Eventually, every stellar civilization will have to migrate to a different star. The habitable zone around all stars changes as they age. If long-lived technological civilizations are even plausible in our Universe, migration will be necessary, eventually. Could Extraterrestrial Intelligences (ETIs) use stars themselves as stellar engines in their migrations? In broad terms, a stellar engine uses a star to generate work. A simple example is solar panels, which use the Sun’s radiation to generate electricity that we use to perform work. But the scaled-up idea is to use the star to produce thrust. That thrust could be used to move the star itself. An ETI capable of doing that would be a Type II civilization on the Kardashev Scale. To most of us, it seems like a wildly improbable idea. But who knows what’s out there? If an ETI can survive long enough, it may become a Type II civ. The stellar engine idea dates back to science fiction author Olaf Stapledon. A couple of decades after Stapledon, astronomer Fritz Zwicky also discussed manipulating stars with advanced technology, even turning them into spacecraft. In the decades since, the idea has persisted, and other researchers have delved into it. In 1988, Leonid Shakdov developed the first detailed stellar engine model called the Shakdov Thruster. In new research, Clement Vidal, from Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, Belgium, examines how an advanced civilization could use a binary star as a stellar engine. The paper is titled “The Spider Stellar Engine: a Fully Steerable Extraterrestrial Design?” “Since about half the stars in our galaxy are in binary systems where life might develop too, we introduce a model of a binary stellar engine,” Vidal writes. “We apply the model to candidate systems, spider pulsars, which are binary stars composed of one millisecond pulsar and a very low-mass companion star that is heavily irradiated by the pulsar wind.” Vidal is concerned with stellar engine technosignatures. Research has focused on hypervelocity stars as potential stellar engine technosignatures because they’re easily observable. Other researchers have also proposed other stellar engine concepts, but according to Vidal, they’re “poorly linked to observable technosignatures. ” Vidal’s main goal in this work is to determine what types of technosignatures a binary stellar engine would emit. He discusses what potential signatures might be emitted by acceleration, deceleration, steering, and maneuvers such as gravitational assists or captures. However, unlike some other researchers, he focuses on a specific type of binary system: spider pulsars, which are a subclass of binary millisecond pulsars. Pulsars are what remains of some massive stars. At the end of their lives, some massive stars collapse to form neutron stars. When these neutron stars spin rapidly, they produce beams of radiation from their poles. If the radiation is aimed at Earth, then we can observe the pulses of energy. These pulses have exquisitely precise timing, and astronomers use them to determine cosmic distances. A spider pulsar is a pulsar with a companion, usually a red dwarf, a brown dwarf, or even a planetary-mass object. They’re called spider pulsars because it’s as if the pulsar spins a web of powerful beams of radiation that strips away the companion’s mass, eventually destroying it. Artist’s impression of a so-called “Black Widow” pulsar PSR B1957+20 (seen in the background) through the cloud of gas enveloping its brown dwarf star companion. Credit: Dr. Mark A. Garlick; Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto Vidal’s paper describes the payload as a pulsar with about 1.8 solar masses and the propellant as its low-mass companion star with between 0.01 and 0.7 solar masses. In essence, the gravitationally bound binary system is the vehicle, and the smaller companion star is the propellant. The spider pulsar generates thrust by expelling propellant out of the gravitational system, and the propellant is the matter stripped from the companion. The binary pair orbits a common center of gravity. The idea behind this binary stellar engine (BSE) is that as they orbit, the pulsar’s radiation strikes the companion or propellant star. A close binary is more effective because the closer the pulsar is to the propellant, the more thrust is generated. The assumption is that a Type II civilization would have the technology to moderate this thrust to serve their purposes by timing the radiation and heating the outer layers of the propellant star with X-ray or gamma radiation. To decelerate, the BSE would produce active thrust in the opposite direction of travel. It could also use a passive magnetic sail deployed from the pulsar to transfer momentum to the interstellar medium. The BSE steers by selectively evaporating the star during different orbital phases. “To choose a direction, it suffices to