THE LAWS OF PHYSICS ARE A DEATH WARRANT FOR THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
Dr. Kaku: WHEN OUR SUN BURNS OUT,
EVERYTHING WE KNOW WILL BE DESTROYED.
BUT I'VE GOT A PLAN TO SAVE US.
WAHOO!
THE SCI-FI FANS HELP ME ON MY QUEST...
PLANT ROCKETS ON THE PLANET.
...TO CREATE AN ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM FROM THE GROUND UP.
I THINK IT CAN BE DONE, AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW.
I'M DR. MICHIO KAKU.
I'M A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST
AND A SCIENCE-FICTION [Echoing] FAN.
JOIN ME AS I SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE SCI-FI [Echoing] SCIENCE.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
IN THE FUTURE, THE SUN WILL DIE.
THE SKY WILL BE ON FIRE, THE OCEANS WILL BOIL,
THE MOUNTAINS WILL MELT, AND THE EARTH WILL GO BACK INTO THE SUN.
AND THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
LIKE THE FEARLESS SPACEMEN IN THE MOVIES,
TO ENSURE OUR SURVIVAL,
THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY WILL NEED TO FIND
A NEW PLACE TO LIVE AMONG THE STARS.
MY PLAN IS TO DEVISE A BLUEPRINT SO I CAN TAKE
A PIECE OF GALACTIC PROPERTY AND MAKE IT INTO A NEW HOME.
MY MISSION IS TO CREATE
AN ENTIRELY NEW SOLAR SYSTEM FROM SCRATCH.
THIS IS SERIOUS, HEAVY-DUTY SCIENCE FICTION.
MAYBE THE SCI-FI FANS
CAN GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON WHERE TO START.
SO, HERE'S THE QUESTION --
HOW WOULD YOU CREATE AN EARTHLIKE SOLAR SYSTEM
OUT OF AN ALIEN SOLAR SYSTEM?
ANY IDEAS?
USE THE FORCE.
"USE THE FORCE." OF COURSE.
THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING ABOUT IT
THAT PROVIDES US WITH LIGHT OR SOMETHING
TO KEEP THE PLANETS FROM COLLIDING INTO EACH OTHER --
GRAVITY, I GUESS.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
NOT TOO HOT OR TOO COLD THAT HUMAN LIFE COULDN'T EXIST.
BUILDING YOUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM? I DON'T KNOW.
THAT JUST SEEMS KIND OF BIZARRE AND IMPLAUSIBLE.
IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE A GODLY THING TO DO.
I WANT MY DESIGN TO BE TRUE TO SCI-FI.
BUT IT'S WILDLY AMBITIOUS.
I THINK I SHOULD SET OUT SOME OBJECTIVES.
THE SUCCESS OF MY SOLAR SYSTEM DEPENDS ON THREE THINGS.
FIRST, IT MUST HAVE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS TO SUSTAIN LIFE.
SECOND, IT MUST BE STABLE FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS,
'CAUSE AFTER ALL, THIS IS HUMANITY'S NEW HOME.
AND THIRD, IT MUST BE SUFFICIENTLY IMPRESSIVE
TO SIGNAL THAT WE'VE BECOME A GALACTIC CIVILIZATION.
THE FIRST THING MY SOLAR SYSTEM NEEDS IS A STAR.
IT'S FUNDAMENTAL.
WITHOUT ONE, THERE WOULD BE NO LIGHT OR HEAT.
I NEED ONE TO SIT AT THE CENTER OF MY DESIGN.
BUT WHICH ONE SHOULD I CHOOSE?
OUR GALAXY CONTAINS SO MANY STARS.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THEM ARE UNSUITABLE TO SUPPORT LIFE.
IF YOU HAVE A GIANT RED STAR, FOR EXAMPLE,
CHANCES ARE IT'S UNSTABLE.
ONE DAY, IT'LL EXPLODE IN A GIGANTIC SUPERNOVA,
MAYBE EVEN A BLACK HOLE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TINY, LITTLE RED DWARF STARS
THAT ARE VERY COMMON, EXCEPT THEY EMIT SO LITTLE LIGHT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE YELLOW, HYDROGEN-BURNING,
MAIN-SEQUENCE STARS JUST LIKE OURS.
AND THEY ARE RIGHT ON THE BUTTON.
THEY ARE SUITABLE TO SUSTAIN LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.
