The Megastructure Compendium

In the future humanity may build enormous structures, feats of mega-engineering that may rival planets or even be of greater scope. This episode catalogs roughly 100 major types of Megastructure, from those that are cities in space to those that rival galaxies.

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▬ Megastructure Index ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Intro
03:23 - Active Support
04:30 - Alderson Disc
08:30 - Arcology Megatower
09:48 - Arkship
10:49 - Artificial Sun
11:49 - Asteroid Colonies
13:02 - Atlas Pillars
14:19 - Banks Orbital
16:29 - Bernal Sphere
17:34 - Birch Planet
20:48 - Bishop Ring
22:55 - Black Hole Gravity Generator
23:54 - Black Hole Power Generator
25:40 - Bubble Hab
26:36 - Buckyhabs
28:12 - BWC Megastructures
29:08 - Caplan Thruster
29:46 - Carbon Nanotubes
30:31 - Chainworlds
31:07 - Chandelier Cities
31:45 - Clarketech
32:30 - Cube Worlds
33:24 - Cylinder Habitat
36:09 - Dark Sky Station
36:37 - Disc Worlds & Flat Earths
38:01 - Dyson Spheres
40:04 - Dyson Spike
40:45 - Dyson Swarm
42:14 - Ecumenopolis
42:44 - Edersphere/Ederworld
43:52 - Fusion Candle
44:29 - Graphene
44:49 - Grav Plating
45:20 - Hammer Hab
45:48 - Helios Drive
46:43 - Hoop World or Donut World
47:27 - Hydroshell
48:13 - Interstellar Black Hole Highway
48:48 - Interstellar Laser Highway
50:06 - Jenkins Swarm
50:27 - Kalpana 1
51:28 - Kipping Terrascope
52:08 - Lagite
52:57 - Lofstrom Loop
53:52 - Magmatter
54:50 - Matrioshka Brain
56:45 - Matrioshka Shellworld
57:53 - McKendree Cylinder
58:36 - Megatelescope Arrays
59:25 - Mini Earth
1:00:30 - Mushroom Habitat
1:01:26 - Neptunian Chainsaw
1:01:55 - Nicoll-Dyson Beam
1:02:52 - Nova Drive
1:03:16 - O'Neill Cylinder
1:03:57 - Orbital Plates
1:04:42 - Orbital Ring
1:07:22 - Paperclip Maximizer & Grey Goo
1:08:26 - Parabolic Habitat
1:10:08 - Planet Brain / Jupiter Brain
1:10:35 - Planet Ships
1:11:25 - Planet Swarm
1:12:21 - Planetary Cycler/Aldrin Cycler
1:13:10 - Power Beamers
1:13:55 - Quasar drive
1:15:25 - Quasite
1:16:00 - Red Globular Cluster
1:17:14 - Relativistic Kill Missile
1:17:55 - Ribbon Worlds
1:19:12 - Ring Habitat
1:20:06 - Ringworld
1:21:36 - Rotacity or Bowl Hab
1:22:19 - Rungworld
1:23:25 - Shell World
1:24:53 - Shkadov Thrusters
1:25:37 - Sky Cities & Cloud Cities
1:26:38 - Skyhooks
1:27:24 - Smoke Ring
1:28:26 - Solar Mirrors
1:29:21 - Solar Shades
1:30:29 - Sombrero Planet
1:30:51 - Space Elevetors
1:32:18 - Space Farms
1:33:27 - Spin Gravity
1:34:05 - Space Towers
1:34:50 - Stanford Torus
1:35:45 - Starlifting
1:36:55 - Statite
1:38:31 - Stellar Pinwheel
1:39:00 - Stellaser
1:40:34 - Suntower
1:41:51 - Supramundane Worlds
1:42:57 - Terran Ring
1:43:58 - Topopolis
1:45:07 - Unobtainium
1:45:35 - Valley House
1:45:55 - World House
1:46:26 - Wormhole
1:53:00 - Credits

Credits:
The Megastructure Compendium
Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur
Episode 346, June 9, 2022
Written & Produced by Isaac Arthur
Narrated by Isaac Arthur & Sarah Fowler Arthur

Editors:
David McFarlane
Graeme Kilshaw
Sarah Fowler Arthur
Sig’unnr’s Deluge

Cover Art:

