Did Scientists Discover Alien Mega-Structures?

Did scientists find Dyson spheres around stars? Neil deGrasse Tyson explores what an alien civilization might look like to us, the Kardashev Scale, and Dyson Spheres.

Learn what researchers found around previously discovered stars. We break down the Kardashev Scale and what to look for when detecting alien civilizations. Plus, learn about Freeman Dyson and how he thought a Type II Civilization might work.

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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Dyson Sphere Discovery?
00:30 - The Kardashev Scale
2:02 - Type II Alien Civilization: Controlling the Sun
3:11 - Type III Alien Civilization: Controlling the Galaxy
4:00 - What Would Advanced Civilizations Look Like to Us?
7:45 - Dyson Spheres

[tayzonday]

Yes! I’m an alien and I’m watching you 👽🛸👾

[Mike_Gray]

Something that I think will be found before a Dyson sphere is a ring. It only takes a small portion of materials compared to a sphere. This came to me after reading the book Ring World by Larry Niven.

[mugnuz]

vacuum cleaners, fans and now spheres. that dyson engineering became very impressive!

[jgiercs]

For one moment I thought you said "Kardashian civilization"...I have never felt so much fear until I listened again.

[arrievanbruggen]

Betteridge's law of headlines: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no."

[baylessnow]

Imagine travelling to one of these things, meeting the aliens who built them and saying "Oh, so Dyson spheres really do exist?" and they reply "Dyson? No, the guy who invented these is called Bob!"

[DonValix]

We need a TV show that shows a day in the life of advanced civilizations, and we'll call it, "Keeping up with the Kardashevs"

[Lemurion]

As I understand it, this was a complete success. They wanted to know if they could detect something with the predicted signature of Dyson sphere, and they detected seven stars that met the criteria. Whether they actually are Dyson spheres is irrelevant.

[formattmusic]

Star Trek explored this idea in The Next Generation, in the episode "Relics." That episode also has James Doohan in it, who played Scotty. They explain and demonstrate a little bit about what a Dyson Sphere is.

[zanokuhlemabuza]

7:55 "Kardashian civilisation Type 2" is absolutely the Freudian slip I was waiting to hear

[mikutho]

close to 1.5 million views in one day? it is really refreshing to see how many people are interested in science and learning about the universe

[BrandonTejadaSkates]

When he said “a type 0 civilization” at the end, it made me feel like he knows deep down we could advance to the next level. The problem is that we aren’t able to work together as a planet to accomplish that yet.

[bitandbob]

I love that you take a topic that in the press was limited to “dyson sphere, yes or no?” and then give us so much more basis and context for that question

[ResidentAlien_]

Other civilizations have Dyson spheres, we have Dyson vacuum cleaners. We're almost there.

[mosjeschwartzman]

I can't help but wondering how long it will take after the first Dyson Sphere is built before people will stand up and assert it's actually flat – A Dyson Plane, if you will.

[mnemonichotpocket]

I've got a Dyson sphere, and it's the best vacuum I've ever owned.

[ROBLOXTHANOS]

Your insights are helping to propel us to the type-1 civilization status.

[RoKappa]

Press: Did we discover Dyson spheres?
Occam: Hold my razor.

[tHeeNrg]

a StarTalk episode with Neil talking alone is so relaxing, thanks

[mildlydazed]

The delivery of the news we are a Type 0 Civilization had my sides splitting. Stay humble Earth!