LUCKILY, THERE ARE BILLIONS
OF YELLOW, HYDROGEN-BURNING STARS IN OUR GALAXY.
BUT IT'S NOT AS EASY AS CHOOSING ONE AND MOVING IN.
SCIENTISTS THINK THE SPACE AROUND STARS
IS SWARMING WITH GIANT ASTEROIDS AND DEADLY COMETS.
SET UP HOME HERE, AND WE COULD BE WIPED OUT.
BUT THERE IS HOPE.
I CAN TAKE A TIP FROM OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
IT HAS A SECRET WEAPON
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST KILLER SPACE ROCKS.
AND THAT IS THE PLANET JUPITER.
JUPITER IS 2 1/2 TIMES THE MASS
OF ALL THE OTHER PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM COMBINED.
ALL THIS MASS GIVES IT ENORMOUS GRAVITY.
OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS, THIS CLEANED UP THE SPACE ROCKS
AND THINNED OUT THE ASTEROID BELT.
TO BE SAFE FOR HABITATION,
MY SOLAR SYSTEM MUST COME WITH A JUPITER-LIKE GAS GIANT.
BUT HOW CAN I FIND ONE ORBITING A STAR?
I THINK THIS GUY CAN HELP.
PAUL BUTLER OF THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION
HAS THE JOB OF FINDING STRANGE, NEW WORLDS
ORBITING DISTANT STARS.
OH, WOW.
BY STUDYING VARIATIONS IN THE WAVELENGTH OF STARLIGHT,
HE CAN TELL IF A STAR HAS A PLANET IN ORBIT.
AND HE MIGHT HAVE FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
Dr. Kaku: SO, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?
THIS IS THE VELOCITY OF THE STAR,
MOVING BECAUSE THE PLANET IS GRAVITATIONALLY TUGGING IT
AS IT ORBITS.
VERY REGULAR, RIGHT?
IF THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT, IT WOULD BE IRREGULAR AND CHAOTIC.
ABSOLUTELY. PLANETS ARE THE ORIGINAL CLOCKWORK.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO CLAIM YOU'VE DISCOVERED A PLANET,
ABSOLUTELY CLOCKWORK.
Butler: ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PLANETS THAT WE DISCOVERED
IS A GIANT PLANET ORBITING THE STAR 47 URSAE MAJORIS
IN THE BIG DIPPER, AND THIS IS A VERY SUNLIKE STAR.
LIKE THE SUN, IT'S ENRICHED IN HEAVIER ELEMENTS,
AND IT'S GOT A PLANET, A JUPITER-SIZE PLANET
THAT ORBITS THE STAR IN A BEAUTIFUL CIRCULAR ORBIT
WITH A PERIOD OF ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SO, THIS IS THE SMOKING GUN.
I FOUND IT!
47 URSAE MAJORIS, IN THE BIG DIPPER.
THIS IS THE ALIEN SOLAR SYSTEM
AROUND WHICH I'M GONNA BUILD MY DESIGN.
REFUGEES FROM EARTH COULD TRAVEL IN STARSHIPS
TO THIS ALIEN, JUPITER-LIKE PLANET.
BUT I'M GONNA HAVE A BIG PROBLEM
ACCOMMODATING BILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
IF YOU WERE TO LAND ON THIS JUPITER,
YOU'D SINK RIGHT TO THE BOTTOM 'CAUSE IT'S MADE OUT OF GAS.
THERE'S NO SOLID SURFACE. PLUS, YOU WOULD CHOKE.
ITS ATMOSPHERE IS MADE OUT OF HYDROGEN AND HELIUM.
AND ITS GRAVITY WOULD CRUSH YOU TO DEATH.
I COULD CONSTRUCT HABITABLE BIO-DOMES
ON THE ROCKY MOONS ORBITING THE GAS GIANT.
BUT THAT'S A RADICAL CHANGE OF ENVIRONMENT.
I'VE SEEN WHAT EARTH'S LIKE,
SO IF IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, I'D BE ALL UP FOR IT.
I MEAN, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD PROBABLY FREAK OUT AND BE DISAPPOINTED.
WHY NOT BUILD SOMETHING CLOSE TO HOME,
WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE?
IF I ARRIVED IN A NEW SOLAR SYSTEM,
I'M A REFUGEE, I'M LIVING IN A BIO-DOME,
I THINK I MIGHT WANT TO WALK OUTSIDE.