Graphics:
Bryan Versteeg
Fishy Tree
Jarred Eagley
Justin Dixon
Katie Byrne
Mafic Studios
Mike Munt (Apogii)
Rapid Thrash
Stephen Huck
Steve Bowers
Udo Schroeter

[isaacarthurSFIA]

▬ Megastructure Index for this Episode ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Intro
03:23 - Active Support
04:30 - Alderson Disc
08:30 - Arcology Megatower
09:48 - Arkship
10:49 - Artificial Sun
11:49 - Asteroid Colonies
13:02 - Atlas Pillars
14:19 - Banks Orbital
16:29 - Bernal Sphere
17:34 - Birch Planet
20:48 - Bishop Ring
22:55 - Black Hole Gravity Generator
23:54 - Black Hole Power Generator
25:40 - Bubble Hab
26:36 - Buckyhabs
28:12 - BWC Megastructures
29:08 - Caplan Thruster
29:46 - Carbon Nanotubes
30:31 - Chainworlds
31:07 - Chandelier Cities
31:45 - Clarketech
32:30 - Cube Worlds
33:24 - Cylinder Habitat
36:09 - Dark Sky Station
36:37 - Disc Worlds & Flat Earths
38:01 - Dyson Spheres
40:04 - Dyson Spike
40:45 - Dyson Swarm
42:14 - Ecumenopolis
42:44 - Edersphere/Ederworld
43:52 - Fusion Candle
44:29 - Graphene
44:49 - Grav Plating
45:20 - Hammer Hab
45:48 - Helios Drive
46:43 - Hoop World or Donut World
47:27 - Hydroshell
48:13 - Interstellar Black Hole Highway
48:48 - Interstellar Laser Highway
50:06 - Jenkins Swarm
50:27 - Kalpana 1
51:28 - Kipping Terrascope
52:08 - Lagite
52:57 - Lofstrom Loop
53:52 - Magmatter
54:50 - Matrioshka Brain
56:45 - Matrioshka Shellworld
57:53 - McKendree Cylinder
58:36 - Megatelescope Arrays
59:25 - Mini Earth
1:00:30 - Mushroom Habitat
1:01:26 - Neptunian Chainsaw
1:01:55 - Nicoll-Dyson Beam
1:02:52 - Nova Drive
1:03:16 - O'Neill Cylinder
1:03:57 - Orbital Plates
1:04:42 - Orbital Ring
1:07:22 - Paperclip Maximizer & Grey Goo
1:08:26 - Parabolic Habitat
1:10:08 - Planet Brain / Jupiter Brain
1:10:35 - Planet Ships
1:11:25 - Planet Swarm
1:12:21 - Planetary Cycler/Aldrin Cycler
1:13:10 - Power Beamers
1:13:55 - Quasar drive
1:15:25 - Quasite
1:16:00 - Red Globular Cluster
1:17:14 - Relativistic Kill Missile
1:17:55 - Ribbon Worlds
1:19:12 - Ring Habitat
1:20:06 - Ringworld
1:21:36 - Rotacity or Bowl Hab
1:22:19 - Rungworld
1:23:25 - Shell World
1:24:53 - Shkadov Thrusters
1:25:37 - Sky Cities & Cloud Cities
1:26:38 - Skyhooks
1:27:24 - Smoke Ring
1:28:26 - Solar Mirrors
1:29:21 - Solar Shades
1:30:29 - Sombrero Planet
1:30:51 - Space Elevetors
1:32:18 - Space Farms
1:33:27 - Spin Gravity
1:34:05 - Space Towers
1:34:50 - Stanford Torus
1:35:45 - Starlifting
1:36:55 - Statite
1:38:31 - Stellar Pinwheel
1:39:00 - Stellaser
1:40:34 - Suntower
1:41:51 - Supramundane Worlds
1:42:57 - Terran Ring
1:43:58 - Topopolis
1:45:07 - Unobtainium
1:45:35 - Valley House
1:45:55 - World House
1:46:26 - Wormhole
1:53:00 - Credits

[barryon]

Something very like an Alderson disk might be more easily accomplished by supporting it on the backs of several rather large elephants, with the elephants in turn atop a turtle of unusual size.

[dudebromcfrattington]

My favorite things that Isaac believes:

-Planets are just giant cosmic Lego blocks

-A positive outlook of humanity’s future

-Humans are physically incapable of going an hour without eating or drinking

[stevesmith]

absolutely phenomenal, everyone involved should be incredibly proud of this one. This will go down as one of the best sci-fi world-building resources on youtube. Thank you so much for doing this!

