Q&A: Black Holes

Q:
I have a theory that black holes produce a spout of energy at the north magnetic pole, and that the black holes and quasars act like a hurricane and form an inner event horizon where there is little if any matter or energy. Could I be correct?

A:
Many black holes do appear to produce a spout of energy at their magnetic poles. This is probably due to the twisting of magnetic field lines in gas swirling toward the black hole. Near the inner event horizon, the gas may take the form of the towering eye-wall clouds of a hurricane, but for a different reason. In a hurricane, the pressure drops dramatically near the eye, and maintains the swirling motion. In a black hole, gravity controls the action, and pulls the gas inside the event horizon, from which there is no escape. There is a lot of mass and energy there, but we can't see it.