Dyson tree

Hypothetical genetically-engineered plant capable of growing inside a comet From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dyson tree

A Dyson tree is a hypothetical genetically engineered plant (perhaps resembling a tree) capable of growing inside a comet, suggested by the physicist Freeman Dyson.[1][2][3] Plants may be able to produce a breathable atmosphere within the hollow spaces of the comet (or maybe even within the plants themselves), utilising solar energy for photosynthesis and cometary materials for nutrients, thus providing self-sustaining habitats for humanity in the outer solar system analogous to a greenhouse in space, a shell grown by a mollusc or the actions of thermogenic plants, such as the skunk cabbage or the voodoo lily.[4]

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Freeman Dyson in 2005

A Dyson tree might consist of a few main trunk structures growing out from a comet nucleus, branching into limbs and foliage that intertwine, forming a spherical structure possibly dozens of kilometers across.

Dyson trees in science fiction

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Dyson trees are mentioned a number of times in science fiction, beginning in the 1980s:

See also

  • Bioship – Type of fictional spacecraft or starship made of biological elements
  • Dyson sphere – Hypothetical megastructure around a star
  • The Integral Trees – 1984 science fiction novel by Larry Niven

References

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