How black hole winds can boost or stop star formation

Black-hole winds can create stars or stop them from forming

Winds from matter falling toward a black hole can squeeze nearby gas and help new stars form. Stronger winds can instead blow much of a galaxy's gas away, leaving less material for new stars. The same kind of black-hole activity can therefore either help or stop star formation.

Locusts once crossed the Atlantic Ocean

~4,500 km

In October 1988, huge groups of desert locusts traveled about 4,500 kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean. Favorable winds carried them westward, showing that weather can move even land insects across an ocean.

A prediction of a market crash can help make the crash happen

Imagine investors becoming convinced that a stock market is about to collapse. Many sell to protect themselves, pushing prices downward. The falling prices frighten more investors into selling, reinforcing the original fear. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy: expectations change behavior in ways that can make the expected event more likely.

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How black hole winds can boost or stop star formation

Black-hole winds can create stars or stop them from forming

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