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TheMightyPickaxe t1_jdxiet6 wrote

Reply to comment by johnp299 in Would building a Dyson sphere be worth it: We ran the numbers. by filosoful

While the power density is low, after all the infrastructure is in place the energy is basically free. You wouldn't need to worry much about efficiency (other than heat dissipation) since you have a virtually unlimited source of energy.

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DiceKnight t1_jdz1wky wrote

Plus if you scout out the correct stars or if your species becomes advanced enough to master stellar husbandry you'd just encourage many stars to become red dwarfs to ride out the heat death of the universe in style. The smaller red dwarfs have lifespans in the trillions of year range they fuse hydrogen so slowly that you are essentially guaranteeing an energy source for a long time.

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quettil t1_jdz9y69 wrote

Only if you're near the Sun. Fusion is required to colonise the Oort Cloud.

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