Winds of Change: Lessons from Quasar Wind

All of us in Toastmasters know that the Pathway winds of change are sweeping the planes.

I was looking for an analogy and I learned some wonderful concepts. I always thought the speed of light as we know it is the fastest thing we know. I found out this is only partially true.

Scientists have just found out that at the centre of some black holes, swirling ultraviolet winds reach the speed of 200 million km/h. That is 20 times the speed of light. These winds, which are different from solar winds, are called quasar winds. The very same quasar can also produce winds at much slower speeds.

What is even more interesting is that the dust the quasar creates is necessary for star formation, to make planets and even living creatures. What I find most fascinating is the contents of the dust. The following quote is from the spitzer.caltech.eduwebsite: “in a quasar called PG 2112+059 located at the center of a galaxy 8 billion light-years away. The grains -- including corundum (sapphires and rubies); forsterite (peridot); and periclase (naturally occurring in marble) -- are not typically found in galaxies without quasars, suggesting they might have been freshly formed in the quasar's winds.”

Some might see Pathways as a dust cloud to be dealt with later. Others are eager to ride it. Whether you move fast or slow… that is not the issue. There is no right or wrong way to approach Pathways. The pondering question is what will we find? Will we just see dust? Are you willing to ride the winds of change and find something special in Pathways, the way that special things have been found in the quasar winds? Just perhaps we will find a ruby or a sapphire.