Is Dyson Sphere a possibility or just Sci-Fi?

[tygerxg2]

Is it possible in the very distant future? Is it even a requirement?

 

[fear]

A solid one may not be, but I’ve also heard it proposed that you could just have a massive number of orbiting solar panels and stations which would create a de facto Dyson sphere. The point is just to catch all the energy from a star and put it to what ever work you want done, so I suppose a big ball of orbiting space stations is just as good as a solid Dyson sphere. <br /><br />Who knows though, maybe in a thousand years they’ll figure a way to make a solid one. <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rybanis]

Possible? Yes.<br /><br />One thing I think it requires is more mass than what is available in the solar system (planets, asteroids, comets, ect). <br /><br />I personally like the "ringworld" concept by Niven, myself. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

How about like this? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[tygerxg2]

How would a Dyson Sphere affect other planets?

 

[willpittenger]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Is it possible in the very distant future?<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>Of course, I say anything you can imagine is possible.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Anything? What about perpetual motion machines? Many have imagined them and even claimed to have built one. None were real. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

I would think it would need something to prevent its gravity from effecting the orbits of everything inside. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[saurc]

Perpetual motion machines are well.. ruled out by the laws of physics, but many other things can be imagined about the distant future.<br /><br />Maybe we will break the light speed barrier, though Einstein says we cannot..?

 

[vogon13]

In a 'classic' Dyson sphere (your basic sphere around a star) the equatorial region, assuming an appropriate rotational velocity, might remain located correctly in regards to the central star for a while, but the 'polar' (for lack of a better term) regions have no (or insufficient) orbital velocity to counter the stars gravity. The required strength of the material to overcome this force would be enormous.<br /><br />Like really, really big.<br /><br /><br />Bigger than that actually.<br /><br /><br /><br />In fact, much, much bigger.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Big, big, big and bigger.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Like 'large' squared.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Well, bigger than that really,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Really, really really, really big.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Big.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hugely bigger, than that, <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />big, huge, enormous and large, all working together here<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> large, large, large.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And enormous, don't forget enormous.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[lampblack]

So unless the thing is made of ultra-sheen unobtainium, it will implode from the poles?<br /><br />What if it were set to rotating at an equal velocity along both the X and the Y axis? Sort of like a spinning top that's also doing somersaults?<br /><br />Of course, imparting that sort of bi-directional energy to the structure wouldn't be quite as simple as pulling a string on a top. Seems like it might just come apart at the seams.<br /><br />A huge ring might be more achievable, eh?<br /><br />What is the supposed purpose of building a Dyson Sphere, anyhow? Is there any conceivable rationale for all of that commitment of time, energy and virtually unlimited construction materials?<br /><br />It seems that most any problem or issue that a Dyson Sphere might address could, perhaps, be addressed less expensively in other ways.<br /><br />On the other hand, if you're Frank Lloyd Wright's 20-times great-grandson, it might just be a really cool project. Or it could be another monument for dear ol' Ozymandias. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

I suppose the solution would be to build just lower latitudes. Leave the poles out. Would that help? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Yeah, the polar regions would implode towards the central star. <br /><br />And, as it turns out, IIRC, even in a otherwise empty star system, there are no long term stable orbits outside of the stars Roche limit for a circular structure, even in the stars equatorial plane. As the orbit evolves, large (don't make me emphasize how large again) forces will be generated on the structure and it will break up.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

TygerXG2:<br />Is it possible in the very distant future? Is it even a requirement?<br /><br />Me:<br />Possible yes, perhaps in several thousands of years. Required, probably not but who really knows on either count. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[5stone10]

<font color="yellow">What is the supposed purpose of building a Dyson Sphere, anyhow?</font><br /><br />Cause eventually, you'll run out of readily available energy on your home planet - and logically move on to other energy sources, such as the sun.<br /><br />Sagan speculated a while back that we are 70% of the way to becoming a Type I civilization - which is to say we are currently using 70% of Earth's available resources. He extrapolated these results from Kardashev scale models.

 

[willpittenger]

Good luck hiding from the Borg. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[qso1]

Cool page. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[kelvin_zero]

wikipedia has a great link:<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere<br /><br />I began writing this SF story ages ago which had a massive spherical shell 'planet' supported by the centrifugal force of metal weights moving in circuits through the surface, sort of like nonstopping subway trains. The planet had some huge radius but still only one g- gravity at the surface. (I calculated the radius at based on the assumption that one-g at the surface could be explained by a black hole with a radius of about one meter, for complicated plot related reasons) <br />At places you could fly through massive gaps in the surface into the hollow sphere. Dont remember if i decided what kept the air at the surface, rather than falling through these gaps. Conceptually I wanted people to just look over the edge, even jump if they wanted too because there was nothing beneath to fall on to... but if there was atmosphere it would rapidly become dense I assume.. oh well. <br /><br />Hey.. I wonder if making the center hot could be a way of preventing the air all collecting there.. or if that much heat would have to make the surface too hot?.. no idea how to do that sort of math.. perhaps if the speed of a particle at the center were just enough that gravity would have slowed it to standstill by the time it reached the surface.. could it be that simple?.. probably not..<br /><br />sorry. rambling.

 

[f___h]

Dyson Sphere?<br />Isn't this just that uni-caster at the floor end of that British man's vaccum cleaner? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2">There are two rules in life. </font></p><p><font size="2">#1 is 'don't tell anyone <em>everything</em> you know'. </font></p><p><font size="2">Are we clear on this?</font></p> </div>