UNITED STATES, IT IS THE
LARGEST KNOWN IMPACT BASIN IN
THE ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM.
>>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT ONLY ONE OF THE
BRIGHTEST MINDS IN MATHEMATICS
COULD HAVE EVEN CONCEIVED OF.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A MAN NAMED
DYSON WHO WAY BACK IN THE DAY
STARTED DREAMING OF THIS.
WHAT IF SOMEDAY WE COULD BUILD
A SUPERSTRUCTURE SO BIG WE
COULD BASICALLY SURROUND THE
SUN AND CAPTURE ITS ENERGY
DIRECTLY.
INTER DYSON SPHERES. CHECK THIS
OUT.
UNLIMITED POWER. WE DON’T HAVE
ANYTHING CLOSE TO THAT. THAT
DOES NOT MEAN AND ADVANCED
ALIEN SITUATION HAS NOT ALREADY
DONE IT.
RECENTLY TWO SEPARATE GROUPS OF
ASTRONOMERS ANNOUNCED THEY HAVE
DETECTED DOZENS OF POSSIBLE
DYSON SPHERES IN OUR MILKY WAY
GALAXY.
WE WILL CALL THE THEORETICAL
PHYSICIST ON HOW THE QUANTUM
REVOLUTION WILL CHANGE
EVERYTHING AS WELL AS SO MANY
OTHER FASCINATING BOOKS.
DR., THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WHAT DO THESE DISCOVERIES MEAN.
IF A DYSON SPHERE IS OUT THERE
HOW INTELLIGENT WHAT AN ALIEN
RACE HAVE TO BE TO PULL OFF
SOMETHING SO COMPLEX?
>> FOR ASSIMILATION WITH A
DYSON SPHERE THAT IS BIGGER THAN
AN ENTIRE STAR THEY WOULD HAVE
TO BE THOUSANDS AND PERHAPS
MILLIONS OF YEARS MORE ADVANCED
THAN WE ARE.
ONE CIVILIZATION MAYBE 100
YEARS MORE ADVANCED.
IT’S LIKE BUCK ROGERS. TO FIND
TWO CIVILIZATIONS THAT CAN
ABSORB ALL OF THE ENERGY FROM A
MOTHER STARS SIMILAR TO WHAT
YOU MIGHT FIND IN STAR TREK.
AND THEN THERE IS THREE.
THEY CAN WHIP UP A DYSON SPHERE
THAT COULD ENVELOP THE GALAXY.
THAT IS A TYPE III
CIVILIZATION.
BY THE WAY, WHAT ARE WE?
ARE WE TYPE ONE THAT CAN PLAY
WITH PLANETS?
TYPE II THAT WE CAN PLAY WITH
STARS?
TYPE III THAT WE CAN GO TO A
GALAXY LIKE STAR WARS? NO.
WE ARE TYPE 0.
>> I FEEL LIKE WE KEEP FAILING
AND REPEATING AT TYPE 0. WE
CAN’T SEEM TO GET ALONG THAT
GREAT ON OUR PLANET LET’S SAY
WE DID GET OUR SELF TOGETHER.
WHAT IS STOPPING US FROM
BUILDING OUR OWN DYSON SPHERE
WHEN IT COMES TO THE PHYSICS OF
IT ALL AND WHERE OUR TECHNOLOGY
WILL BE IN THE NEXT 100 OR 200
YEARS?
>> CARL SAGAN WAS ASKED WHAT
ABOUT OUR CIVILIZATION? WE USE
OIL AND COAL.
WE ARE A .7 CIVILIZATION THAT
CAN HARNESS PLANETARY POWER TO
A DEGREE.
WE ARE ALMOST TO TYPE ONE.
FOR TYPE II LIKE STAR TREK YOU
CAN BUILD A GIGANTIC METAL
SHIELD THAT ABSORBS ALL OF THE
SUNLIGHT.
INC.
ABOUT THAT.
IT IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN THE
EARTH.
TO ENVELOP THE SUN WITH
TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL TAKE
MILLIONS OF YEARS, PERHAPS MORE
THAN. PERHAPS SOONER OR LATER
ONE DAY PERHAPS WE WILL BECOME
TYPE II.
PERHAPS WE WILL BUILD OUR OWN
DYSON SPHERE IN OUR OWN
BACKYARD.
>> FINGERS CROSSED.
FOR NOW IT SEEMS WE CAN AT LEAST
IMAGINE WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK
LIKE HYPOTHETICALLY.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF DETECTING THESE
THINGS.
WHAT KIND OF SIGNATURE ARE WE
LOOKING FOR?
WHAT DO WE NEED TO BE SCANNING
FOR TO SEE F SOMEBODY OR
SOMEONE OUT THERE HAS ALREADY
COME UP WITH IT?
>> TWO GROUPS OF ASTRONOMERS
HAVE POINTED OUT WHAT THEY’VE
IDENTIFIED ABOUT 60 CANDIDATES
FOR TYPE II DYSON SPHERES. HOW
DO YOU DO THAT?
LOOKING FOR SIGNATURES.
STARS USUALLY BLAST OUT A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF VISIBLE
LIGHT THAT LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT
SKY.
IT IS PRETTY MUCH INVISIBLE BUT
IT’S A BYPRODUCT.
SO THIS WOULD EVENTUALLY HEAT UP
THE DYSON SPHERE.
THE DYSON SPHERE IT’S SELF
WOULD HEAT UP WITH INFRARED
RADIATION AND BY LOOKING AT THE
GALAXY ABOUT 60 CANDIDATES
EMITTING INFRARED RADIATION.
SO WHO KNOWS.
MAYBE THERE IS ANOTHER STAR
TREK ENTERPRISE OUT THERE.
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD VISIT
PLANET EARTH.
>> IF THEY -- IF WE ARE
SPOTTING THEM GUARANTEED
THEY’VE ALREADY SPOTTED US.
IT IS SO COOL TO HAVE THIS