[orionspur]

Compared to the largest megastructures, the smaller ones are little more than a torus attraction.

[DicePunk]

This compilation is exactly what I need to binge now I'm writing lore.

[isaacarthurSFIA]

Arthur's Note: This is our first video doing a chapter index but since there's around 100 entries I intentionally didn't do them all, not really wanting to spend the time for something I was worried it might make the index too crowded if they were all there. If anyone wants to do a full index I would paste it in. Here's the current one, that's all the formatting required, time stamp and Title (hh:mm:ss - EntryName)

▬ Megastructure Index (Not all entries included) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Intro
2:06 - 101 Alphabetically-Organized Megastructures
03:23 - Active Support
04:30 - Alderson Disc
08:30 - Arcology Megatower
13:02 - Atlas Pillars
17:34 - Birch Planet
20:48 - Bishop Ring
23:54 - Black Hole Power Generator
26:36 - Buckyhabs
30:31 - Chainworlds
31:07 - Chandelier Cities
32:30 - Cube Worlds
33:24 - Cylinder Habitat
36:37 - Disc Worlds & Flat Earths
40:45 - Dyson Swarm
45:20 - Hammer Hab
46:43 - Hoop World or Donut World
48:13 - Interstellar Black Hole Highway
48:48 - Interstellar Laser Highway
53:52 - Magmatter
54:50 - Matrioshka Brain
56:45 - Matrioshka Shellworld
1:01:26 - Neptunian Chainsaw
1:03:57 - Orbital Plates
1:10:08 - Planet Brain / Jupiter Brain
1:11:25 - Planet Swarm
1:13:55 - Quasar drive
1:17:14 - Relativistic Kill Missile
1:20:06 - Ringworld
1:22:19 - Rungworld
1:25:37 - Sky Cities & Cloud Cities
1:27:24 - Smoke Ring
1:32:18 - Space Farms
1:39:00 - Stellaser
1:43:58 - Topopolis
1:46:26 - Wormhole
1:53:00 - Credits

[leeroyjames]

When you've waited in anticipation, and it arrives. Sir - I have no doubt that this will be glorious.

[EddyA]

I've been here since that first episode, subbed back in 2017. You made me start thinking differently Isaac, about questions big and small. I'm happy to have your content and it's been very joyful seeing you get married and such. Thanks for letting us in to your lives.

[tite]

Can't even fathom how amazing it would be for humanity to one day discover something like this in our galaxy. Derelict or not

[dustaone]

I remember listening back when you first suggested these ideas. I've followed since and watched you guys get married.

Now youre presenting the show together and the animation and narration is insane.

Thanks Sarah! (and Isaac I guess) :)

[A_Spec]

Thank you for rekindling my love for Megastructures Isaac. I've been watching for many years and it's been a pleasure to be on this journey with you.

[thedoruk]

An entire complication ! Sir Arthur spoils us! Hopefully gigastructural engineering could take opinions for another batch from this awesome list

[stevesmith]

I've been waiting for this for so long...Sarah, you did a fantastic job on this! Thank you both so much for redoing this incredible episode!

[ryleyreishus]

I'm glad you did this. Your old megastructure series is my favorite thing on the channel

[scottbruner]

Issac,
I remember finding your channel about two years ago, on accident. The first thing I noticed was your speech. I loved it from the beginning. I've also been amazed at how much I learn here. I've even taken several recommendations of audio books from authors you mentioned.

With you, looking to the stars, hoping we aren't alone.

[FoxtrotYouniform]

My man, I've grown to love your voice and have enjoyed listening to it for years and years now. Here is to many more, and perhaps a conceptual gigastructure series sometime in the future

[sidpomy]

Sarah makes for an excellent narrator! Great voice for it. So glad to see this redone - I’m sure it was an enormous amount of work, and much appreciated.

[ajakethompson]

26:58 I think you meant "carbon-60 molecule" or "60 carbon molecule" not atom. Allotrope works too.

It's a small error but it did make me think twice about it so I thought I'd mention it.
Love the channel!! It always puts me in a good mood about the future.

[therocinante]

Megastructures are what made me discover this channel. It's nice to see this compilation :)