GOING FROM BLUE PLANET TO GREENHOUSE
WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR MY SOLAR SYSTEM'S COLONISTS.
I NEED TO BUILD SOMEWHERE MORE FAMILIAR,
SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN CALL HOME.
I COULD USE A SPACESHIP'S GRAVITY
TO CAPTURE AND FIRE A BARRAGE OF HUGE ASTEROIDS
AT THE GAS GIANT'S MOON.
THE GRAVITATIONAL EFFECT
WOULD NUDGE THE MOON CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE STAR,
WARMING IT UP.
THE MOON WOULD ORBIT THE STAR AS A PLANET.
IT'S A SOLUTION, BUT THE MOON MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH GRAVITY.
MAYBE I NEED TO THINK AGAIN.
NEXT UP, I DISCOVER A REVOLUTIONARY MATERIAL...
YOU CAN'T GET BETTER THAN THAT.
...AND ATTEMPT TO GET THE DREAM OF UNLIMITED ENERGY
OFF THE GROUND.
[ LAUGHTER ]
OH. SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
EVERYTHING IS NOW IN PLACE.
I'VE CREATED A NEW HOME FOR US AMONG THE STARS.
I HAVE A NEW SUN, A JUPITER-LIKE PLANET,
AND A PROTO-EARTH GOING AROUND THE STAR.
BUT, I MEAN, WHY STOP THERE? I WANT TO GO TRULY SCI-FI.
I WANT TO PUSH HUMAN CIVILIZATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
THE LARGEST BARRIER TO DOING THIS IS ENERGY.
WE STILL RELY ON FOSSIL FUELS TO POWER CIVILIZATION.
TO ADVANCE, WE NEED TO EXPLOIT ALL THE ENERGY OF A STAR.
BUT IT'S HERE I HIT A PROBLEM.
LET'S SAY THAT THIS REPRESENTS THE SUN,
RADIATING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY INTO OUTER SPACE.
AND, BY CONTRAST, THIS WOULD BE THE EARTH,
A TINY, LITTLE PEPPERCORN.
NOW, WE ARE SO FAR AWAY FROM THE SUN AND WE ARE SO TINY
THAT WE ONLY ABSORB
ABOUT A BILLIONTH OF THE ENERGY FROM THE SUN.
I MEAN, WHAT A WASTE.
A BRITISH PHYSICIST NAMED FREEMAN DYSON THOUGHT SO, TOO.
IN 1959, HE HAD A RADICAL IDEA --
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO COLLECT ALL OF A STAR'S ENERGY?
HIS SOLUTION SOUNDED LIKE
SOMETHING STRAIGHT OUT OF SCIENCE FICTION.
DYSON ENVISIONED A SWARM OF SOLAR-COLLECTING SATELLITES
ORBITING AROUND A STAR.
THEY WOULD BE POSITIONED ABOUT 90 MILLION MILES
FROM THE STAR -- THE DISTANCE FROM THE EARTH TO THE SUN.
AND THEY WOULD COLLECT A COLOSSAL AMOUNT OF SOLAR ENERGY,
ALL OF WHICH WOULD BE WIRELESSLY BEAMED BACK TO THE PLANET EARTH.
IT WAS A MARVELOUS IDEA -- SIMPLE, CLEAN, AND ELEGANT.
JUST THINK -- ONCE IN PLACE,
YOU COULD COLLECT VAST AMOUNTS OF SOLAR ENERGY ALMOST FOR FREE.
[ LAUGHTER ]
Dr. Kaku: OH. SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
NASA IS ALREADY DEVELOPING SOLAR-COLLECTING SAILS
TO PROPEL SPACESHIPS BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
I COULD SCALE THESE UP TO THE SIZE OF A CONTINENT
AND PUT THOUSANDS OF THEM IN ORBIT AROUND MY STAR.
OUR ENERGY RESERVES WOULD INCREASE BY OVER A BILLION.
BUT BUILDING A STRUCTURE THAT ENCIRCLES A STAR --
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG TASK, EVEN FOR SCI-FI.
LET'S TRY TO CALCULATE
PRECISELY HOW MUCH MATERIAL IT WOULD REQUIRE
TO BUILD A DYSON SWARM.
DYSON IMAGINED HIS SWARM FORMING A SHELL AROUND OUR SUN.
