this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2025
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[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 2 days ago (3 children)

is there a physics limit to the density of energy

the physics limit to the density of energy is literally a black hole. it compresses the maximum amount of mass (energy) into a space. but that's technologically useless since you can't extract the energy out of it on-demand.

The densest ways of storing energy that are technologically useful are:

  • batteries (Na-Ion batteries: 0.2 kWh/kg)
  • oil/carbon-based fuels (bread: 5 kWh/kg)
  • uranium (pure uranium: 24 * 10^6 kWh/kg)

There's also speculative technologies like antimatter (24 * 10^9 kWh/kg) which aren't available today.

Source

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

The beauty of using uranium as currency is that if anyone hoards too much of it, the problem takes care of itself.

[–] absentbird@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

So one gram of antimatter could power a modern city for like three months? That's wild.

[–] brotundspiele@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

There actually is a method that could be used to extract energy out of a black hole. Probably not something you'd build in a watch-sized device though.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 days ago (3 children)

it only seems to work for rotating black holes though?

[–] brotundspiele@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago

Yeah, that's why you have to wind up your watch every now and then. To spin up its internal black hole again.

just drink more it'll start spinning soon enough

[–] muts@feddit.nl 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Don't they all spin though? As in any matter falls in one way or another angular momentum is gained.

It is possible, but very unlikely. Maybe two bh merge that has exactly opposite angular momentum.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If the well, event horrizon expands when a blackhole takes more mass, why can't we just figure out how much volume it is compressed into by measuring the event horrizon increase?

We know the matter that goes in is a certain size. Maybe we can deduce the total size it is compressed to? And the size the blackhole gains.

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It's impossible to know based on the current understanding of particle physics. A black hole is formed when the inward gravitational force exceeds the outward neutron degeneracy pressure of a sufficiently massive object, which is what keeps neutrons from occupying the same space (not really, it's complicated). Beyond that, only conjecture exists with no evidence, and the information paradox makes it impossible to observe the space inside the event horizon.