[alancalverd]

What mystery? It's all there to see, and mostly it behaves predictably. When it doesn't, we alter the equations with which we model it, and everything falls back into place again.

[acsinuk]

The fundamental energy of the universe is electromagnetic.  This magnoflux can move through magnetised space as light or radio waves.  It can also be captured by a molecule where it vibrates and heats up the magnetic field volume inside the electron enclosure.  Once captured it can no longer move at light speed and is restricted to the speed of the proton and neutron particles.
But where did the original magnoflux energy come from?  We can assume that the total positive and negative energy and charges as in any electrical circuit will all add to zero but how God manage to magnetise the space of nothingness to start it all will always be a mystery.

[yor_on]

"Space isn't empty, space has its vacuum energy, and this energy has a mass equivalence."

Sort of like it John, remember myself wondering about the mass equivalence of virtual particles You know, dark mass, and 'energy' naturally.

Then again, wish I could hold just one virtual particle in my hand I think statistics will lead us, and experiments. But what it will end in? What 'theory' we find fitting it all I'm not sure.

[acsinuk]

Going back to the original question are the magnetic and mass attraction forces similar. Answer is yes in that both have the mass linked to force equivalence.  Larger stars will induce more fluxlines into the black hole.
But, magnetic bipolar force is not only 20 times more powerful but also has a curling motion that spins the stars.
Watched "horizon" last night and it suddenly struck me if a gas cloud gets sucked into a magnetic hub it will be spat out at right angles to the spin of the galaxy along the axis of the magnetic hub.  If we are in line with that axis we will see a brilliant energy source suddenly appear and as we drift out of line it will dim and then disappear , like a quasar or magnetar?
CliveS