10 Star Trek Questions That Always Confused You
5. Does The Dyson Sphere Actually Work?
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Relics, the USS Enterprise discovers Montgomery Scott, suspended in transporter animation, aboard the USS Jenolen. His ship had crash-landed on a Dyson Sphere, a massive construct that engulfed an entire star. The Sphere was identified by Captain Picard as a device designed by real-world physicist Freeman Dyson.
So, would the Dyson Sphere actually work? First, what was it designed to do? The power of a living star is such that, if it could be properly harnessed, a civiliation could exist with almost infinite levels of power. The interior of the Sphere was large enough to encompass 250 million M-class planets, allowing for billions of people to enjoy the benefits. The size of the Sphere was such that it was roughly the same diameter as Earth's orbit around Sol.
However, Freeman Dyson, having watched the episode, stated while he truly enjoyed it as a piece of cinema, he found the science behind it to be nonsense. He then stated that his original theory had been a joke, further crediting writer Olaf Stapledon for the idea. Stapledon's 1937 novel Star Maker had introduced the construct, on which Dyson based his theory.
Unfortunately, the Sphere looks to be a totally fictional idea for now - although a highly enjoyable one at that!