This story is at http://phys.org/print321105310.html … a new study of supermassive black holes has found magnetic fields play a prominent role in proceedings. This was actually predicted and amounts to a confirmation of theory. It goes on to say that in the dozens of black holes so far surveyed (what are thought to be black holes to be more correct) the magnetic field strength matched the force produced by the black hole gravitational pull.
The paper is published in Nature, June 2014, which means it is not controversial in nature (pun unintended). This is, apparently, the first time magnetic fields at proposed black holes have been measured – some 76 of them. All of them have thrown up the same evidence of magnetic fields – what is this telling us?
At http://phys.org/print321082318.html … it seems an age ago now when some scientists were thinking in terms of the Earth system as unique. How times have changed – within months. Now we are told even our galaxy, the Milky Way, may harbour one hundred million planets that support complex life forms. It seems, we might not be alone.