Interstellar Empires
The concept of Interstellar Empires has fascinated us for as long as we’ve know those stars in the night sky were other solar systems, and it’s become a staple of science fiction. But rarely do we consider how realistic such galaxy-spanning confederations are, and what special challenges they’d face. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Technological Singularity
What is Technological Singularity? The idea that human history is approaching a “singularity”—that ordinary humans will someday be overtaken by artificially intelligent machines or cognitively enhanced biological intelligence, or both—has moved from the realm of science fiction to serious debate. Some singularity theorists predict that if the field of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop […]
Interstellar Highways
This episode discusses the idea over using chains of relays firing immensely powerful lasers or streams of particles to move spaceships between neighbouring stars at near-light velocities. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Megastructures: Shellworlds
Today we take a look at Artificial Planets constructed as Shells around a filler mass, such as a black hole. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Ecumenopolises
The word Ecumenopolis was invented in 1967 by the Greek city planner Constantinos Doxiadis to represent the idea that in the future urban areas and megalopolises would eventually fuse and there would be a single continuous worldwide city as a progression from the current urbanisation, population growth, transport and human networks. This concept was already […]
Matrioshka Brains
What Are Matrioshka Brains? A Matrioshka Brain is a hypothetical megastructure, based on the Dyson sphere, of immense computational capacity. It is an example of a Class B stellar engine, employing the entire energy output of a star to drive computer systems. Such a structure would be composed of a collection of one or more […]
Bioforming and Gene Tailoring
A deep look at some of the truly advanced and surprising options that might become available to us as we improve our skill with genetic engineering, ranging from altering humans to adapting life to live on alien planets or to serve as machines. Isaac will also look at methods for doing genetic engineering, such as […]
Transhumanism and Immortality
An in-depth look at the Transhumanism movement and related concepts, with a special focus on pathways for extending the human lifespan. Topics including SENS and anti-aging research, mind uploading, Technological Singularities, and physical and mental augmentation. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The Kardashev Scale
What is the Kardashev scale? The scale was originally designed in 1964 by the Russian astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev. He was looking for signs of extraterrestrial life within cosmic signals. The Kardashev scale has 3 base classes, each with an energy disposal level: Type I (10¹⁶W), Type II (10²⁶W), and Type III (10³⁶W). Other astronomers have […]
Starlifting
What is Starlifting? Removing material from a star for industrial use or for stellar husbandry. The energy required for this process comes from the star itself, either directly from its luminosity or from fusion or matter conversion of the lifted material. Starlifting is the process of removing matter from stars, and in this episode Isaac […]