Scientist think THIS is Alien?!

Summary

Astrophysicists may have discovered evidence of Dyson spheres, massive alien megastructures theorized to harness star energy. The Kardashev scale categorizes civilizations by their energy control, with Type II capable of building such structures. Two methods exist to detect these: observing a star dimming or detecting excess infrared light. Recent studies identified seven star candidates, possibly indicating Dyson swarms, but skepticism is advised. Alternative explanations include hot planetary discs or collisions, with further research needed to confirm their nature.

Takeaways

• 🌌 Astrophysicists may have discovered seven potential Dyson Spheres in our galaxy, suggesting the existence of advanced alien civilizations.
• 📚 The concept of Dyson Spheres was first introduced in science fiction and later detailed scientifically by physicist Freeman Dyson.
• 🔧 Civilizations would build Dyson Spheres to harness the energy of a star, indicating a Type 2 civilization on the Kardashev scale.
• ⚙️ A Type 2 civilization would require vast amounts of material, potentially dismantling planets like Mercury to construct such megastructures.
• 👀 Detection methods for Dyson Spheres include observing a star dimming and the presence of excess infrared light, indicating waste heat from energy capture.
• 🔭 Two teams of astronomers identified seven candidate stars that may have Dyson Spheres, using different data and equipment.
• 🤔 The findings are preliminary, and the candidates could also be natural phenomena, such as hot planetary discs or collisions in planetary systems.
• 📉 Some candidates have been ruled out as Dyson Spheres after further studies using radio wave telescopes suggested they are hot dog galaxies instead.
• 🌐 Hot dog galaxies are rare phenomena involving active black holes and large amounts of dust, which could explain the infrared signatures.
• 🧐 The scientific community uses attention-grabbing headlines like 'alien superstructures' to draw public interest and funding for further research.
• 🌠 The search for alien life and structures like Dyson Spheres continues, with the hope that future telescopes will provide more definitive answers.

Q & A

What is a Dyson Sphere and where did the concept originate?

A Dyson Sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that an advanced civilization could build around a star to harness its energy. The concept was first mentioned in 1937 by British philosopher and science fiction author Olaf Stapledon in his book 'Star Maker' and later detailed by physicist Freeman Dyson in a 1960 paper.

What is the Kardashev scale and how does it categorize civilizations?

The Kardashev scale is a theoretical framework that categorizes civilizations based on their level of technological advancement and control over energy resources. A Type 1 civilization has control over its planet's resources, a Type 2 controls its star's energy, and a Type 3 controls the energy of its entire galaxy.

How does humanity currently stand on the Kardashev scale?

Humanity is not yet a Type 1 civilization on the Kardashev scale. We are considered a Type 0 civilization, with an estimated 7 on the scale, which indicates a civilization that has not yet achieved control over its planet's resources.

What are the two proposed methods for detecting a Dyson Sphere according to Freeman Dyson?

Freeman Dyson proposed two methods for detecting a Dyson Sphere: observing a star that slowly dims and eventually disappears as the sphere is built around it, and detecting an excess of infrared light, indicating the sphere or swarm is heating up and emitting excess heat.

What is a Dyson Swarm and how does it differ from a full Dyson Sphere?

A Dyson Swarm is a version of the Dyson Sphere concept where instead of a complete shell around a star, there are numerous solar panels or satellites placed around the star to capture its energy. This design is less vulnerable to destabilization and collisions compared to a full Dyson Sphere.

What are the potential natural explanations for the seven candidate stars that were thought to be Dyson Spheres?

Natural explanations for the observed phenomena could include hot planetary discs, collisions in planetary systems producing large debris clouds, or stars naturally behaving in ways we have not yet observed, indicating new stages in a star's life cycle.

What is a 'Hot Dog Galaxy' and how does it relate to the Dyson Sphere candidates?

