Alien megastructures built to harvest stellar energy or alter the orbits of stars may be physically feasible, according to a new analysis – satisfying both our sci-fi fancies and our innate yearning to not feel so alone in a large, cold Universe.
What's more, these immense extraterrestrial constructions could remain stable for untold eons in the right configuration.
They might even radiate distinctive technosignatures, allowing astronomers to search for civilizations that have survived long enough to approach the upper echelons of the Kardashev Scale (which ranks civilizations based on their ability to harness energy).
The mind-boggling math underlying the idea is detailed in a recent study by Colin McInnes, an engineering scientist at the University of Glasgow who has previously modeled the feasibility of super-scale astronomical projects aiming to modify planetary orbits, for example.
Now, McInnes presents a simplified blueprint for engineering passively stable megastructures such as stellar engines and Dyson bubbles.
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