> I assumed some sort of prank? I think it's a classic case of physics envy. Some scientists in a relatively uninteresting field want to spice up their work by

> I assumed some sort of prank? I think it's a classic case of physics envy. Some scientists in a relatively uninteresting field want to spice up their work by associating it with cosmology -- with black holes, a topic that everyone recognizes. It's not unlike New Age spiritualists who try to associate their beliefs with quantum theories. Comparing a maelstrom to a black hole is sort of like trying to explain spacetime curvature using a ball rolling around on a rubber sheet -- it's an example often used, but it's very misleading.