A 'Hot Dog Galaxy' is a quasar with a massive amount of dust swirling around an active black hole, giving off radiation and producing heat, making the galaxy glow brightly in the infrared. Some of the Dyson Sphere candidates were later identified as Hot Dog Galaxies, which are rare and difficult to find.

How does the scientific community sometimes use sensational headlines to gain public interest?

Scientists may use sensational headlines, such as suggesting the discovery of alien superstructures like Dyson Spheres, to capture public interest and ensure continued funding for their research. This approach can make complex scientific findings more approachable and engaging for the public.

What role does the James Webb Telescope play in further studies of the Dyson Sphere candidates?

The James Webb Telescope, with its advanced capabilities, will play a crucial role in further studies of the Dyson Sphere candidates by providing more detailed observations and helping to confirm or rule out the possibility of these structures being alien megastructures.

What is the significance of the discovery of Hot Dog Galaxies among the Dyson Sphere candidates?

The discovery of Hot Dog Galaxies among the candidates is significant as it represents a rare phenomenon in the universe and provides insights into the processes of active black holes and the clearing of galaxy-sized amounts of dust, contributing to our understanding of the universe's dynamics.

How does the script suggest we should approach potential discoveries like Dyson Spheres?

The script suggests approaching potential discoveries like Dyson Spheres with skepticism, recognizing that preliminary findings require further study and that natural explanations are often more likely than sensational ones like alien megastructures.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 The Hypothetical Discovery of Dyson Spheres

Astrophysicists may have detected evidence of alien mega-structures known as Dyson Spheres in our galaxy, challenging the boundaries between science fiction and reality. The concept, first introduced by Olaf Stapledon and later detailed by Freeman Dyson, involves advanced civilizations constructing colossal structures around stars to harness their energy. The Kardashev scale contextualizes this advancement, with Type 2 civilizations capable of such feats. Project Heus aims to identify these structures by observing dimming stars or unusual infrared emissions. This discovery, if confirmed, would revolutionize our understanding of both energy utilization and extraterrestrial life.

05:03

🔍 Detecting the Enigmatic Dyson Spheres

Freeman Dyson proposed methods to detect Dyson Spheres: observing a star's gradual dimming or detecting unusually bright infrared light indicative of excess heat from the structure. Two teams, using different equipment such as the Gaia telescope and the WISE telescope, have identified seven candidate stars that exhibit these characteristics. However, the findings are preliminary, and skepticism is warranted, as natural phenomena could also account for the observed data. The public's fascination with extraterrestrial life and the allure of alien superstructures can influence how scientific findings are presented and perceived.

10:05

🤔 The Reality Behind the Dyson Sphere Hype

The scientific community faces challenges in communicating complex space topics to the public, often resorting to sensational headlines to garner interest and funding. While the search for Dyson spheres is grounded in solid science, the possibility of them being 'hot dog galaxies'—quasars with active black holes surrounded by dust—cannot be dismissed. Recent studies using radio wave telescopes have ruled out three of the seven candidates as Dyson structures, suggesting they are more likely these astronomical phenomena. The quest for understanding these cosmic anomalies continues, with further research necessary to unveil the true nature of these enigmatic celestial objects.

15:07

🌠 The Ongoing Quest for Alien Superstructures

Despite the low likelihood of the seven candidates being alien superstructures, the pursuit of knowledge in astrophysics is undeterred. The scientific process demands further investigation and the use of advanced telescopes like the James Webb to scrutinize these objects. While the allure of discovering extraterrestrial constructs captures imaginations, the reality of our understanding of the cosmos is that it is filled with rare and fascinating phenomena that, while not necessarily evidence of alien life, still offer profound insights into the universe's workings. The journey to unravel these mysteries encourages us to look to the stars with a sense of wonder and curiosity.

Keywords

💡Dyson Sphere

A Dyson Sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that completely encompasses a star to capture its energy output. This concept, first introduced by Olaf Stapledon and later detailed by physicist Freeman Dyson, plays a central role in the video's theme as astrophysicists search for signs of such structures, which could indicate advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.

