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Old April 7th 04, 04:44 PM
Joseph Lazio
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Default In Search of Dyson Spheres-SETI@home Mar. 23 Update

"V" == Victor writes:

V Jason H. wrote:
SETI@home Update, March 23, 2004:In Search of Dyson Spheres - by
Amir Alexander
http://www.planetary.org/html/UPDATE...te_032304.html
A group of 33 stars exhibits excess radiation in the 12 micron
range leading to an interesting article. Regards, Jason H.


V Interesting article, just a few things that came to my mind:

V - A shell of a few meters thick would not allow light through for
V Optical SETI to detect, unless the aliens use light comms outside
V of the shell or the shell has not been completed, as mentioned in
V the article.

Actually, in Dyson's original proposal, it was not a solid shell. The
tensile forces on a solid shell are enormous, and it's not clear how
to hold one of these together. (Even in Larry Niven's _Ringworld_,
the ring is made of some incredibly strong, as yet unknown material.

In Dyson's original proposal, one would have a bunch of small screens,
each on independent orbits. The combined effect of the screens would
be enough to capture all of the radiation from the star.


V - What happens if a comet or asteroid approaches the shell while
V orbiting the solar system's centre of gravity. Will the aliens
V have 'Comet Police' to destroy threats to the shell? ;-)

They'd better. Of course, if one has the technology to build an
all-encompassing shell (whether solid or composed of smaller screens),
one probably has the technology to monitor incoming dangerous objects.

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