257:
271:
20:
285:
243:
171:. In contrast with the Alderson disk, the Aysle "diskworld" works according to fantasy physics, including a "gravity plane" that bisects the disk laterally, so that opposite sides "fall" towards the plane. The diskworld of Aysle had a bobbing Sun and multiple inner layers. Both sides of the disk were inhabited, as were the internal layers.
96:
Life could exist on either side of the disk, though life in close proximity to the sun would be impossible without sufficient heat protection. Conversely, beings residing far away from the Sun would freeze without the requisite heating equipment. Therefore, for the entirety of such a structure to be
124:
novel. The atmosphere is right, and there are real monsters." Because the zone habitable by humans is 'relatively narrow' (5% closer in and farther out than Earth's current orbit would provide 50 million times the surface area of Earth), the disc (and the cost of its construction) could be shared
125:
with aliens from hotter and colder planets. Over long periods of time, lifeforms would evolve to settle the sparsely-inhabited regions in between. "If civilization should fall, things could get eerie and interesting."
88:
until materials and construction science become sufficiently advanced. Building a megastructure of this magnitude would require an amount of material that far surpasses the amount of material found in the
97:
made habitable, it would have to include a vast number of life support systems. Even without such systems, the habitable surface area would be an equivalent of tens to hundreds of millions of Earths.
200:
features a parallel-universe version of our solar system where creatures evolved from dinosaurs have converted all the mass to an
Alderson disk (with a bobbing sun).
213:
the concept of an
Alderson disk is brought up by the protagonist, Kin Arad, as an explanation for the mysterious 'flat earth' that is the focus of the story.
231:, the planet of Penacony is actually a large artificial space station-like megastructure housing a hotel surrounded by two small Alderson disks orbiting it.
77:
The hole would be surrounded by a thousand-mile-high wall to prevent the atmosphere from drifting into the Sun. The outer rim would not require a wall.
580:
454:
399:
158:
A disk-shaped planet similar to an
Alderson disk (though far smaller) served as the homeworld of the fantasy "Aysle" setting (or "cosm") of
62:
rests in the hole at the center of the disk. The outer perimeter of an
Alderson disk would be roughly equivalent to the orbit of
184:, a copy of the whole Earth (along with copies of many other planets) is placed on an Alderson disk built around a black hole by
144:(each occupied its own side of the disk). Larry Niven designed the Godwheel and wrote stories surrounding certain events on it.
477:
84:
within the disc would be far beyond what any known material can stand, thus relegating such a structure to the realm of
437:
104:. This could be solved by forcing the Sun to bob up and down within the disk, lighting first one side then the other.
615:
528:
427:
520:
191:
620:
540:
85:
248:
218:
341:
335:
116:
writer Larry Niven suggested that an
Alderson disk "would be a wonderful place to stage a
8:
359:
222:, the Alderson Disk is featured as a buildable megastructure inhabitable by the player.
506:
276:
262:
196:
141:
596:
574:
516:
433:
404:
323:
227:
121:
555:
329:
308: – Hypothetical genetically-engineered plant capable of growing inside a comet
290:
185:
168:
81:
100:
Because the Sun remains stationary, there is no day/night cycle, only a perpetual
511:
365:
317:
204:
113:
216:
In
Gigastructural Engineering & More, a popular modification to the 4X game
600:
209:
175:
159:
152:
148:
117:
609:
311:
133:
39:
377:
374: – Structural design made of isolated members held in place by tension
353:
299:
136:' Ultraverse. The Godwheel was split between two societies, one which used
90:
70:. According to the proposal, a sufficiently large disk would have a larger
51:
32:
55:
180:
43:
256:
371:
305:
137:
535:
347:
47:
36:
101:
67:
19:
242:
356: – Hypothetical process of mining a star for resources
164:
71:
63:
59:
147:
Rak Mesba is a partial ancient alien
Alderson Disk in
478:"Megastructures – A Sign of Larger than Life Aliens?"
362: – Hypothetical artificial modification of stars
238:
475:
314: – Art project and book by Christian Waldvogel
380: – Hypothetical planetary engineering process
344: – Influencing a planet's global environments
350: – 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven
58:with a thickness of several thousand miles. The
607:
515:. New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 123–124.
332: – Huge computer powered by a star's energy
302: – Hypothetical megastructure around a star
35:, its originator) is a hypothetical artificial
368: – Star noted for unusual dimming events
320: – Measure of a civilization's evolution
452:
23:A schematic illustration of an Alderson disk
579:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
455:"Could We Build a Disk Bigger Than a Star?"
400:"Could We Build a Disk Bigger Than a Star?"
16:Hypothetical artificial solar megastructure
553:
151:, a multi-authored online science fiction
18:
500:
498:
397:
338: – Form of exploratory engineering
608:
476:Matthew S. Williams (March 10, 2019).
425:
504:
107:
495:
326: – Type of gravitational system
13:
527:This essay was first published in
14:
632:
590:
283:
269:
255:
241:
554:Radtech497 (10 December 2010).
453:Adam Hadhazy (August 4, 2014).
398:Hadhazy, Adam (5 August 2014).
