On the visible size and geometry of aggressively expanding civilizations at cosmological distances

If a subset of advanced civilizations in the universe choose to rapidly expand into unoccupied space, these civilizations would have the opportunity to grow to a cosmological scale over the course of billions of years. If such life also makes observable changes to the galaxies they inhabit, then it is possible that vast domains of life-saturated galaxies could be visible from the Earth. Here, we describe the shape and angular size of these domains as viewed from the Earth, and calculate median visible sizes for a variety of scenarios. We also calculate the total fraction of the sky that should be covered by at least one domain. In each of the 27 scenarios we examine, the median angular size of the nearest domain is within an order of magnitude of a percent of the whole celestial sphere. Observing such a domain would likely require an analysis of galaxies on the order of a Gly from the Earth.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. References added and updated. New figure added (fig. 4). Additional discussion added. Minor numerical corrections to table 1 (bug fixed

Odysseus' "Winnowing-Shovel" (Horn. Od. 11. 119-37) and the Island of the Cattle of the Sun

published or submitted for publicatio

Costume Designs for \u3cem\u3eAda and the Engine\u3c/em\u3e

This poster showcases costume designs for the Linfield Theatre November 2017 production of Ada and the Engine by Lauren Gunderson. The costumes for Ada and the Engine served many purposes within the production. They established period and character, illustrated the passage of time within the play, and connected the realistic and conceptual aspects of the production. Ada has five separate looks as she transitions from a debutante under her mother\u27s power to a strong woman who has come into her own. Incorporating binary and mathematical motifs in the fabric supported Ada\u27s journey and character relationships. In addition to her roles as wife, mother, and daughter, Ada grapples with what it means to be a brilliant mathematician at a time when women were seldom recognized for their intellectual achievements. Even though illness robbed her of much of her life, Ada’s contributions to computer science live on after her. Ms. Olson received a Meritorious Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for the costume design for Ada and the Engine. This poster was presented at the February 2018 Region VII Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Costume Design Competition in Spokane, Washington. There Ms. Olson received the Barbizon National Award for Excellence in Costume Design, winning an opportunity to represent the region at the National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C. in April 2018

Costume Design for \u3cem\u3eVolpone\u3c/em\u3e by Ben Jonson

This poster presentation provides information about my final design for the Linfield College Theatre Program’s Costume Design course taught by Laurel Peterson during the 2016 fall semester. I created an unrealized design for Ben Jonson’s Volpone written in 1605. Jonson uses the immorality of the play’s characters for comedic effect and to make a social statement. Taking place amongst the Italian upper class, the play focuses on the scheme of the con artist, Volpone (the fox), who manipulates his victims (also with animal namesakes) into making him even wealthier. Jonson mocks the ultra rich and their vices through outlandish characters and situations. With the costumes, I aimed to reinforce the excessive classism and decadence illustrated in the play. My design approach combined elements of traditional Italian Commedia costumes with pieces of early seventeenth-century period dress, as well as some of the animalistic qualities associated with the characters, to create opulent costumes that support the comedic dialogue and absurd characters. As they shamelessly indulge in their antics, the costumes help the audience see the frivolity and duplicitousness that Ben Jonson mocks. This project was presented at the 2017 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Costume Design Competition in Denver, Colorado

Estimates for the number of visible galaxy-spanning civilizations and the cosmological expansion of life

If advanced civilizations appear in the universe with an ability and desire to expand, the entire universe can become saturated with life on a short timescale, even if such expanders appear rarely. Our presence in an apparently untouched Milky Way thus constrains the appearance rate of galaxy-spanning Kardashev type III (K3) civilizations, if it is assumed that some fraction of K3 civilizations will continue their expansion at intergalactic distances. We use this constraint to estimate the appearance rate of K3 civilizations for 81 cosmological scenarios by specifying the extent to which humanity is a statistical outlier. We find that in nearly all plausible scenarios, the distance to the nearest visible K3 is cosmological. In searches for K3 galaxies where the observable range is limited, we also find that the most likely detections tend to be expanding civilizations who have entered the observable range from farther away. An observation of K3 clusters is thus more likely than isolated K3 galaxies.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. In press, International Journal of Astrobiology. v2: Discussion added. Figures re-formated. Typos corrected. References added and update