evaporate the companion star once per orbit, at a specific orbital phase, in order to create consistent thrust in one direction,” Vidal explains. The top panels show the BSE in different configurations, with the top being the direction of travel. (a) The BSE is in acceleration mode. (b) the BSE is steering to the left. (c) the BSE is decelerating. (d) is a side view that shows changes in the orbital plane by asymmetric heating of the companion, which creates a liftingforce in relation to the orbital plane. The binary separation is not to scale. Image Credit: Vidal et al. 2024. These various maneuvers and manipulations with the BSE would emit technosignatures. Have astronomers observed any candidate BSEs in the Milky Way? Possibly. “Could our galaxy host a kind of fully steerable binary stellar engine that we proposed? This is a plausible hypothesis in the context of the stellivore hypothesis, which reinterprets some observed accreting binary stars as advanced civilizations feeding on stars,” Vidal writes. A stellivore is a hypothesized type of civilization first proposed by Vidal that has the technology to consume its home star via accretion. They use the star’s energy to sustain their existence. Vidal writes that rather than consume the energy, they could use it to migrate to a more favourable location in the galaxy. “For most of its time, a stellivore civilization would eat its home star via accretion. However, energy is never eternal, and instead of eating its star until the end and dying, a stellivore civilization would use its low-mass companion star as fuel not to be accreted but to be evaporated in order to create thrust and travel towards a nearby star,” Vidal explains. This brings us to spider pulsars. Rather than accreting material, a spider pulsar appears to be evaporating its propellant companion. There are two types of spider pulsars: Black Widows and Redblacks. The distinction is in the mass of the companion. In a black widow (BW), the companion is less than 0.1 stellar masses. In a redblack, the companion is between 0.1 and 0.7 stellar masses. Spider pulsars are different from other pulsar binaries because they evaporate their companions rather than accrete them. When pulsars accrete too much material, they can form black holes. Spider pulsars don’t tempt the same fate. Vidal calls these spider stellar engines (SSEs) rather than binary stellar engines (BSEs). The panels in this figure show PSR J1959+2048, the original Black Widow pulsar. Left: the BW pulsar (in blue) is plotted in the RA-DEC plane, and its proper motion vector is displayed until it reaches a close encounter with a target star, in orange. Middle: a Chandra X-ray view of the BW pulsar, displaying a comet-like tail; the candidate target star is also visible in the bottom right (visualization with ESASky). Right: The composite image on the right shows the X-ray tail (in red/white) and a bow shock visible in the optical (green). Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/ASTRON/B. Stappers et al.; Optical: AAO/J.Bland-Hawthorn & H. Jones. Previous researchers have studied the original BW, and Vidal writes, “… the 3D motion of the system appears to be nearly aligned with the spin axis of the MSP.” This fits in with the SSE interpretation because this perfect alignment is necessary to produce maximum thrust. A stellivore civilization would have a destination in mind, and Vidal says that he’s found a potential destination for the original Black Widow pulsar. He says that the pulsar will reach this target star in about 420 years while also acknowledging the uncertainty in this determination. PSR J1959+2048, the original BW, also modulates itself, which could be interpreted as steering. However, it also displays other characteristics and moderation that call into question the ‘steering’ interpretation. Ultimately, Vidal’s SSE may have a shorter duty cycle than other proposed stellar engines, limiting its usefulness. However, it has advantages in steering over others. “Transposing it on a smaller scale, it might also be an inspirational design for advanced propulsion solutions, or for planetary defence purposes suchas deflecting asteroids,” Vidal writes. The idea may seem preposterous to some, but that’s incidental. Many ideas in history seemed preposterous until they weren’t. Vidal isn’t claiming that we’re seeing the technosignatures of stellar engines. He’s arguing that it’s worth pursuing the idea of observing them. He sees these candidates and predictions of what their signals might look like as clues and as starting points for further investigation. “Spider pulsars thus offer observable stellar engine technosignature candidates, with decades of data, active studies that discover, model and monitor these dazzling systems,” he concludes. The post A Spider Stellar Engine Could Move Binary Stars Halfway Across a Galaxy appeared first on Universe Today.

