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Is intelligent life a temporary phenomenon that is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, or might it play a role in shaping the large-scale evolution of the universe?

While it has often been assumed that humans will have no real impact on the cosmos at large, some of the greatest physicists of modern times have challenged that idea. Almost a half-century ago, Freeman Dyson — one of the most influential theoretical physicists of the 20th century — wrote: “It is impossible to calculate in detail the long-range future of the universe without including the effects of life and intelligence.” The father of the field of quantum computing, David Deutsch, has also argued that life may determine the large-scale development of the cosmos. Some other big names in physics and cosmology who have seriously entertained the idea are Paul Davies, Seth Lloyd, and Lee Smolin, just to name a few.

However, our potential to spread through space, by colonizing distant planets and building space stations, is limited by the amount of energy we can harness to power such efforts. But all that might be about to change due to a breakthrough in our ability to create a potentially unlimited source of clean energy through a process known as nuclear fusion. This breakthrough, which was officially announced today by the U.S. secretary of energy Jennifer Granholm, was achieved by scientists working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Nuclear fusion combines atomic nuclei to release massive amounts of energy, and it is the process that naturally occurs inside stars. It is essentially the opposite of nuclear fission, the process used in most nuclear power plants today, which splits atomic nuclei to produce energy. The major difference is that fusion does not produce harmful radioactive waste and is virtually unlimited in supply. Scientists and engineers have been working on harnessing this process for many decades but with little success, so this new advancement is a big deal, to put it lightly.

Arthur Turrell, a plasma physicist at Imperial College London, told the Financial Times, “If this is confirmed, we are witnessing a moment of history. Scientists have struggled to show that fusion can release more energy than is put in since the 1950s, and the researchers at Lawrence Livermore seem to have finally and absolutely smashed this decades-old goal.”

One of the biggest challenges in space exploration is the amount of energy required to power long-term missions and establish human settlements on other planets. Solar panels, the most common method of generating electricity in space, are limited in their efficiency and depend on consistent sunlight. Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, could provide a constant and reliable source of energy for deep space missions and off-planet colonies.

One of the key benefits of fusion is its ability to produce energy without emitting greenhouse gases or other pollutants. This would make it an ideal source of power for human settlements on other planets, where the environment is fragile and cannot support traditional forms of energy production. In addition, the abundance of hydrogen in the universe makes it a readily available fuel for fusion reactions, ensuring that settlements could rely on this energy source for the long term.

Another advantage of fusion is its potential for propelling spacecraft. The high temperatures and energetic particles produced by fusion reactions could be used to generate thrust, allowing for faster and more efficient travel through space. This could potentially revolutionize space travel, enabling humans to explore and settle further into the depths of the galaxy.

Of course, realizing the full potential of fusion technology will require significant research and development. In the short term, this will likely involve the creation of small-scale fusion reactors that can be tested and refined. In the long term, it may involve the construction of larger reactors that can provide the energy needs of entire space settlements.

Despite the challenges, the potential rewards of harnessing fusion for space exploration are enormous. Not only could it provide a nearly limitless source of clean energy, but it could also enable humans to venture further into the universe and establish sustainable colonies on other planets. As research and development continue, the possibilities for fusion in space exploration will only continue to grow.

What would be the ultimate outcome of intelligent life spreading through space? Well, the answer to that gets pretty trippy, because the realm of science fiction starts to become a real possibility. Ray Kurzweil, Google’s Director of Engineering who holds 21 honorary doctorates and honors from three U.S. presidents, believes that our descendants will eventually spread throughout the universe and create an interconnected network of intelligent beings. This grand network, which would itself be something like an intelligent system, will continue to expand until it encompasses the entire cosmos, at which point the universe itself will "wake up" and become conscious. According to Kurzweil, this process will be driven by the exponential growth of technology, which will enable intelligent beings to continually improve themselves and spread outward. As a result, there will be a fundamental change in the nature of reality itself. Below is a depiction of this cosmic process taken from Kurzweil’s best-selling book The Singularity is Near.

I describe this potential future in detail in my new bookThe Romance of Reality: How the Universe Organizes Itself to Create Life, Consciousness, and Cosmic Complexity. If you find the idea that life has cosmic significance intriguing and inspiring, subscribe to the Road to Omega Substack blog and newsletter, which explores the philosophical and practical implications of this big idea.

Bobby Azarian is a cognitive neuroscientist, a science journalist, and an author. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyAzarian.

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