Paul Gilster
@gilster.bsky.social
Writer/editor Centauri Dreams
Machine intelligence will guide our first interstellar missions. Putting non-biological 'crews' on journeys of this magnitude is inevitable, but it challenges us to revise our values and adjust our moral philosophy. Thoughts on why this is necessary. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/11/05/b...
Building an Interstellar Philosophy | Centauri Dreams
www.centauri-dreams.org
November 5, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Machine intelligence will guide our first interstellar missions. Putting non-biological 'crews' on journeys of this magnitude is inevitable, but it challenges us to revise our values and adjust our moral philosophy. Thoughts on why this is necessary. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/11/05/b...
Will we ever study a black hole up close with a spacecraft? Some musings on how it might be done as we learn to locate solar-mass BHs within tens of light years. Interesting paper points out science opportunities. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/23/i...
Interstellar Mission to a Black Hole | Centauri Dreams
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October 23, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Will we ever study a black hole up close with a spacecraft? Some musings on how it might be done as we learn to locate solar-mass BHs within tens of light years. Interesting paper points out science opportunities. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/23/i...
Teegarden's Star has a planet that might be habitable, but only if we make key assumptions. I look at recent work on what those assumptions are, and how much we still don't know about the 'habitability' question. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/18/t...
Teegarden’s Star b: A Habitable Red Dwarf Planet? | Centauri Dreams
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October 18, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Teegarden's Star has a planet that might be habitable, but only if we make key assumptions. I look at recent work on what those assumptions are, and how much we still don't know about the 'habitability' question. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/18/t...
On that dark 'object' that may help refine dark matter models in the early universe. If indeed it is dark matter and not an ancient inactive dwarf galaxy. Striking detection via gravitational lensing pushed to its limits. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/14/a...
A Dark Object or ‘Dark Matter’? | Centauri Dreams
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October 14, 2025 at 5:32 PM
On that dark 'object' that may help refine dark matter models in the early universe. If indeed it is dark matter and not an ancient inactive dwarf galaxy. Striking detection via gravitational lensing pushed to its limits. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/14/a...
Something no other propulsion system can do: Non-Keplerian orbits, essentially hovering over a target. Space weather mission concept illustrates the possibilities. Will we be smart enough to fund it? www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/09/s...
Solar Sails for Space Weather | Centauri Dreams
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October 9, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Something no other propulsion system can do: Non-Keplerian orbits, essentially hovering over a target. Space weather mission concept illustrates the possibilities. Will we be smart enough to fund it? www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/09/s...
Rogue planets move through interstellar space with no star to warm them. We've assumed they've been ejected from a parent star system, but now it appears some form in same way stars do. A fascinating example discussed in new paper. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/02/r...
Rogue Planets: A Stellar Infancy? | Centauri Dreams
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October 2, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Rogue planets move through interstellar space with no star to warm them. We've assumed they've been ejected from a parent star system, but now it appears some form in same way stars do. A fascinating example discussed in new paper. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/10/02/r...
If the Wow! Signal was result of power beaming accidentally sweeping across our sky from another star system, why would it be so narrow in bandwidth? James Benford offers an explanation that shows how physics forces the issue. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/09/22/b...
Beaming and Bandwidth: A New Note on the Wow! Signal | Centauri Dreams
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September 22, 2025 at 2:23 PM
If the Wow! Signal was result of power beaming accidentally sweeping across our sky from another star system, why would it be so narrow in bandwidth? James Benford offers an explanation that shows how physics forces the issue. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/09/22/b...
A new look at old data from Ohio's Big Ear, where the famous Wow! signal was recorded. Plus thoughts on a recent work that analyses the factors that make a technological civilization possible. How likely is it that we are alone? www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/09/15/s...
SETI Odds and Ends | Centauri Dreams
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September 15, 2025 at 2:41 PM
A new look at old data from Ohio's Big Ear, where the famous Wow! signal was recorded. Plus thoughts on a recent work that analyses the factors that make a technological civilization possible. How likely is it that we are alone? www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/09/15/s...
Life on Ceres? Almost certainly not now, but go back a few billion years ago and conditions in the asteroid's sub-surface ocean could have supported micro-organisms. New study makes us wonder about other outer system objects. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/09/03/a...