562:. Orion's Arm Universe Project
547:
469:
446:
419:
391:
1:
429:Spirit Guides from the Future
385:
132:) was a prominent feature of
7:
234:
10:
637:
482:interestingengineering.com
442:– via Google Books.
207:'s science fiction novel
616:Exploratory engineering
541:Playgrounds of the Mind
86:exploratory engineering
54:. The disk is a giant
560:Encyclopedia Galactica
505:Niven, Larry (1974). "
426:Wegert, David (2014).
249:Science Fiction portal
128:An Alderson disk (the
24:
342:Planetary engineering
336:Megascale engineering
22:
534:(1974), and is also
457:. Popular Mechanics
360:Stellar engineering
140:and one which used
507:Bigger Than Worlds
277:Spaceflight portal
263:Engineering portal
197:Empress of the Sun
108:In popular culture
25:
405:Popular Mechanics
324:Klemperer rosette
228:Honkai: Star Rail
122:sword and sorcery
628:
585:
584:
578:
570:
568:
567:
551:
545:
526:
502:
493:
492:
490:
488:
473:
467:
466:
464:
462:
450:
444:
443:
432:. Author House.
423:
417:
416:
414:
412:
395:
330:Matrioshka brain
293:
291:Astronomy portal
288:
287:
286:
279:
274:
273:
272:
265:
260:
259:
251:
246:
245:
169:roleplaying game
636:
635:
631:
630:
629:
627:
626:
625:
606:
605:
593:
588:
572:
571:
565:
563:
552:
548:
523:
512:A Hole in Space
503:
496:
486:
484:
474:
470:
460:
458:
451:
447:
440:
424:
420:
410:
408:
396:
392:
388:
383:
318:Kardashev scale
289:
284:
282:
275:
270:
268:
261:
254:
247:
240:
237:
205:Terry Pratchett
114:science fiction
110:
80:The mechanical
17:
12:
11:
5:
634:
624:
623:
621:Megastructures
618:
604:
603:
592:
591:External links
589:
587:
586:
546:
521:
494:
468:
445:
439:978-1491850145
438:
418:
389:
387:
384:
382:
381:
375:
369:
363:
357:
351:
345:
339:
333:
327:
321:
315:
309:
303:
296:
295:
294:
280:
266:
252:
236:
233:
186:unknown forces
176:Charles Stross
160:West End Games
153:world-building
109:
106:
74:than its Sun.
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
633:
622:
619:
617:
614:
613:
611:
602:
598:
595:
594:
582:
576:
561:
557:
550:
543:
542:
537:
533:
531:
524:
518:
514:
513:
508:
501:
499:
483:
479:
472:
456:
449:
441:
435:
431:
430:
422:
407:
406:
401:
394:
390:
379:
376:
373:
370:
367:
364:
361:
358:
355:
352:
349:
346:
343:
340:
337:
334:
331:
328:
325:
322:
319:
316:
313:
312:Globus Cassus
310:
307:
304:
301:
298:
297:
292:
281:
278:
267:
264:
258:
253:
250:
244:
239:
232:
230:
229:
223:
221:
220:
214:
212:
211:
206:
201:
199:
198:
193:
189:
187:
183:
182:
177:
172:
170:
167:
166:
161:
156:
154:
150:
145:
143:
139:
135:
134:Malibu Comics
131:
126:
123:
119:
115:
112:In 1974, the
105:
103:
98:
94:
92:
87:
83:
78:
75:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
40:megastructure
38:
34:
31:(named after
30:
29:Alderson disk
21:
564:. Retrieved
559:
549:
539:
536:anthologised
529:
510:
485:. Retrieved
481:
471:
459:. Retrieved
448:
428:
421:
409:. Retrieved
403:
393:
378:Terraforming
366:Tabby's Star
354:Star lifting
300:Dyson sphere
226:
225:In the game
224:
217:
215:
208:
202:
195:
192:Ian McDonald
190:
179:
173:
163:
157:
146:
129:
127:
111:
99:
95:
91:Solar System
79:
76:
52:Dyson sphere
37:astronomical
33:Dan Alderson
28:
26:
601:Orion's Arm
556:"Rak Mesba"
411:23 December
181:Missile Gap
149:Orion's Arm
44:Larry Niven
610:Categories
597:Diskworlds
566:2019-06-20
522:0345240111
386:References
372:Tensegrity
306:Dyson tree
138:technology
348:Ringworld
219:Stellaris
194:'s novel
155:project.
48:Ringworld
575:cite web
532:magazine
487:April 2,
461:April 2,
235:See also
130:Godwheel
102:twilight
82:stresses
50:and the
68:Jupiter
56:platter
42:, like
530:Analog
519:
436:
210:Strata
118:gothic
142:magic
581:link
517:ISBN
489:2023
463:2023
434:ISBN
413:2016
165:Torg
72:mass
64:Mars
599:at
538:in
509:".
203:In
178:'s
174:In
120:or
66:or
60:Sun
46:'s
27:An
612::
577:}}
573:{{
558:.
497:^
480:.
402:.
188:.
162:'
93:.
583:)
569:.
544:.
525:.
491:.
465:.
415:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.