As the urgent hunt intensifies for abundant clean energy sources, Chinese physicists have controversially proposed harnessing evaporated primordial micro black holes as infinitesimal mass-energy converters. While seemingly far-fetched, their gedankenexperiment highlights uncharted scientific frontiers as sustainability challenges mount.

In a paper on the arXiv preprint server, Tianjin University scientists argue the immense gravitic forces of quantum-scale black holes could theoretically generate power rivaling nuclear plants through electron-scattering reactions as matter vanishes across the event horizon. They estimate potential conversion efficiency on par with commercial solar cells.

Mind-boggling engineering barriers notwithstanding, the researchers calculate that a carefully controlled black hole just a billionth of a kilogram could continuously emit clean energy before dissipating entirely. By tweaking variables like mass, charge and particle collisions, yield might reach 25% of input mass converted directly to usable megawatt output.

Success, however implausible presently, would constitute an inexhaustible source dwarfing all others combined in total potential density. It would also profoundly advance physics - enabling study of quantum gravitational effects and clues to mysteries like dark matter's nature.

Myriad complexities around artificially generating and stably containing what amount to gravitational bombs would first require breakthroughs orders more distant than nuclear fusion's half-century struggle toward viability. Nevertheless, blunt sustainability challenges are spurring conceptual exploration of even far-fetched alternatives.

While black hole reactors likely remain firmly in the realm of speculation, seemingly radical notions oft shift status unexpectedly with precocious discoveries or necessity's motherly inventions. Creative thinking on the energy precipice is thus raising illuminating thought experiments if nothing else - and mind-bending hypotheses can catalyze tech leaps in due time.

With climate consequences accelerating, outlandish innovation could one day tame the infinite wellsprings of cosmic forces themselves, warping relativity to humanity's benefit. The far frontier flickers.