💡Project Heus

Project Heus is a research initiative mentioned in the video, where a group of astrophysicists believe they may have discovered evidence of Dyson Spheres in our galaxy. This project highlights the ongoing scientific efforts to detect signs of advanced extraterrestrial technology.

💡Kardashev Scale

The Kardashev Scale is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement based on its energy consumption. The video explains three types of civilizations: Type I (planetary), Type II (stellar), and Type III (galactic). The Dyson Sphere is associated with a Type II civilization, which harnesses the energy of its host star.

💡Infrared Light

Infrared light is a type of electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than visible light. In the video, the detection of excess infrared light from certain stars is suggested as a potential indicator of Dyson Spheres, as these structures would emit infrared radiation due to their heat.

💡Red Dwarf Stars

Red dwarf stars are small and relatively cool stars, which are abundant in the universe. The video mentions that several Dyson Sphere candidates are red dwarf stars, emitting more infrared light than expected, which raises the possibility of them being surrounded by alien megastructures.

💡Gaia Telescope

The Gaia Telescope is a space observatory launched by the European Space Agency, used for mapping the stars in our galaxy. It is one of the instruments mentioned in the video that astrophysicists use to gather data in their search for potential Dyson Spheres.

💡Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxy (Hot DOG)

Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies, or Hot DOGs, are rare galaxies with active black holes surrounded by large amounts of dust, emitting significant infrared radiation. The video explains that some of the Dyson Sphere candidates could actually be Hot DOGs, highlighting the need for cautious interpretation of data.

💡James Webb Telescope

The James Webb Telescope is a highly advanced space telescope expected to provide deeper insights into the universe. The video suggests that further studies using this telescope will be crucial in confirming or debunking the existence of Dyson Spheres around the candidate stars.

💡Alien Megastructures

Alien Megastructures are large constructions built by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, like the hypothetical Dyson Sphere. The video revolves around the potential discovery of such structures, which would signify a profound leap in understanding extraterrestrial life.

💡Scientific Communication

Scientific Communication refers to the practice of conveying scientific information to the public. The video discusses how scientists might frame their discoveries in terms of 'alien megastructures' to capture public interest, despite natural explanations being more likely. This highlights the importance and challenges of effective science communication.

Highlights

Astrophysicists may have discovered proof of alien life in the form of Dyson Spheres.

Seven potential Dyson Spheres have been found within our own galaxy.

The concept of Dyson Spheres was first mentioned by Olaf Stapledon in 1937 and later detailed by physicist Freeman Dyson.

Dyson Spheres are theoretical alien mega structures built to harness the energy of an entire star.

Astrophysicists working on Project Heus believe they have found evidence of Dyson Spheres.

The Kardashev scale categorizes civilizations based on their control over energy sources.

A Type 1 civilization controls its planet's resources, while a Type 2 civilization controls its host star's energy.

Humanity is not yet a Type 1 civilization and is considered a Type 0 on the Kardashev scale.

Dyson proposed two methods to detect Dyson Spheres: dimming of a star and excess infrared light.

Two separate studies using different data and equipment found seven candidate stars for Dyson Spheres.

The detected stars exhibit unusual infrared light signatures, suggesting a Dyson Swarm rather than a complete Dyson Sphere.

The possibility of natural explanations for the findings, such as hot planetary discs or collisions, is acknowledged.

The scientific community faces challenges in effectively communicating complex topics to the public.

The term 'alien superstructures' is used to capture public interest and secure funding for further research.

New studies have explained three of the seven candidates as hot dog galaxies, not Dyson Spheres.

Hot dog galaxies are quasars with dust swirling around active black holes, emitting significant infrared light.

The likelihood of the candidates being alien superstructures is low, but further studies are needed for confirmation.

The James Webb Telescope will play a crucial role in providing answers to the nature of these celestial objects.

