The Megastructure Compendium

Sign up for a Curiosity Stream subscription and also get a free Nebula subscription (the streaming platform built by creators) here: In the future humanity may build enormous structures, feats of mega-engineering that may rival planets or even be of greater scope. This episode catalogs roughly 100 major types of Megastructure, from those that are cities in space to those that rival galaxies. Visit our Website: Support us on Patreon: Support us on Subscribestar: Facebook Group: Reddit: Twitter: on Twitter and RT our future content. SFIA Discord Server: Listen or Download the audio of this episode from Soundcloud: Episode’s Audio-only version: Episode’s Narration-only version: ▬ Megastructure Index ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 0:00 - Intro 03:23 - Active Support 04:30 - Alderson Disc 08:30 - Arcology Megatower 09:48 - Arkship 10:49 - Artificial Sun 11:49 - Asteroid Colonies 13:02 - Atlas Pillars 14:19 - Banks Orbital 16:29 - Bernal Sphere 17:34 - Birch Planet 20:48 - Bishop Ring 22:55 - Black Hole Gravity Generator 23:54 - Black Hole Power Generator 25:40 - Bubble Hab 26:36 - Buckyhabs 28:12 - BWC Megastructures 29:08 - Caplan Thruster 29:46 - Carbon Nanotubes 30:31 - Chainworlds 31:07 - Chandelier Cities 31:45 - Clarketech 32:30 - Cube Worlds 33:24 - Cylinder Habitat 36:09 - Dark Sky Station 36:37 - Disc Worlds & Flat Earths 38:01 - Dyson Spheres 40:04 - Dyson Spike 40:45 - Dyson Swarm 42:14 - Ecumenopolis 42:44 - Edersphere/Ederworld 43:52 - Fusion Candle 44:29 - Graphene 44:49 - Grav Plating 45:20 - Hammer Hab 45:48 - Helios Drive 46:43 - Hoop World or Donut World 47:27 - Hydroshell 48:13 - Interstellar Black Hole Highway 48:48 - Interstellar Laser Highway 50:06 - Jenkins Swarm 50:27 - Kalpana 1 51:28 - Kipping Terrascope 52:08 - Lagite 52:57 - Lofstrom Loop 53:52 - Magmatter 54:50 - Matrioshka Brain 56:45 - Matrioshka Shellworld 57:53 - McKendree Cylinder 58:36 - Megatelescope Arrays 59:25 - Mini Earth 1:00:30 - Mushroom Habitat 1:01:26 - Neptunian Chainsaw 1:01:55 - Nicoll-Dyson Beam 1:02:52 - Nova Drive 1:03:16 - O’Neill Cylinder 1:03:57 - Orbital Plates 1:04:42 - Orbital Ring 1:07:22 - Paperclip Maximizer & Grey Goo 1:08:26 - Parabolic Habitat 1:10:08 - Planet Brain / Jupiter Brain 1:10:35 - Planet Ships 1:11:25 - Planet Swarm 1:12:21 - Planetary Cycler/Aldrin Cycler 1:13:10 - Power Beamers 1:13:55 - Quasar drive 1:15:25 - Quasite 1:16:00 - Red Globular Cluster 1:17:14 - Relativistic Kill Missile 1:17:55 - Ribbon Worlds 1:19:12 - Ring Habitat 1:20:06 - Ringworld 1:21:36 - Rotacity or Bowl Hab 1:22:19 - Rungworld 1:23:25 - Shell World 1:24:53 - Shkadov Thrusters 1:25:37 - Sky Cities & Cloud Cities 1:26:38 - Skyhooks 1:27:24 - Smoke Ring 1:28:26 - Solar Mirrors 1:29:21 - Solar Shades 1:30:29 - Sombrero Planet 1:30:51 - Space Elevetors 1:32:18 - Space Farms 1:33:27 - Spin Gravity 1:34:05 - Space Towers 1:34:50 - Stanford Torus 1:35:45 - Starlifting 1:36:55 - Statite 1:38:31 - Stellar Pinwheel 1:39:00 - Stellaser 1:40:34 - Suntower 1:41:51 - Supramundane Worlds 1:42:57 - Terran Ring 1:43:58 - Topopolis 1:45:07 - Unobtainium 1:45:35 - Valley House 1:45:55 - World House 1:46:26 - Wormhole 1:53:00 - Credits Credits: The Megastructure Compendium Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur Episode 346, June 9, 2022 Written & Produced by Isaac Arthur Narrated by Isaac Arthur & Sarah Fowler Arthur Editors: David McFarlane Graeme Kilshaw Sarah Fowler Arthur Sig’unnr’s Deluge Cover Art: Jakub Grygier Graphics: Bryan Versteeg Fishy Tree Jarred Eagley Jeremy Jozwik Justin Dixon Katie Byrne Ken York Ken York of YD Visual Mafic Studios Mike Munt (Apogii) Rapid Thrash Sergio Botero Eagley Stephen Huck Steve Bowers Udo Schroeter Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound