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How might an alien civilization capture the energy of an entire star? Why with a Dyson sphere, of course! When it’s not showing up in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” or imprisoning Necron Star Gods, Dyson spheres are the brainchild of the brilliant physicist Freeman Dyson.
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and I discuss just what Dyson spheres are and why they’re much more than mere awesome fictions.
Cosmic Megastructures: How to Enslave a Star
by Robert Lamb | January 29, 2010
The sun is the powerhouse for our solar system, heating the spheres with its radiation and holding everything from gas giants to asteroids in thrall to its massive gravity. Stars, in their various forms, are the most powerful forces in the known universe, so it only comes naturally that a species of egotistical apes would dream about capturing one and bending it to their will.
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