[ExI] Gaian Bottleneck

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2016-01-24 06:48, Stuart LaForge wrote:
> The extent of the of the dip has been measured to be about .193 magnitude over the observed span.
>
> Thoughts? Anders?

Confusion. I originally argued that the star is unlikely to be a Dyson 
because of the rapid construction (or decay); the chance of seeing that 
moment in history is small:
http://aleph.se/andart2/space/likely-not-even-a-microdyson/
So I was happy with the comet hypothesis. But the dimming doesn't fit at 
all, so it has to be something stranger.

Meanwhile Phil Plait claimed the dimming was too *fast* to be Dyson 
construction, and I felt obliged to calculate some limits on Dyson 
construction:
http://aleph.se/andart2/space/what-is-the-natural-timescale-for-making-a-dyson-shell/

So what do I think it is? I suspect it is natural, but perhaps a rare 
phenomenon. Maybe there is a small and dense cloud of interstellar dust 
drifting past?


-- 
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University