Transcripts

a group of astrophysicists think they

may have just discovered proof of alien

life and what they may have found is

something that previously only existed

in science fiction and they don't think

that they just found one of these things

they think that they found seven and

they're in our own

[Applause]

Galaxy this is a Dyson Sphere the idea

of these alien mega structures was first

mentioned in 1937 by British philosopher

and science fiction author Olaf

Stapleton in his book called star maker

where he described a civilization

becoming so Advanced they could build

impossibly giant structures around an

entire star to harness its

energy 23 years later physicist Freeman

Dyson published a paper detailing not

only how these alien mega structures

would theoretically work but he also

detailed how to find them in the

universe this is what a group of

astrophysicists working on a project

called project heus think that they may

have found right in our own Galactic

backyard so is this true Did they really

find seven examples of Dyson spheres or

did they simply find seven unexplained

phenomena in our galaxy and these

astronomers just want them to be Dyson

spheres so let's talk all things Dyson

spheres and how the idea of them

actually being discovered and existing

might not be as science fiction as you

think and a special thanks to brilliant

for sponsoring a portion of this

video so in order to figure out if if

Dyson spheres exist in the universe

let's start with how any civilization

would build one in the first place and

more importantly how they would get

enough material to build one at all

throughout history technological

advancements have been strongly tied to

access to energy this has been true for

all civilizations here on Earth the more

civilization can create or harness

energy the more advanced That

civilization can

become we currently exhibit this on a

small scale with three major categories

fossil fuels nuclear energy and

renewable energy as we have gained

greater control over each energy source

we've seen our own civilization progress

if all goes well and you know we don't

destroy ourselves along the way Humanity

will reach a point where we have

complete control over our planet's

resources at this point Humanity would

have reached the first of three levels

in something called the kardashi scale

this scale categorizes civilizations

based on what type of control they have

over the energy available to them a type

1 civilization has complete control over

its planet's resources even being able

to manipulate and control the planet's

weather patterns and even harness things

like volcanoes storms and earthquake to

convert it all to usable energy a type 2

civilization has the ability to control

the energy from its own host star if

Humanity were to reach this scale we

would easily be able to travel around

our own solar system freely to other

parts of the Galaxy or even be able to

travel to other galaxies with things

like warp drives or wormholes energy

would be so abundant that Humanity would

no longer be restricted on where we

could explore and finally a Type 3

civilization has the ability to control

the energy from every Star in its host

galaxy The Milky Way alone has around a

100 billion stars so imagining what a

Type 3 civilization could do with that

power is really hard to grasp and keep

in mind for context Humanity isn't even

a type one civilization yet we're still

considered a type zero but if you really

want to put a number behind it as to

where we are we're about a 7 civiliz

ation on the Kardashian

[Music]

