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Dyson spheres could really exist — but there's a catch


Is it possible to build a Dyson sphere that isn't catastrophically unstable? New research says yes, but only in one type of star system.

Dyson spheres, the hypothetical mega-structures that advanced alien civilizations might use to enclose a star and harness its energy, suffer from a fatal flaw: They are catastrophically unstable. This sphere would enclose a star, providing billions of planets' worth of surface area and capturing vast amounts of solar energy. You may like In a paper published Jan. 29 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Colin McInnes, an engineer at the University of Glasgow, found a way to theoretically stabilize a Dyson sphere.

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