Scientists propose new method to detect alien civilizations via black holes
JANUARY 8, 2025
by Mark Thompson, Universe Today
Artist’s impression of a Dyson Sphere, a proposed alien megastructure that is the target of SETI surveys. Finding one of these qualifies in a “first contact” scenario. Credit: Breakthrough Listen / Danielle Futselaar
Of all the unanswered questions in modern science, perhaps the most talked about is whether we are alone in the universe. A new paper looks at another way we might be able to detect advanced civilizations, and at its center is the need for energy.
The more advanced a civilization becomes, the greater their need for energy and one of the most efficient ways, according to current theories, is to harness the energy from an actively feeding black hole. The paper suggests a civilization feeding matter into a black hole could harvest energy from it; more excitingly perhaps, the process could be detectable within 17,000 light years.
The search for intelligent life beyond Earth has been of fascination to scientists, philosophers and even inspired artists over the centuries. With hundreds of millions of stars in our galaxy and billions of other galaxies across the cosmos, it seems the odds are in our favor of finding some other civilizations out there.
The discovery of thousands of exoplanets in recent decades adds to the excitement, so researchers have directed radio telescopes and space probes in the search for aliens. SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, has been scanning the sky looking for unusual patterns or messages that could reveal an advanced civilization, but despite the effort, there is a distinct lack of success.
More:
https://phys.org/news/2025-01-scientists-method-alien-civilizations-black.html
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