Ancient Life on Ceres? | Centauri Dreams
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September 5, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Life on Ceres? Almost certainly not now, but go back a few billion years ago and conditions in the asteroid's sub-surface ocean could have supported micro-organisms. New study makes us wonder about other outer system objects. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/09/03/a...
Keith Cooper's new book Amazing Worlds looks at the interplay of science fiction and exoplanet research. It's a crisp, well-informed survey rich in SF both classic and new, mingling with latest exoplanet data. My review is available here. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/29/a...
Amazing Worlds: A Review | Centauri Dreams
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September 1, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Keith Cooper's new book Amazing Worlds looks at the interplay of science fiction and exoplanet research. It's a crisp, well-informed survey rich in SF both classic and new, mingling with latest exoplanet data. My review is available here. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/29/a...
Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Italian physicist Claudio Maccone, a good friend and a leading figure in interstellar studies. I post some recollections about this fine man today on Centauri Dreams. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/22/c...
Claudio Maccone (1948-2025) | Centauri Dreams
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August 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Italian physicist Claudio Maccone, a good friend and a leading figure in interstellar studies. I post some recollections about this fine man today on Centauri Dreams. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/22/c...
Further thoughts on generation ships, including an obvious one. Will we insist on carrying humans to other stars, or are we more likely to send intelligent machines? www.centauri-dreams.org/2016/03/25/t...
Thirteen to Centaurus | Centauri Dreams
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August 15, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Further thoughts on generation ships, including an obvious one. Will we insist on carrying humans to other stars, or are we more likely to send intelligent machines? www.centauri-dreams.org/2016/03/25/t...
Project Hyperion generation ship design contest produced a solid result in 'Chrysalis,' a richly detailed study of how a ship like this could be constructed. Key problems: As always, propulsion, & especially closed loop life support. That last one is huge. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/12/c...
Chrysalis: Designing a Generation Ship | Centauri Dreams
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August 12, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Project Hyperion generation ship design contest produced a solid result in 'Chrysalis,' a richly detailed study of how a ship like this could be constructed. Key problems: As always, propulsion, & especially closed loop life support. That last one is huge. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/12/c...
A Saturn mass gas giant may be orbiting Alpha Centauri A, based on solid JWST infrared results and exhaustive simulations of its orbit. It's still a candidate rather than a confirmed world, but follow-up work will tell us soon. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/08/a...
A Candidate Gas Giant at Alpha Centauri A | Centauri Dreams
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August 8, 2025 at 2:05 PM
A Saturn mass gas giant may be orbiting Alpha Centauri A, based on solid JWST infrared results and exhaustive simulations of its orbit. It's still a candidate rather than a confirmed world, but follow-up work will tell us soon. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/08/a...
David Kipping's Torqued Accelerator using Radiation from the Sun) concept gets a touch up by Alex Tolley, who asks whether there are ways to extract even more performance from a rotating system capable of exiting the Solar System. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/05/a...
A Rotating Probe Launcher Alternative to TARS | Centauri Dreams
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August 5, 2025 at 2:46 PM
David Kipping's Torqued Accelerator using Radiation from the Sun) concept gets a touch up by Alex Tolley, who asks whether there are ways to extract even more performance from a rotating system capable of exiting the Solar System. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/05/a...
Fresh thinking on the interstellar conundrum. David Kipping's TARS offers fast transit in-system and interstellar options as well. Key benefit is flexibility, capability of swarm missions, and very low cost. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/01/a...
A Space Catapult with Interstellar Potential | Centauri Dreams
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August 1, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Fresh thinking on the interstellar conundrum. David Kipping's TARS offers fast transit in-system and interstellar options as well. Key benefit is flexibility, capability of swarm missions, and very low cost. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/08/01/a...
SETI at the extremes. I look at science fictional treatments of life in high-energy environments like neutron stars. The SETI community is now beginning to consider possible technosignatures from places we've always ignored. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/22/s...
SETI at the Extremes | Centauri Dreams
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July 22, 2025 at 5:17 PM
SETI at the extremes. I look at science fictional treatments of life in high-energy environments like neutron stars. The SETI community is now beginning to consider possible technosignatures from places we've always ignored. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/22/s...
