A groundbreaking study published in *Nature Astronomy*, led by researchers from the University of Warwick and the University of Oxford, reveals that black holes regulate their energy output by exclusively producing either powerful, focused jets or broad, sweeping winds, never both simultaneously. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about how black holes interact with their surroundings and offers new insights into their role in cosmic evolution. Astronomers have long known that black holes, despite their reputation as matter consumers, also eject substantial amounts of material from their hot, swirling accretion disks before it crosses the event horizon. These outflows manifest in two primary forms: relativistic jets, which are narrow, high-speed streams of plasma launched from the black hole's poles, powered by intense magnetic fields and rotation; and X-ray winds, broader, slower flows of highly ionized gas driven by radiation and magnetic pressure from the accretion disk. The research, focusing on the black hole system 4U 1630−472 (approximately ten times the Sun's mass), utilized data from NASA's NICER X-ray telescope and South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope over three years. The observations provided the first clear evidence of a "cosmic seesaw" mechanism: when the black hole emitted powerful jets, the X-ray winds diminished, and vice versa, demonstrating a mutual exclusivity in these outflow forms. This "tug-of-war" suggests that winds and jets compete for the same energy or mass resources within the black hole's accretion flow, maintaining a relatively stable overall outflow rate despite the changing nature of the ejection. This fundamental understanding of black hole energy regulation has significant implications. It not only clarifies how black holes grow but also sheds light on their influence over star formation in adjacent regions and the overall evolution of entire galaxies. The findings call into question long-standing beliefs about outflow powering mechanisms, suggesting that the transition between winds and jets might also depend on the magnetic field arrangement within the accretion disk. This research represents a significant step forward in understanding these enigmatic cosmic entities and their profound impact on the universe.