The Urantia Book's comment, "peculiar conditions in space near highly energized cold bodies of condensed matter" (P.175) is surely indicative of a 'black hole.' The terms 'highly energized' and 'cold' could refer to their enormous gravitational field and 'cold' to the fact that almost no heat could radiate from such a body. No other known heavenly body fits this description. The book also refers to collisions among dead giants of space which again points to some of the events that give rise to 'quasars,' events that give rise to enormous outpouring of energy and appear to be associated with galaxies having a black hole at their center colliding with another galaxy or with another galaxy also having a central black hole.

   Although black holes were objects of derision amongst astronomers prior to the late 1960's, they were being picked up by radio telescopes before that time--among them Cyg A and Cas A, two of brightest radio sources in the sky and now thought to be powered by gigantic black holes. A happy comment accompanying this quite remarkable material is "Universes do not run down."

   "Evolving energy has substance; it has weight, although weight is always relative, depending on revolutionary velocity, mass, and antigravity. Mass in matter tends to retard velocity in energy; and the anywhere-present velocity of energy represents: the initial endowment of velocity, minus retardation by mass encountered in transit, plus the regulatory function of the living energy controllers of the superuniverse and the physical influence of near-by highly heated or heavily charged bodies….

   "Given a sufficient duration of retarding influence, gravity would eventually convert all energy into matter were it not for two factors: First, because of the antigravity influences of the energy controllers, and second, because organized matter tends to disintegrate under certain conditions found in very hot stars and under certain peculiar conditions in space near highly energized cold bodies of condensed matter.

   "When mass becomes over-aggregated and threatens to unbalance energy, to deplete the physical power circuits, the physical controllers intervene unless gravity's own further tendency to over-materialize energy is defeated by the occurrence of a collision among the dead giants of space, thus in an instant completely dissipating the cumulative collections of gravity. In these collisional episodes enormous masses of matter are suddenly converted into the rarest form of energy, and the struggle for universal equilibrium is begun anew. Eventually the larger physical systems become stabilized, become physically settled, and are swung into the balanced and established circuits of the superuniverses. Subsequent to this event no more collisions or other devastating catastrophes will occur in such established systems.

   "During the times of plus energy there are power disturbances and heat fluctuations accompanied by electrical manifestations. During times of minus energy there are increased tendencies for matter to aggregate, condense, and to get out of control in the more delicately balanced circuits, with resultant tidal or collisional adjustments which quickly restore the balance between circulating energy and more literally stabilized matter. To forecast and otherwise to understand such likely behavior of the blazing suns and the dark islands of space is one of the tasks of the celestial star observers….

   "The superuniverse of Orvonton is apparently now running down; the outer universes seem to be winding up for unparalleled future activities; the central Havona universe is eternally stabilized. Gravity and absence of heat (cold) organize and hold matter together; heat and antigravity disrupt matter and dissipate energy. The living power directors and force organizers are the secret of the special control and intelligent direction of the endless metamorphoses of universe making, unmaking, and remaking. Nebulae may disperse, suns burn out, systems vanish, and planets perish, but the universes do not run down." (P.176)

Commentary

   To include this article which is primarily on astrophysics and physics, probably seems extraordinary to most readers. But its content is capable of exciting true wonderment if we are old enough or knowledgeable enough to be familiar with the historical background.