holes, probably not, but worm holes maybe. That won't happen for a very long time though. You need a lot of mass to create a black hole, but maybe we'll be able to make one by tearing a hole in space.

Answer 7

What are Hawking theories ?
No I don't believe we will ever control black holes..

Answer 8

no they are far to powerful for the feeble ability's of mankind to master
mankind has only explored 70% of the earth and only 1% of the ocean how do you expect us to control black holes when we hardly know anything about our own planet let alone the vastness of space

Answer 9

immodium.


ok, bad humor aside, no i don't think so. there is a complexity beyond our capability in the origins and mechanics of some universal activities. this is one i do not see us harnessing. but i'm still afraid of the dark so i'm the wrong person to ask.

Answer 10

They'll have to PROVE they exist first....
yes there is something out there we named a "black hole"
but until we get there to see one and examine it
it is just a name.....