Of all the unanswered questions in modern science, perhaps the most talked about is whether we are alone in the universe. A new paper looks at another way we might be able to detect advanced civilizations, and at its center is the need for energy.
The more advanced a civilization becomes, the greater their need for energy and one of the most efficient ways, according to current theories, is to harness the energy from an actively feeding black hole. The paper suggests a civilization feeding matter into a black hole could harvest energy from it; more excitingly perhaps, the process could be detectable within 17,000 light years.
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