Alien AI could be "harvesting" black holes using Dyson Spheres
Physicist suggests that automated extraterrestrials may seek to extract the power from the universe's darkest celestial entities.
In a galaxy not so far, far away, alien artificial intelligence could be "harvesting" the energy from black holes using gigantic megastructures called Dyson Spheres.
That's the wild theory in a fascinating new piece of research from an academic at the Sharif University of Technology, Tehran.
In a pre-print paper, Shant Baghram, Associate Professor of Physics, wrote that extraterrestrials in the Milky Way or other galaxies are likely to be "equipped or even dominated" by AI. He used Earth as an example, warning there is a "non-zero chance" that AI will "overtake" the planet".
Once the machines have taken over - or at least started collaborating with their biological creators - they will need to seek out new energy sources.
"Accordingly, they explore space further from their host planet and star," Baghram added.
This journey could involve seeking out new stars to harvest but could also focus on more novel power sources - black holes born during the dawn of the universe.
"Advanced civilizations will use primordial black holes as sources of harvesting
energy," the physicist wrote.
This would be achieved using a Dyson Sphere - a theoretical megastructure big enough to enclose a star or black hole and capture its energy.
Dyson Spheres and the Kardashev Scale
In the study, Baghram proposed an observational method to detect the Dyson spheres. He also suggested a new way of understanding the sophistication of alien civilisations: space exploration length, which measures how far the extraterrestrials can travel beyond their own planet.
This new measurement is related to the Kardashev scale - a three-stage method of assessing aliens, which categorises civilisations as follows:
Type I (Planetary): A civilisation that fully harnesses and utilizes all available energy on its home planet. This includes solar, wind, geothermal, fossil fuel energy and other planetary resources.
It would have advanced weather control, renewable energy systems, and the ability to manage global resources efficiently. However, it could not travel far from its home planet.
Type II (Stellar): Capable of harnessing the total energy output of its star. This could involve megastructures like a Dyson Sphere, which would collect and store stellar energy. Such a civilization would likely dominate its solar system, with advanced space-faring technology, planetary colonisation and the ability to move resources between planets.
Type III (Galactic ): Aliens that control the energy from all stars in its galaxy. This would require the ability to traverse interstellar distances, extract energy from multiple stellar systems and maintain control over vast technological networks. Such civilisations would likely be beyond human understanding, with technology and societal organization far surpassing anything imaginable today.
Baghram suggested Dyson Spheres could be spotted using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which can study light that "straddles the boundary between radio and infrared."
Alien megastructures
These gigantic theoretical creations became famous in 2015, when it was suggested that the unusual "winking" light of Tabby’s Star (KIC 8462852) could be caused by a Dyson Sphere passing in front of it and blocking the light.
However, Nasa later suggested that the "unpredictable dimming episodes" may be caused by vast clouds of gas and dust emitted as Tabby's Star "devours" planets.
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