Pseudo Black Hole Created in Lab

[mickw]

Researchers have simulated a mini black hole in the lab, though luckily not the kind that could swallow up the Earth.

This pseudo black hole captures only light, not mass.

"The device we created is not a real black hole, but only a device to mimic the black-hole effect," said researcher Tie Jun Cui, a professor at Southeast University in China. "Actually, the device can trap and absorb the electromagnetic waves which hit the device. Hence we call it as the Electromagnetic Black Hole."

Cui's creation, first reported by Wired Science, is a far cry from the average cosmic variety of black hole, which is an object so dense it absorbs any mass or light that comes within a certain radius of it. The mini black hole in the lab is not nearly so powerful, though it can simulate a black hole's effects when it comes to swallowing light, also known as electromagnetic radiation.

More:   http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/091027-st-mini-black-hole.html