3 ms·

As a really crazy thought, is it be possible that networks of Dyson Spheres throughout the universe would explain the lower level of visible matter vs the gravi

by delecti 10y ago

As a really crazy thought, is it be possible that networks of Dyson Spheres throughout the universe would explain the lower level of visible matter vs the gravity we observe? That is, Dyson Spheres obfuscating their contained stars as an explanation for dark matter? Similarly, the heat would still escape from them. Could that explain the CMB? (I expect that I'm way off the mark, but if nothing else it could make for an interesting premise for some sci-fi.)

dandelany 10y ago
> Dyson Spheres obfuscating their contained stars as an explanation for dark matter No - MACHOs have been pretty well ruled out by now. "Several groups have searched for MACHOs by searching for the microlensing amplification of light. These groups have ruled out dark matter being explained by MACHOs with mass in the range 1×10−8 solar masses (0.3 lunar masses) to 100 solar masses" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_compact_halo_object https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_compact_halo_object) > Similarly, the heat would still escape from them. Could that explain the CMB? The CMB comes from everywhere at once, uniformly, all the dark spaces in between stars is glowing. Dyson spheres radiating heat would just look like a bunch of dots glowing in the infrared. I don't see how any number of Dyson spheres radiating heat could produce a continuous, uniform field.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- delecti 10y ago
  Ya know, gravitational lensing and the relative uniformity of the CMB are such succinct and (in retrospect) obvious debunking of those ideas that I almost feel embarrassed to have suggested them. :P Thanks for the awesome response.
  - dandelany 10y ago
    Don't feel bad, there is a name for "MACHOs" because so many scientists have had similar hypotheses about dark massive objects :)
yk 10y ago
No, the star would heat the Dyson sphere, and it would be observable in infrared. Plus you would need several Dyson spheres for each 'naked' star to explain dark matter and they need to be build at a constant ratio of start to galaxies for all galaxies we observe.

by delecti 10y ago

dandelany 10y ago

> Dyson Spheres obfuscating their contained stars as an explanation for dark matter No - MACHOs have been pretty well ruled out by now. "Several groups have searched for MACHOs by searching for the microlensing amplification of light. These groups have ruled out dark matter being explained by MACHOs with mass in the range 1×10−8 solar masses (0.3 lunar masses) to 100 solar masses" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_compact_halo_object https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_compact_halo_object) > Similarly, the heat would still escape from them. Could that explain the CMB? The CMB comes from everywhere at once, uniformly, all the dark spaces in between stars is glowing. Dyson spheres radiating heat would just look like a bunch of dots glowing in the infrared. I don't see how any number of Dyson spheres radiating heat could produce a continuous, uniform field.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
delecti 10y ago
Ya know, gravitational lensing and the relative uniformity of the CMB are such succinct and (in retrospect) obvious debunking of those ideas that I almost feel embarrassed to have suggested them. :P Thanks for the awesome response.
- dandelany 10y ago
  Don't feel bad, there is a name for "MACHOs" because so many scientists have had similar hypotheses about dark massive objects :)

yk 10y ago

No, the star would heat the Dyson sphere, and it would be observable in infrared. Plus you would need several Dyson spheres for each 'naked' star to explain dark matter and they need to be build at a constant ratio of start to galaxies for all galaxies we observe.