THEN IF I DO THE MATH, I CAN NOW CALCULATE THE AREA.
EACH SATELLITE WOULD BE MADE
FROM CONVENTIONAL MATERIALS LIKE STEEL
AND BE ABOUT 10 FEET THICK.
AND, BINGO.
I CAN NOW CALCULATE APPROXIMATELY THE TOTAL VOLUME
OF ALL THIS SWARM AROUND THE SUN.
AND IT IS ABOUT 250 QUADRILLION...
CUBIC MILES.
THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
EVEN IF I MINED ALL THE PLANETS IN MY SOLAR SYSTEM,
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH RAW MATERIALS
TO BUILD SOMETHING WITH A VOLUME THAT LARGE.
AND THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING, BECAUSE HERE IS A NEAT IDEA --
UNLIMITED POWER, ALMOST FOR FREE ONCE IT'S IN PLACE,
AND YET THERE'S SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH STUFF IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
TO CREATE THIS BEAUTIFUL IDEA.
BUILDING DYSON'S VISION OUT OF A CONVENTIONAL MATERIAL
IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GIVE UP.
WHAT I NEED IS A REVOLUTIONARY NEW BUILDING MATERIAL.
Dr. Kaku: I'M ON A MISSION TO BUILD A NEW SOLAR SYSTEM.
IT WAS ALWAYS GONNA BE A PRETTY TALL ORDER.
BUT NOW MY DESIGN HAS HIT A BIG PROBLEM.
I'D HAVE TO MINE AN ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM
TO BUILD A DYSON SWARM
OUT OF A CONVENTIONAL MATERIAL LIKE STEEL.
I NEED A SUBSTANCE THAT'S HUNDREDS OF TIMES LIGHTER
AND ALSO HUNDREDS OF TIMES STRONGER.
AND I'VE HEARD THIS GUY'S MAKING ONE.
IN HIS LAB AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY,
PROFESSOR JAMES HONE
PASSES CARBON-RICH METHANE GAS OVER A HEATED COPPER SHEET
TO MAKE GRAPHENE, A TYPE OF CARBON WITH AMAZING STRENGTH.
IF GRAPHENE WERE THE SAME THICKNESS AS THIS PLASTIC WRAP,
INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO POKE THROUGH JUST WITH MY HAND,
I WOULD REQUIRE ABOUT 2 TONS OF FORCE.
THE SECRET TO GRAPHENE'S STRENGTH
IS THE ATOMIC STRUCTURE IT FORMS INSIDE THE OVEN.
IT'S TOO SMALL TO SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE,
SO PROFESSOR HONE HAS SCALED IT UP.
LET'S BUILD SOME GRAPHENE.
YEAH, LET'S GO FOR IT.
IN THE HOT OVEN,
THE METHANE LANDS ON THE SURFACE OF THE COPPER,
HYDROGEN GOES AWAY, AND WE HAVE THESE SINGLE CARBON ATOMS
THAT NOW LIKE TO JUST WANDER AROUND
ON THE SURFACE OF THIS COPPER.
AND WHEN IT FINDS ANOTHER CARBON ATOM, THEY MAKE A BOND.
AUTOMATICALLY?
AUTOMATICALLY. THAT'S WHAT THEY LIKE TO DO.
AND UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, ALL OF THESE ATOMS JOIN IN
TO MAKE A VERY NICE LATTICE OF GRAPHENE.
AND, CERTAINLY, IF YOU'RE ONLY TALKING
ABOUT AN ATOMICALLY THIN SHEET OF CARBON,
THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY, VERY EFFICIENT WAY TO GO.
BETTER THAN THAT.
NO.
YOU CAN'T GET THINNER THAN ONE ATOM THICK.
IMPOSSIBLY THIN
AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF TIMES STRONGER THAN STEEL,
GRAPHENE IS A GENUINE MIRACLE MATERIAL.
IT'S PERFECT FOR MY DESIGN.
I DON'T HAVE TO SCAVENGE AN ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM
TO CREATE MY SWARM.
I ONLY NEED GRAPHENE BECAUSE IT IS ONLY ONE ATOM THICK.
SO YOU WOULD ONLY HAVE TO HAVE
PERHAPS AN ASTEROID-SIZE OR A SMALL-PLANET-SIZE
BALL OF CARBON IN ORDER TO CREATE MY DYSON SWARM.