scale all right so now knowing that

where did Dyson spheres come in with all

of this well we would expect to see type

two civilizations capable of

constructing a Dyson Sphere harnessing

all the power available from its host

star and there have been multiple

proposed versions of Dyson spheres from

both astrophysicists and sci-fi authors

alike some that encased the entire star

Gathering 100% of its energy output

although this design would be very

vulnerable to destabilization collisions

and just possibly falling into the host

star itself however the other option

would be a Dyson swarm which is placing

trillions or quadrillions of solar

panels all around the star like Rings or

satellites capturing energy with those

giant solar panels in all directions

around the star but no matter which

version is built the amount of material

that's needed to build such a

superstructure would be beyond anything

that the civilization's planet would be

able to provide alone one solution would

be for a civilization to take materials

from another planet within its system if

Humanity were to do this then the best

candidate would be Mercury and I'm not

talking about just going there and

Mining large amounts of materials from

Mercury itself no we would need to

dismantle and mine nearly the entire

planet down to its core in order to have

enough material just to build a Dyson

swarm around our sun not even a Dyson

Sphere so how would we go about

detecting such giant alien

superstructures well that's exactly

Freeman Dyson asked over 60 years ago he

proposed two major ways to detect the

existence of a Dyson Sphere the first is

that if you were observing a star at a

point in our galaxy you would see that

star slowly dim and eventually disappear

as a type two civilization built the

sphere around the star the second way

would be to detect the infrared light

still shining brightly where the star's

visible light once was showing that the

star is still there but now only

admitting infrared light at a brightness

that no other star does naturally this

would be because while the Dyson Sphere

is gathering energy from its star the

sphere or swarm itself is heating up and

giving off excess heat in the form of

infrared light and this is exactly what

the group of astrophysicists think that

they have detected in our own Galaxy two

different teams conducted separate

studies each using different data and

equipment like the Gaia telescope and

the Weiss telescope surveying millions

of stars and together coming up with

seven candidate stars that may have

Dyson spheres surrounding them but did

they actually discover Dyson spheres or

something else entirely but real quick

before I answer that question if you've

been watching my channel for a while you

know that I cover a wide variety of

space topics whether it's about black

holes potential habitable planets

lightyears away or even Dyson spheres

like we're discussing today it's

important to keep my mind sharp so I can

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probability of you know whether or not

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[Music]

[Applause]

