4 ms·
If the dark forest hypothesis is true, you can bet any civilization advanced enough to detect us will go out of their way to avoid being detected by us. For al
by Valgrim 4y ago
If the dark forest hypothesis is true, you can bet any civilization advanced enough to detect us will go out of their way to avoid being detected by us.
For all we know, there could be a gigantic tungsten rod slowly and purposefully accelerating toward us that would destroy all life on earth in ten thousand years, and we'd have no way of knowing.
- oAlbe 4y agoWhy a tungsten rod in particular?
- legutierr 4y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment
- vardump 4y agoPresumably because it's high density and thus higher destructiveness vs detectability? Although I guess they could also just paint their weapon black. A different matter how they hide the engine's infrared signature. Perhaps by just not running it when approaching, except for the final course corrections.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- twawaaay 4y agoI am not sure about usefulness of kinetic impactors at near light speeds over long distances. Imagine you are in impactor frame of reference -- any particle of dust it meets will cause tremendous damage to it regardless of what the impactor is built of (assuming our existing technology). It is in my opinion very likely that over long distances the impactor will just get converted to a shower of high energy particles over very large area.