AND PUTTING THE STRUCTURE TOGETHER
IS JUST AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM.
ROBOTIC STARSHIPS COULD SCOUT MY SOLAR SYSTEM
FOR CARBON-RICH PLANETS.
GIANT FACTORIES WOULD THEN TURN THEM INTO GRAPHENE PANELS.
WORKER ROBOTS COULD ASSEMBLE THESE PANELS
INTO THOUSANDS OF GIANT SOLAR COLLECTORS TO MAKE A SWARM.
BUT I THINK I CAN DO BETTER.
IF I JOINED ALL THE PANELS TOGETHER,
I COULD MAKE A DYSON SPHERE
THAT WOULD CAPTURE 100% OF THE STAR'S ENERGY.
AND THAT'S GIVEN ME ANOTHER THOUGHT.
YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT IT -- IF WE HAVE THIS GIGANTIC SPHERE
THAT CAPTURES ALL THE SUNLIGHT FROM THE SUN,
THEN WHERE DO WE LIVE?
MAYBE WE SHOULD LIVE INSIDE THE SPHERE.
I MEAN, WHY DO WE HAVE TO LIVE ON A PLANET
WHICH IS VERY INEFFICIENT
AND IS A BY-PRODUCT OF OUR EVOLUTION ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM?
WHY NOT LIVE ON THE INSIDE OF A DYSON SPHERE?
I MEAN, AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT BEING TORCHED BY THE SUN, SURE.
BUT STILL, IF SOMEBODY TOLD ME THAT WE WERE INSIDE SOMETHING,
IT MIGHT STILL SUBCONSCIOUSLY KIND OF FREAK ME OUT.
THE SPHERE IS NICE, BUT IF THE SUN DIES OR EXPLODES,
I MEAN, WE'RE ON THE RECEIVING END OF IT.
OKAY. SO, THE RISKS MAKE THE IDEA A HARD SELL.
BUT COME ON!
BIG IDEAS AND TAKING RISK IS WHAT SCI-FI IS ALL ABOUT.
LIVING ON THE INNER SKIN OF A DYSON SPHERE
MORE THAN MATCHES THE AMBITION
OF THOSE SCI-FI MOVIES I LOVED AS A KID.
IMAGINE AN ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM PLACED WITHIN THIS GLOBE.
THIS COULD REPRESENT
A NEW STAGE IN OUR EVOLUTION AS A CIVILIZATION --
FROM A PLANETARY CIVILIZATION TO A TRULY STELLAR CIVILIZATION.
I'M GONNA RUN WITH IT.
BUT I CAN SEE A BIG PROBLEM -- GRAVITY.
WITHOUT IT, ANYTHING ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SPHERE
WILL FALL INTO THE STAR.
FOR MY CRAZY PLAN TO WORK, I'VE GOT TO FIND
A WAY TO KEEP EVERYONE'S FEET FIRMLY ON THE GROUND.
TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO...
HERE'S THE PROBLEM -- MY DYSON SPHERE
DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH MASS TO CREATE ITS OWN GRAVITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW -- MAYBE THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
MAYBE I CAN CREATE MY OWN.
WAHOO! [ LAUGHS ]
WHEN THIS FAIRGROUND RIDE SPINS,
THE CHAIRS ARE FLUNG OUT BY CENTRIPETAL FORCE
AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF ROTATION.
WELL, IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT EINSTEIN SAID --
ACCELERATION IS INDISTINGUISHABLE
FROM THE EFFECTS OF GRAVITY.
SO WHAT I'M EXPERIENCING HERE IS ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY.
MY BODY GOES INTO A STATE OF CONSTANT ACCELERATION.
EVEN THOUGH I'M 20 FEET IN THE AIR,
I DON'T FALL TOWARDS THE GROUND.
INSTEAD, THE CENTRIPETAL FORCE
PUSHES ME HORIZONTALLY INTO MY SEAT.
WELL, I SHOULD HAVE SIGNED UP FOR ASTRONAUT SCHOOL
RATHER THAN THEORETICAL PHYSICS.
CENTRIPETAL FORCE
WILL KEEP EVERYTHING STUCK TO THE INNER SKIN OF MY SPHERE.
BUT HOW CAN I SPIN SOMETHING THAT BIG?
