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So this doesn't actually help. In fact, it creates a major problem from the outset: what is your energy source? The candidates are nuclear fusion, antimatter or

by jmyeet 3y ago

So this doesn't actually help. In fact, it creates a major problem from the outset: what is your energy source? The candidates are nuclear fusion, antimatter or black holes. The last two are extremely theoretical and it's not yet certain if nuclear fusion will ever be commercially viable. But let's say you solve the energy problem. Well, you still have to radiate heat away into space so you're creating the same IR signature. In some ways it's more obvious because it's a huge IR signature with no apparent source or star overshadowing it. Now you can argue that a given civilization will remain small (and thus quiet). The reasoning with the Fermi Paradox doesn't really care about that though. If there are 3 civilizations in a galaxy then being quiet may be a factor. If there are 10,000 then what are the odds that all of them will be small and quiet? Not great, logically, given the abundance of energy that is sitting there waiting to be used with tech we already have (ie solar). Also, where is your matter coming from out in the void? As for the idea of relatively sparse orbitals (orbiting the galactic center in your example), this doesn't seem that likely for a number of reasons, primarily that solar energy is so abundant and easy to get and also the time lag in communications. Civilizations over light years may as well be different species. And again, will everyone do that?

rbanffy 3y ago
> Well, you still have to radiate heat away into space How much you'll need to radiate varies with the design of the habitat. A thick-walled one will have to radiate less and, at the same time, need less energy to be kept habitable. It'd still be a very hard to detect infrared source - unless it radiates like crazy. > doesn't seem that likely for a number of reasons, primarily that solar energy is so abundant and easy to get No individual prediction here is likely. The most likely explanation is still that everyone else is either dead or uninterested in interstellar space travel. > And again, will everyone do that? Given enough spacefaring civilizations, it's certain someone, somewhere, will.

by jmyeet 3y ago

rbanffy 3y ago

> Well, you still have to radiate heat away into space How much you'll need to radiate varies with the design of the habitat. A thick-walled one will have to radiate less and, at the same time, need less energy to be kept habitable. It'd still be a very hard to detect infrared source - unless it radiates like crazy. > doesn't seem that likely for a number of reasons, primarily that solar energy is so abundant and easy to get No individual prediction here is likely. The most likely explanation is still that everyone else is either dead or uninterested in interstellar space travel. > And again, will everyone do that? Given enough spacefaring civilizations, it's certain someone, somewhere, will.