Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

JoeyLovesGuns t1_iqnzra0 wrote

Reply to comment by kosmoskolio in The US's National Renewable Energy Laboratory wants to make decentralized microgrids as simple to set up and operate as diesel generators, and has created a prototype that is much simpler than existing microgrid technology. by lughnasadh

A dyson sphere is essentially putting a solar panel around the sun.

14

kosmoskolio t1_iqo0rhy wrote

Yeah, I know.

10

MetaLizard t1_iqo7dl7 wrote

So totally or partially stopping the sunlight from reaching earth would be extremely environmentally unfriendly, or not very green.

An interesting scenario that stems from this is that if one wanted to build a dyson sphere while preserving life as we know it on Earth, they would have a few options to pick from. Build a partial sphere, excluding a narrow band on the plane that Earth orbits. Slightly more efficient would be to build a sphere with a porthole window that rotates to keep earth in the spotlight. You could have the whole sphere rotate or the band on the Earth's orbital plane that includes the window.

18

alien_simulacrum t1_iqoj689 wrote

Make a Dyson sphere around a different star.

Or - and hear me out - we could sacrifice billionaires to the ancient ones and use the incredible force of their can-do attitude and sheer gumption to power the Earth.

41

Da_WooDr t1_iqonkgb wrote

This is most logical.

Such provactive thoughts,

Ahhh yes,

Truly

12

Pezdrake t1_iqph938 wrote

The important thing is that we're talking about it.

6

Onlymediumsteak t1_iqoh33q wrote

You can have empty spots in the swarm that let light trough earth, mirrors could also be used.

4

keastes t1_isw88gw wrote

They specifically said sphere, not swarm.

1

Onlymediumsteak t1_iswgbib wrote

Then have an hole/holes and mirrors that redirect the light. A civilisation that builds Dyson spheres could probably light earth with its own Fusion reactors, I can’t see how this would be an insurmountable problem.

1

urmomaisjabbathehutt t1_iqok1ks wrote

A Dyson sphere is a sohere around the sun where the living surface is the internal wall of the sphere, there is no need for earth

the huge amount of liveable surface would allow more than trillions to live in a temperate environment and because its encasing the sun the whole energy output is available for harvesting

4

Miyk t1_iqoobbq wrote

Don't forget the sunscreen

4

narrill t1_iqp7zok wrote

There have been later fictional variants that had habitable elements, but the original description was just an energy collection device

3

TwentySevenNihilists t1_iqoeuf8 wrote

Why not just build the sphere around the Earth? And maybe Mars? Sure the surface area would become a ridiculous number that doesn't have it's own name, but we wouldn't be relying on an engineered solution to keep Earth from freezing over.

Bonus: seemingly limitless habitable area if it's fancy enough to have rock, water, and atmosphere on the inside surface.

3

littlebitsofspider t1_iqojtvu wrote

Bad time. Let's say your sphere is 2 AU in diameter, enclosing the inner planets (roughly where the Belt is). Sounds good? No! Because now there's a whole surface that has the same albedo as Earth, pointed at Earth. Kiss your diurnal cycle goodbye and kiss radiative nighttime heat transfer goodbye.

4

NiveKoEN t1_iqoshon wrote

This is so bad in so many ways. The point of a Dyson sphere is to capture the radiation of the sun that the earth doesn’t get at all.

1

TwentySevenNihilists t1_iqosxsk wrote

I meant a sphere centered on the sun, that's big enough to enclose the Earth too.

Turns out that's still a bad idea, but you'd capture all the radiation of the sun that didn't hit planets and such.

1

sharksfuckyeah t1_iqpjeo5 wrote

You’re assuming the sphere would be solid, composed of solar panels and also inside of Earths orbit. Doesn’t have to be any of those.

2

keastes t1_isw8642 wrote

Or a Dyson swarm operating at earth syncronous orbits? At these scales orbital mechanics is easy, physics are hard.

Tho imo a matryoshka brain made from the inner planets would probably be the best option

1