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I put my parents through existential hell when I was a kid.Even at just 7 or 8 years old, I didn't see the point in anything, and it left me defeated. What, I just go to school, come home, do homework, go to bed, and then get up and do it all over again? What are even doing here?!It must have frustrated them to no end. Looking back, of course they didn't have the answers! None of us do! It couldn't have been easy trying to explain that to a child who just wouldn't let it go.A recent Reddit thread on r/Daddit made me realize I wasn't the only kid who had these big, philosophical thoughts.A dad posted: "I was putting my 7 y.o to bed when he asked if it's weekend tomorrow. I said yes, then he asked 'and then it's school again?', then painstakingly said 'and then we do it all over again'. My boy has just realised what life is."Dozens of other parents chimed in on the thread to share that their kids, too, had at some point become aware of the drudgery of daily life."On the school run earlier this week my son realised he'll have to work one day like mummy and daddy. Shortly followed by the words 'and then I'll be tired'", wrote one."My 8yo daughter asked me what the point of life is if all we do is slave away to pay taxes," said another.And here's a brutal one for you:"When my daughter was four she stood on the 10th step of our staircase and decided it was time for her to take her first flight. I told her that was not gonna happen and she was about to really hurt herself. She asked what age she'd finally be ready to fly. I told her never. People don't fly. She teared up and asked 'what's the point of life then??'."When kids start questioning life, existence, and the universe, it's called Existential Intelligence. Believe it or not, it's a good thing. NASA/UnsplashExistential Intelligence refers to an ability to see the big picture.So often we're focused on more tangible skills like math, reading comprehension, language skills and memorization in kids.But some kids just seem to have a knack for seeing the whole forest, so to speak. And that can lead them to ask big questions. According to MentalUp, common questions from kids who excel in this kind of thinking are:Where did we come from?Where do you go when you die?Why are there numbers?What are our lives for? / Why are we here?That's just the kind of topic every parent loves to discuss right before bedtime!(If you've ever had to explain the concept of death to your kids, you know it's not a whole lot of fun.)Even though it might be frustrating to be put on the spot with questions you can't answer as a parent, Existential intelligence in kids is a good sign. It means they're curious, empathetic, and want to know they 'why' behind what they do and what they're asked to do. They're good at connecting skills they're learning in school to the real world (and they might struggle if they can't figure out why they'll ever need to know the names of all the generals in the Revolutionary War).These kids may make great leaders, great communicators, and talented artists as they become older.But in the meantime...How to handle your kids' big questions about life and the universe NASA Hubble Space Telescope/UnsplashI asked Dr. Ryan Sultan, a child board-certified psychiatrist and professor at Columbia University, for some tips on how parents can handle kids with high Existential Intelligence.What do you do if they get really bummed out about the disappointing realities of life? How do you explain the meaning of existence to them when you haven't figured it out for yourself yet?"[Existential intelligence] can be a beautiful quality in kids, but it can also bring challenges—especially when they start to feel a sense of futility in everyday routines or even feel disheartened by the seemingly endless cycle of school, homework, and activities," he says.Step one is to validate their feelings, and avoid dismissing or trying to distract them. "Many kids, particularly those who think deeply, go through phases where they wonder if life is just a series of monotonous routines. Let them know that adults also grapple with these questions—and that it’s okay to feel uncertain or even bummed out by it."Next, instead of giving them the answers you don't have, try asking questions. "Encourage them to explore what these feelings mean to them. Ask questions like, 'What do you think would make life more interesting or meaningful?' or 'What are the things you enjoy that make you feel alive or excited?'"Help them understand that these are questions they'll be asking themselves their whole lives. It's not so much about having the answer right away, but seeing life as a lifelong journey of learning and curiosity.Help them find meaning in art, nature, community, or spirituality."For some children, creative outlets like art, music, writing, or even spending time in nature can be powerful ways to explore and express these feelings," Dr. Sultan says. "Others might find meaning through spiritual practices, like meditation or mindfulness, which can help them feel more connected to the present and less burdened by the future."Helping them give back by getting involved in the community or with a charity can make a big difference too. And if you can model the ways in which you find meaning amidst the daily drudgery, that's even better!It's a good thing when your kids ask these kinds of questions, even though they're hard (or impossible) to answer. It means your children are empathetic, curious, and want to know more about how the world works. The most important thing is not to reframe everything positively and try to "cheer them" out of it if these philosophical quandaries put them in a funk. It's OK to get a little down because you're not sure what the greater purpose is — we've all been there. That just means they're human. Encourage them to get a little more comfortable with the not knowing, and to never lose that sense of curiosity.

