Re:Grabby Aliens: A Resolution to the Fermi Paradox
by somenameforme on Monday October 31, 2022 @02:05PM
(#33409932)
So far as we can currently understand, it seems that about 96% of the matter-energy of the universe is stuff that we cannot see, detect, or explain. Dark matter/energy.
There's more than enough room for fanciful explanations.
Re:Grabby Aliens: A Resolution to the Fermi Paradox
by db48x on Monday October 31, 2022 @03:28PM
(#33411431)
Except that dark matter doesn't even interact with itself. Particles of dark matter just pass right through each other rather than clumping together to form complex molecules, rocks, planets, etc.
Re:Grabby Aliens: A Resolution to the Fermi Paradox
by ben_w on Monday October 31, 2022 @03:41PM
(#33411664)
A Dyson swarm emits approximately same energy as its host star, just in infrared. Dark Matter could, I guess, be Matryoshka brains organised carefully to not hit each other by their keepers, so long as they are also actively "gardening" what we can see so they never ever get Dyson-d.
Where you're correct: Aliens that are only found on planets would be almost impossible to spot, and even if we look at them and see the consequences of their existence on their atmosphere we may interpret that as non biological in origin.
What you're missing: However, if they are expansionist and can build space habitats and automation of the sort we have reason to believe is possible, the question is "why are there visible stars? Why are they not all already surrounded in Dyson swarms?" which is hard to miss regardless of underlying chemistry or biology.