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Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

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Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#71

Post by Razengan »

unrealp wrote: post #22

I wonder if this is an opportunity to detect intelligent life. If the black hole is affecting any intelligent life on the way, they might do something to save themselves or their planet, which might be detectable?

What if this is CAUSED by intelligent life?

Maybe this is part of a galactic-scale engineering project?

Actual pic btw: https://stsci-opo.org/STScI-01GWQ1FTQCCZS72F2GPD4QTJXK.png

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#72

Post by lmm »

mach1ne wrote: post #52
Helmut10001 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an analogy to the Three Body Problem from Liu Cixin!

I’ve heard that book(series?) pop up quite a lot recently. Is it worth a read?

No. It's a tedious slog, devoid of interest on any axis: characters, plot, worldbuilding and science are all paper-thin. Its popularity baffles me.

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#73

Post by philsnow »

legohead wrote: post #66
andrewstuart wrote: post #20

If you lived on a planet going around one of those stars it sure would be hard to make sense of the universe. "Oh I have it! In addition to all the incomprehensible things in the universe, we happen to live in a star system that is extremely, extremely rare and exeptional, unlike the rest of the universe!"

If you like such ideas I have a couple good books for you. Not exactly related to this phenomenon but about space...logistics? With regard ET threats especially. [1] The Three-Body Problem (trilogy) [2] A Fire Upon the Deep If you don't want to read the books at least check out the idea of the "Zones of Thought" that is the interesting concept in the second book.

Strong second for A Fire Upon the Deep and its prequel, A Deepness in the Sky, both Hugo winners.

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#74

Post by nequo »

andrewstuart wrote: post #47
duxup wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Why aren’t we in a galaxy?!?”

"Because we occupy a unique and privileged place in the universe." That would mess with the scientists.

That is basically what the anthropic principle says:

  the range of possible observations that we could make about the universe is limited by the fact that observations could only happen in a universe capable of developing intelligent life in the first place
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#75

Post by ww520 »

andrewstuart wrote: post #20

If you lived on a planet going around one of those stars it sure would be hard to make sense of the universe. "Oh I have it! In addition to all the incomprehensible things in the universe, we happen to live in a star system that is extremely, extremely rare and exeptional, unlike the rest of the universe!"

Asimov's Nightfall tells the story of the beings living on a planet surrounded by 6 suns. The sky is always bright with at least a sun over head. They've only known the universe consisted of bright sky and the 6 suns for centuries. On a rare eclipse event where all the suns are hidden, they are suddenly in darkness and looking into billions of stars at the night sky.

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#76

Post by coupdejarnac »

mach1ne wrote: post #52
Helmut10001 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an analogy to the Three Body Problem from Liu Cixin!

I’ve heard that book(series?) pop up quite a lot recently. Is it worth a read?

I read maybe half of the first book, and it was so bad I had to put it down. Maybe the translation is dry, or maybe the thin, stereotypical characters wore on me.

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#77

Post by jacquesm »

mach1ne wrote: post #52
Helmut10001 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an analogy to the Three Body Problem from Liu Cixin!

I’ve heard that book(series?) pop up quite a lot recently. Is it worth a read?

From the perspective of someone who has read 100's of SF books: not really. But if you haven't or if you want to have a taste of what looking at SF through a Chinese lens would look like then it's probably worth it.

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#78

Post by unrealp »

Razengan wrote: post #71
unrealp wrote: post #22

I wonder if this is an opportunity to detect intelligent life. If the black hole is affecting any intelligent life on the way, they might do something to save themselves or their planet, which might be detectable?

What if this is CAUSED by intelligent life? Maybe this is part of a galactic-scale engineering project? Actual pic btw: https://stsci-opo.org/STScI-01GWQ1FTQCCZS72F2GPD4QTJXK.png

yes. like the black hole is clearing up the path for intergalactic super highway in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Re: Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

#79

Post by baq »

Helmut10001 wrote: post #67
mach1ne wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve heard that book(series?) pop up quite a lot recently. Is it worth a read?

I really liked the first book, towards the second and third it got a little bit slow and repetitive. Not anywhere on par with e.g. Hyperion Cantos, but otherwise very good read.

There’s very little which holds ground versus Hyperion though… so GP if you haven’t already, go read that
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