The European Southern Observatory is expanding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence to consider an unexpected tool: black holes. Researchers Gia Dvali of Ludwig Maximilians University and Zaza N. Osmanov of the Free University of Tbilisi propose that highly advanced civilizations might utilize these cosmic phenomena for quantum computing, seeking to maximize information storage and processing efficiency. Their work builds on decades of SETI research, from early radio listening to the current search for infrared signatures of megastructures like Dyson spheres; however, this new approach focuses on identifying highly energetic Hawking radiation as a potential technosignature. The researchers state that any highly advanced civilization is expected to employ black holes for the maximal efficiency of their quantum computations, suggesting this offers new criteria for identifying and understanding civilizations far more advanced than our own.
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