ating (1995). He also found that the energy can be kept constant by feeding mass into the black hole at a rate of 2.8 and 772 kg / yr respectively for the above examples.Current sources of power like the sun and nuclear power have nowhere near the efficiency of power given off by a black hole due to Hawking radiation. The sun's fusion of hydrogen atoms only has an efficiency rating of .71%, and nuclear power, like in power plants around the world has a rating of .09% (Semiz, 1995). In the future "controllable fusion would [be] adequate for terrestrial energy needs. It is in space where high efficiency would become important" (Semiz, 1995). As the world begins to look towards space for inhabitation and exploration the need for such power sources is becoming ever more prominent.In Semiz's power plant using Hawking radiation "the mass of the black hole remains constant, the only effect of the process is conversion of fuel into energy" (1995). Due to this, the process is amazingly efficient, and the smaller a black hole gets the high the efficiency rating will be. Being as how some physicists believe that mini black holes can be created from smashing a particle into its antiparticle at high velocities, this theory of mini black holes as power plants is a strong possibility for the future.Black holes maybe the power plants of the future because of their ability to transform matter into energy. Since black holes needed for the Penrose process and super radiance require super massive Newmann black holes, they are in the distant future because the closest known black hole of sufficient mass is at the center of our galaxy. By harnessing Hawking radiation a power supply efficient enough to power future journeys out of our solar system are plausible. One of the most important facts is that particle accelerators here on earth could create the black holes needed. As Semiz wrote in 1995, "if we hope to one day 'go where no one has gone before' t...
