Why Black Holes Are the Most Efficient Yet Unlikely Method for Converting Mass Into Energy

In a powerful episode of MinutePhysics, narrator Henry Reich explains via whiteboard animation why black holes are considered the most efficient yet unlikely vehicles for converting mass into energy, as compared to chemical and nuclear reactions. Reich also explains in detail how black holes work, the difference between rotating and nonrotating black holes and the amount of energy extracted from each, saying something about the number of cats needed to power Norway.

So, if you really want to convert the mass of an object into energy, don’t bother with chemical reactions, or nuclear fission, or nuclear fusion: throw it into a rapidly rotating black hole.