PERHAPS IF I ATTACH GIANT ROCKETS TO THE OUTSIDE,
THEN THE SPHERE WOULD REVOLVE
AT THE RIGHT SPEED TO IMITATE EARTH'S GRAVITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TRADE-OFF.
YOU SEE, CENTRIFUGAL FORCE POINTS
AWAY FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION.
BUT THE DYSON SPHERE IS ROUND, CIRCULAR, AND SMOOTH.
ANYTHING ALONG THE INSIDE OF THE SPHERE
WOULD BE SLIDING GRADUALLY AND COLLECT ALONG THE EQUATOR.
IF I ALTERED THE DESIGN TO A SERIES OF RINGS,
THEN CENTRIPETAL FORCE WOULD ACT
ON THE VERTICAL WALLS OF EACH RING.
ANYONE STANDING ON THE INSIDE OF THEM
WOULD BE KEPT FIRMLY ON THE GROUND.
WELL, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH HAS FINALLY ARRIVED.
AFTER MEETING THE EXPERTS AND PUTTING TOGETHER THE DESIGN,
IT'S TIME TO FACE THE FANS.
YOU KNOW, WE SCIENTISTS CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT INTO THE FUTURE.
BUT WHEN YOU START TO TALK
ABOUT THOUSANDS, MILLIONS OF YEARS INTO THE FUTURE,
THAT'S WHEN OUR CRYSTAL BALL STARTS TO GET A LITTLE FUZZY.
NOW, I'M CONFIDENT THAT MY DESIGN IS CONSISTENT
WITH ALL THE KNOWN LAWS OF PHYSICS.
BUT, HEY, LET'S BE HONEST. IT IS A RISK.
IT IS ALWAYS UNCERTAINTY --
CAN YOU PROJECT THAT FAR INTO THE FUTURE?
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION --
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"?
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
YEAH!
AND DO YOU BELIEVE THAT ONE DAY WE WILL LIVE AMONG THE STARS?
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
WELL, OF COURSE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE CHASED BY THE CYLONS.
INSTEAD OF SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOME IN SPACE,
WHY NOT BUILD ONE?
AND TODAY I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW.
ROBOTIC STARSHIPS ARRIVE AT THE STAR 47 URSAE MAJORIS
AND START LOOKING FOR RAW MATERIALS.
WE WANT TO HAVE CARBON.
CARBON IS THE STUFF OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.
AND THERE'S A NEW SUBSTANCE CALLED GRAPHENE
THAT CAN BE PAPER-THIN, ONE MOLECULE THIN.
IT IS POTENTIALLY THE TOUGHEST MATERIAL KNOWN TO SCIENCE.
MINING MACHINES BEGIN EXTRACTING CARBON.
FACTORIES OPERATING NONSTOP
TRANSFORM IT INTO GRAPHENE PANELS,
WHICH SWARMS OF SELF-REPLICATING ROBOTS
STITCH TOGETHER AROUND THE STAR
TO MAKE A TIERED MEGASTRUCTURE 180 MILLION MILES ACROSS.
BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM, AND THAT IS -- YOU FLOAT.
THERE'S NO GRAVITY.
GIANT BOOSTER ROCKETS
SPIN EACH TIER TO CREATE CENTRIPETAL FORCE.
THE EQUATOR SPINS SLOWEST.
TOWARD THE NORTH POLE, IT SPINS FASTEST.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU MAINTAIN
PEOPLE LIVING ON THE INSIDE OF THE SPHERE.
ALONG THE VERTICAL SECTIONS OF EACH TIER,
THE INTERIOR IS TERRAFORMED, READY FOR HABITATION.
SETTLER SHIPS FROM EARTH ARRIVE
TO DISCOVER A BRAVE NEW WORLD WITH LIMITLESS ENERGY.
SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT --
A NEW STAGE OF HUMAN EVOLUTION IN SPACE.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
YOU'VE GOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT
OF SPACE TO LIVE ON, SO IT'S A PERFECT IDEA.
JUST MARVELOUS IN TERMS OF THE EXECUTION.
NANOTECHNOLOGY WAS VERY GOOD.
YES, WE USE NANOTECHNOLOGY.
ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY.
BUT HE STEAL THIS FROM "BABYLON 5," WE KNOW.
A BALL THE SIZE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM ALL THE WAY AROUND.
THAT WOULD BE A SIGHT TO SEE.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS