From: Gwern Branwen (gwern0@gmail.com)
Date: Fri Aug 24 2007 - 08:52:19 MDT
On 0, Brent Thomas <bthomashsd1@earthlink.net> scribbled:
>
> There is an interesting story current on slashdot at
>
> http://science.slashdot.org/science/07/08/24/046252.shtml
>
> about a billion light year sized 'hole' in the observed CMB.
>
> The impression given from the article is that this observed lack of
> emmissions is happing because
>
> 'matter is not present' (interpretation < SL4),
>
> but it occurred to me that starting with a fairly straightforward dyson
> sphere type of activity, and continuing into matrioshka brains and extending
> that energy scavenging technology to its logical conclusion (*hehe*) that
> *complete* advanced scavenging might appear (at least from intersteller
> distances) as a 'hole' in the CMB (interpretation >= SL4).
>
> This could be an example of an advanced 'computronium' type activity
> occuring and possibly spreading through out a region of space.
>
> Does anyone see any deeper implications from the actual article or related
> stories which would contridict this SL4'ish interpretation?
Yes:
'The region had been previously been dubbed the "WMAP Cold Spot," because it stood out in a map of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation made by NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotopy Probe (WMAP) satellite. The CMB is an imprint of radiation left from the Big Bang, the theoretical beginning of the universe.
"Although our surprising results need independent confirmation, the slightly colder temperature of the CMB in this region appears to be caused by a huge hole devoid of nearly all matter roughly 6 to 10 billion light-years from Earth," Rudnick said.'
Dyson spheres and similar projects are supposed to be making maximum use of their available energy, right? But by way of the laws of thermodynamics, you can only get so much out of it and then it's waste heat. But the article says the area is downright chilly, not suffused with an even blanket of waste heat. So...
-- gwern JICA SACS Sayeret genies primacord Corporate Case Information 40kt OIR
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