this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2024
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Space is big enough that even if we tried to “pollute” it we could not. We would need Von Neumann self replicating probes to even stand a chance. But even then if we are talking intergalactic we wouldn’t register.
Yes, and a few broken down satellites in the ocean is but a mere drop in the bucket. Being irresponsible is irresponsible, no matter how you try to excuse it.
A drop in the bucket isn’t event close to a good understanding of how big space is. A satellite in the ocean is grossly misleading when it comes to the scope of space.
Maybe a single O2 molecule in the ocean might be closer but even then that’s not even close to the scope of space.
Space is big. So big that the light cone of our “pollution” can’t physically interact with most of it even if we did our best to “pollute” as much as we can and some alien species did their best to find that “pollution”. Space is so big that physics dictate the impossibility of our “pollution” interacting with most of space.
Fun fact this is why the chance of aliens visiting us here on earth is basically 0.
You can’t use earth scale thinking, that’s how big space is.
This all being said we should do our best to not pollute the earth. We should use earth scale thinking when it comes to earth.
There's about 4.6*10^46 molecules in the ocean. There are about 8.5*10^47 cubic meters in a cubic light-year
Surprisingly close orders of magnitude
For reference, the closest next star system is 4.25 light years away. The diameter of our Galaxy is about 105 700 light years, with a thickness of about 1000 light years (much less than the diameter, since our Galaxy lies on a plane)
Huh. That’s crazy. And that’s just one cubic light year.
Now if we multiply that cubic light year to match the volume of space we have a similar comparison. Infinite oceans to sift through for a single molecule.
"Space" as a volume is probably infinite, but even just talking our local stellar neighborhood or even just the solar system and space is already ridiculously more empty and big than anything you could compare to on earth. With I guess the possible exception of high-precision vacuums in laboratories.
Thus the infinite oceans to sift through. 😉