Re: Dyson spheres, I used to be really fascinated by them until real physicists started picking the concept apart. I think it was Neil DeGrasse Tyson recently who pointed out a problem to the effect of, there isn't enough material in the solar system to construct one, so we would already need to have the technology to deconstruct multiple solar systems, but powering that operation would require us to already have a Dyson sphere
I have always felt that while CETI is a worthwhile, albeit likely futile, undertaking, METI is just plain stupid. It is the equivalent of hanging a "Free Lunch" banner on our planet. Unless 100% of all interstellar civilizations, if they exist, are unaggressive, then we are committing an unforced error. 100% universal peacefulness is about as probable as 0%, so, in the fullness of time, the probability of a hostile alien race (again, if any aliens exist) seeing our signal is too high for comfort. These interstellar hippies will be the death of all of us, or at least of our descendants.
You know the biggest absurdity in “Sci-Fi” is that we can’t imagine a “civilization” that’s evolved beyond the need for weaponry or possibly existence itself - at least in the way we understand it. I give it an almost zero probability that advanced civilization would be flying around in “spaceships”. The only dark forrest I see is our own imagination.
Great piece Alastair; I’ve often thought about this paradox — basing our understanding of the universe on what we know. Even if dark matter and dark energy aren’t the right constructs; just the fact that we don’t understand 95% of what composes the universe underscores how inherently silly this approach is.
Like Cixin Liu, I thought Andy Weir did a good job imaging what an alien race might be like without anthropomorphizing them.
Re: Dyson spheres, I used to be really fascinated by them until real physicists started picking the concept apart. I think it was Neil DeGrasse Tyson recently who pointed out a problem to the effect of, there isn't enough material in the solar system to construct one, so we would already need to have the technology to deconstruct multiple solar systems, but powering that operation would require us to already have a Dyson sphere
I have always felt that while CETI is a worthwhile, albeit likely futile, undertaking, METI is just plain stupid. It is the equivalent of hanging a "Free Lunch" banner on our planet. Unless 100% of all interstellar civilizations, if they exist, are unaggressive, then we are committing an unforced error. 100% universal peacefulness is about as probable as 0%, so, in the fullness of time, the probability of a hostile alien race (again, if any aliens exist) seeing our signal is too high for comfort. These interstellar hippies will be the death of all of us, or at least of our descendants.
You know the biggest absurdity in “Sci-Fi” is that we can’t imagine a “civilization” that’s evolved beyond the need for weaponry or possibly existence itself - at least in the way we understand it. I give it an almost zero probability that advanced civilization would be flying around in “spaceships”. The only dark forrest I see is our own imagination.
Great piece Alastair; I’ve often thought about this paradox — basing our understanding of the universe on what we know. Even if dark matter and dark energy aren’t the right constructs; just the fact that we don’t understand 95% of what composes the universe underscores how inherently silly this approach is.
Like Cixin Liu, I thought Andy Weir did a good job imaging what an alien race might be like without anthropomorphizing them.
https://substack.com/@stevenberger/note/c-136753329