video These may just look like little

black dots on a piece of paper but in

reality they're actually pretty strange

many of the Dyson Sphere candidates

surveyed by one of the teams are

classified as red dwarf stars one of the

smaller and certainly the most abundant

type of star in the universe but these

red dwarf stars are sitting anywhere

around 500 to 900 light years away from

Earth and are admitting 60 times the

amount of infrared light as they should

be the second team surveyed stars of

varying size not just red dwarf stars

and some of those stars were even close

in size to our own Sun but these stars

on average were a lot further away

around 6,500 Lighty years from Earth and

on top of all that it was predicted that

if a Dyson swarm were to exist around

the star the excess infrared brightness

would sit around 25° C and according to

these studies this is exactly what we're

seeing so on the surface it would seem

that if these seven candidates are

actually alien superstructures they

wouldn't be Dyson spheres they would

more likely beat Dyson swarms which is

that series of satellite like objects

surrounding a star not fully

encompassing an entire star but you know

how the universe can be it typically

doesn't give answers like this so

easily it's always a good idea to

approach any potential discoveries like

this with a heavy dose of skepticism

it's really important to remember that

any findings in these papers are

extremely preliminary and to the credit

of both of these papers they openly

admit that natural explanations could

sufficiently explain these strange

findings but I'll touch on all that in

just a moment first I wanted to

highlight how this whole thing is a

really great example of one of science's

dirty little secrets unlimited power

obviously search for signs of

intelligent life there's a new study

that may suggest we are not alone what

space is so crazy I wish I understood it

better science as a whole and probably

to the surprise of no one has a huge

communication problem especially when it

comes to space topics often times a

subject matter is so complex that

scientists simply can't find a way to

effectively explain it in an

approachable manner and scientists know

very well that if they can't make it

approachable it's not likely that the

public will take much of an interest in

it and without public interest investors

and companies funding their research

might not find it as valuable or

profitable to continue to support their

research efforts sunsetting the hopes

and dreams of these research teams doing

genuinely important work but you know

what the public does respond to aliens

and the potential for the discovery of

alien life so these scientists in this

case astronomers and astrophysicists

will adjust how they present their

research to reflect those public

interests The Playbook is pretty simple

you make the headline about an alien

super structure something that will

capture the Curiosity of sci-fi and non-

sci-fi fans alike in hopes that the

research will hit enough Publications

make their rounds on social media and

create a public demand for further

answers thus ensuring that companies and

investors will continue to fund their

research now you may interpret that as

all scientific papers are purposefully

being turned into clickbait and while

that's sometimes true that's not really

what's happening here in the instance of

these two papers about Dyson spheres the

science being conducted is actually good

science that's producing genuinely

fascinating results and insights into

the universe but you know researchers

know that alien superstructures is a

catchier and sexier headline think of it

as the scientists just trying to put

really good cover art on their books I

mean how many incredible books have you

read in your life that have terrible

cover art most people have probably just

passed over some of your favorite books

at the bookstore for that reason alone

and are simply missing out on endless

incredible novels just because the

pictures on the cover of the book aren't

necessarily as interesting as the next

that's sort of what's going on here

these astrophysicists are trying to give

you a pretty dust cover to look at and

hope that you will read the content and

become interested in the mindblowing

absolutely awesome realities of the

Universe on its own and the possible

natural explanations of these seven

potential Dyson swarms are great

examples of this for example all of

these could just be hot planetary discs

producing extra missions the dim visible

light signatures could be caused by dust

and clouds blocking the Stars light and

the infrared signatures could be

produced as a result of the same dust

and clouds simply heating up another

example could be that huge collisions

are happening in these planetary systems

producing large enough clouds of

planetary debris to create these results

or you know it could just be simply that

these stars are naturally behaving in

ways that we haven't seen before and

we're getting to see new types of stages

in a star's life cycle all of these are

just is likely if not more so than the

possibility of Dyson spheres or Dyson

swarms further studies are going to be

absolutely required from something like

the James Webb Telescope in order to be

certain about any of these possibilities

in fact since the original papers have

come out about project hias new studies

have already been conducted that have

explained three of the seven possible

Dyson spheres candidates a different

team of astronomers used the very large

array Sky survey or vas which is an

array of radio wave telescopes and they

found through through those radio waves

that the heat admissions being detected

are not coming from the Stars themselves

in three out of the seven candidates so

what does that mean well it means that

at least three of these are almost

certainly not Dyson spheres they are

more likely hot dog galaxies wait nope

not that kind of hot dog a hot dust

obscured Galaxy and while these are very

common phenomena in the universe they

are notoriously difficult to find a hot

dog galaxy in the universe is a quazar

with a massive amount of dust swirling

around and active black hole in the

center giving off tons of radiation and

producing a lot of heat in turn making

the Galaxy glow brightly in the infrared

you might be sitting there thinking well

if Hot Dog galaxies are known within the

astrophysics Community why did they

immediately assume Dyson spheres at all

well it's likely two reasons one being

what I mentioned earlier you know aliens

will grab people's attention the other

one is that we've only known about hot

dog Galaxies for about 14 years this is

pretty new information in finding seven

hot dog galaxies all at once is

extremely rare on its own so it wasn't

immediately assumed to be the

explanation now that's not saying that

the other four candidates aren't Dyson

spheres or Dyson swarms because the

truth is we still have absolutely no

idea what they are so all possibilities

are welcome to the table but even if

they do turn out to all be hot dog

galaxies that's still really cool I mean

we're talking about the process of a

very rare ancient active black hole

consuming and clearing out a Galaxy

sized amount of dust and we're getting

to watch the lights signatures of it

happening in our very own Galaxy that's

crazy and if I'm being honest black

holes quazars specifically are far

cooler and far more interesting than any

other alien topic that you can present

to me and all this is sort of my point

about this particular story and these

particular findings about Dyson spheres

the scientists put forward a more

tantalizing version of the results to

gain public interest where I don't think

they necessarily had to hot galaxies are

interesting enough on their own and in

my opinion also have a very attention

grabbing name because in the end I think

the likelihood of any of these

candidates turning out to be any alien

super structure is extremely low not

zero but just very very low but only

time will tell we need a lot more time

for astronomers to continue surveys and

studies on these objects and telescopes

like the James web will go a long way in

getting those answers faster but in the

meantime we can all continue to look up

at the night sky and dream of what may

be out there waiting to to be discovered

and if you're anything like me you feel

that aliens are abundant in the universe

and one day will stumble across them but

for now it doesn't seem that that day

has come