5 ms·
In general I agree, but the lack of radiation is a real problem - we would need to have some fundamental error in our understanding of thermodynamics for their
by ealexhudson 11y ago
In general I agree, but the lack of radiation is a real problem - we would need to have some fundamental error in our understanding of thermodynamics for their tech to be capable of that. That, or the structure itself isn't collecting the energy but only [somehow] redirecting visible wavelength light.
- sandworm101 11y agoLike a mirror? Or a mirror that selectively reflects certain wavelengths but not others?
- perseusprime11 11y agoGuys these are just solar panels. Their race is better at alternative forms of energy than us.
- idlewords 11y agoSolar panels heat up. It's the law!
- sawwit 11y agoPerhaps they use the heat very efficiently?
- sethrin 11y agoNo dice. Conservation of energy and other thermodynamic laws say that [a] there are limits to efficiency, and [b] if you absorb energy you must re-radiate it. Among other things. There's no point in speculating about the blatantly unphysical. @Sharlin is right, it's just "Goddidit" dressed up.
- stevejones 11y agoDo any of them say it must be re-radiated omni-directionally as infra-red light?
- marcosdumay 11y agoPretty much. You can make it cooler than infra-red light (like microwaves), and you can irradiate for half a sphere, or even a bit less. But that's all.
- sandworm101 11y agoDon't forget entropy. Matter can absorb energy without necessarily radiating it immediately. Two objects can be the same temperature but of totally different energy. The easiest to understand is probably phase changes. Ice can melt into water, absorbing energy, without changing its temperature. Even stranger, ice can sometimes melt, still absorbing and retaining energy from its surroundings, while the temperature of the system actually drops (ie if you pour salt on ice).
- tetraodonpuffer 11y agowhat if they were getting the energy from this star system and "beaming" it somehow somewhere else? you would not get any IR from that because it would not be used in this system at all
- ealexhudson 11y agoThe report seems to be saying that the IR is unchanged - i.e. there is IR, it's just what is expected from the star. As the other commenter suggested, it would need to be some reflector which was IR-transparent, which would be a pretty strange setup.
- danek 11y agoCould this be explained by a black hole, slowly slowly siphoning matter from the star? Maybe it's behind the star and we're less likely to observe the radiation from it..
- XorNot 11y agoYou shouldn't be getting downvoted for this, but also no. A black hole would have an accretion disk in this case and be a very bright object. It would also be in orbit so we would've spotted the traversal of it given the timespan or the matter siphon if it was in a large orbit.