A just released image from Gemini North shows interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, a cometary coma (gas & dust) still fairly compact but sure to grow larger as perihelion approaches in October. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/16/a...
A Better Look at 3I/ATLAS | Centauri Dreams
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July 16, 2025 at 5:44 PM
A just released image from Gemini North shows interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, a cometary coma (gas & dust) still fairly compact but sure to grow larger as perihelion approaches in October. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/16/a...
Interstellar navigation will need to be autonomous as we go farther & farther from Earth. New Horizons just demonstrated use of parallax by taking images of Proxima Cen & Wolf 359, & determining position from the result. Longest baseline ever used. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/15/a...
A New Horizons First for Interstellar Navigation | Centauri Dreams
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July 15, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Interstellar navigation will need to be autonomous as we go farther & farther from Earth. New Horizons just demonstrated use of parallax by taking images of Proxima Cen & Wolf 359, & determining position from the result. Longest baseline ever used. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/15/a...
3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object we've identified. Almost surely a comet, it's moving toward perihelion in October, and is already active as its surface warms. We'll learn a great deal more about it as this process intensifies. Thoughts on ISO's: www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/10/3...
3I/ATLAS: Observing and Modeling an Interstellar Newcomer | Centauri Dreams
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July 10, 2025 at 6:50 PM
3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object we've identified. Almost surely a comet, it's moving toward perihelion in October, and is already active as its surface warms. We'll learn a great deal more about it as this process intensifies. Thoughts on ISO's: www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/10/3...
Defining habitability is a must if we are to prioritize targets for next generation telescopes. A quantitative approach appears in a recent paper, though it doesn't necessarily cover all the bases. Alex Tolley takes a look at these ideas in today's post. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/07/n...
New Model to Prioritize the Search for Exoplanet Life | Centauri Dreams
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July 7, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Defining habitability is a must if we are to prioritize targets for next generation telescopes. A quantitative approach appears in a recent paper, though it doesn't necessarily cover all the bases. Alex Tolley takes a look at these ideas in today's post. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/07/n...
Using a direct fusion drive as being designed at Princeton for a Sedna orbiter. Interesting conceptual analysis & feasibility study, contrasting this option with a solar sail using desorption, blowing off embedded elements at perihelion. Hint: sail is faster. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/01/a...
A Sedna Orbiter via Nuclear Propulsion | Centauri Dreams
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July 1, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Using a direct fusion drive as being designed at Princeton for a Sedna orbiter. Interesting conceptual analysis & feasibility study, contrasting this option with a solar sail using desorption, blowing off embedded elements at perihelion. Hint: sail is faster. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/07/01/a...
Looking at a Saturn class world in formation around the star TWA 7. This is a JWST catch & not yet confirmed, but evidence is strongly supportive of a planet here, the smallest yet found via direct imaging. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/06/27/j...
JWST Catch: Directly Imaged Planet Candidate | Centauri Dreams
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June 27, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Looking at a Saturn class world in formation around the star TWA 7. This is a JWST catch & not yet confirmed, but evidence is strongly supportive of a planet here, the smallest yet found via direct imaging. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/06/27/j...
John Coltrane's Sun Ship album inspires musings on interstellar flight as imagined by the ancients and now explored by aerospace engineers. Starflight inspires imaginative leaps even as current missions like the Parker probe push what we can do today. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/06/25/i...
Interstellar Flight: Perspectives and Patience | Centauri Dreams
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June 25, 2025 at 12:32 PM
John Coltrane's Sun Ship album inspires musings on interstellar flight as imagined by the ancients and now explored by aerospace engineers. Starflight inspires imaginative leaps even as current missions like the Parker probe push what we can do today. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/06/25/i...
Propulsion via nuclear decay may be workable through new design from Jim Bickford, now entering Phase II at NASA NIAC. Delta-v up to 150 km/sec feasible in these calculations, in a maneuverable & very scalable design. Gravity lens possibilities. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/06/20/t...
TFINER: Ramping Up Propulsion via Nuclear Decay | Centauri Dreams
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June 20, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Propulsion via nuclear decay may be workable through new design from Jim Bickford, now entering Phase II at NASA NIAC. Delta-v up to 150 km/sec feasible in these calculations, in a maneuverable & very scalable design. Gravity lens possibilities. www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/06/20/t...