Makeup is an incredibly fun form of self-expression. At the same time, it’s deeply enmeshed with the problematic beauty standards that rob women of their self-worth. Many grown women have a rather complicated relationship with it, so it’s no wonder that they might have a hard time knowing exactly how to have a conversation about it with their own daughters. But one mom has a pretty awesome solution for teaching her child about makeup in a healthy way, and it all comes down to a simple word switch. In a video posted to her TikTok, Maggie Katz has a pretty adorable exchange with her daughter in front of the bathroom mirror as they put on makeup together. As they do, Katz tells her daughter “You look so fancy.”Note the word “pretty” is not mentioned here. Katz continues, “And why do we do makeup? Because it’s fun and we get to look fancy. But are we pretty no matter what,” to which her daughter enthusiastically agrees. And that’s it—that’s the entire video. But it’s so easy to see what a profound mindset shift this language tweak makes. Imagine if all of us had been taught to view makeup as something that merely adorns or elaborate on what’s already there, rather than fixing unlovable flaws. @maggiekatz The words we hear growing up have an impact :heart: #makeup #momsoftiktok #raisingdaughters #fancy ♬ original sound - Maggie Katz “I needed this as a kid,” one person shared. Another wrote, “This lady on here fixing all the little people inside of us.”So many people chimed in to praise Katz’s idea, saying that they would be following her lead. “THANK YOU!,” one person wrote. “I put on makeup occasionally for super special events and I’ve struggled with how to explain it besides saying it’s fun to be artistic sometimes. I’ll be using this.” Another echoed, "I will be teaching my daughters this way now.” Others shared how they too have incorporated different phrases like “glamorous” or “fun” rather than “pretty” when teaching their daughters about makeup—or just thinking about it for themselves. And for what it’s worth, Katz believes in boys feeling fancy with makeup, too. In a comment she wrote, “I have a son too (he's a few years older) and it definitely works with him too. I've worked to remind him that we can all find beauty everywhere we look and that everyone is special in their own way.”The conversation struck up by Katz’s video is just one way our collective mindset towards makeup has seemed to shift for the better. Yes, we hear tales of Sephora kids being prematurely fixated on anti-aging, but maybe that’s only one part of the picture. After all, we also see celebrities going more bare faced, as well as more people advocating to do away with overly photoshopped ads for beauty products. Speaking of ads—it’s interesting to note that for years makeup was sold to women as something they needed in order to feel beautiful/worthy/acceptable/etc. But then Gen Z came into the scene, with their fun eyeliner shapes and crazy color combinations just for the hell of it, and now makeup has become more of an art form than a clutch. And makeup sales are more booming than ever. Companies take note: you don’t have to disempower people to push products. Just saying. Whether you’re a bona fide glambot or prefer to save the eyeliner for special occasions, may this be a reminder to you (and any little ones you’re trying to uplift) that you’re perfect exactly as you are.