Research should NEVER be limited by whether it has practical value or not. Because we don't know if future generations will make it practical.

Searching for Dyson spheres is not too different from searching for other hypothetical astronomical objects. Maybe it is a low-stakes analysis you could put some students on, so they learn something. Data collection, statistical methods, paper writing is all identical to "traditional" searches. I come from particle physics, and we did quite a few searches for very weird particles that, I admit, didn't believe in. But it was quick to retool the search for more plausible models.

Also I think science works the way that you use your fantasy to come up with outlandish things, and then try to rule them out with logic.

It's a low cost, low probability way to look for advanced civilizations. Chances are low that you'll find anything, but hey the data's already here and we have powerful computers so let's run some calculations. And occasionally you find weird and interesting anomalies that push science forward: https://www.space.com/alien-megastructure-mysteriously-dimmi...

All fundamental research is reaserch for the sake of knowledge, for the sake of satisfying curiosity.

Once it is done, possibly much much much later, somebody may stumble upon it and use it in some creative (and unforseen) ways for other research.

On the other hand if you give any probability to alien existence, then this is very much practical already in the search for them.

> is there really any practical value in this sort of research

In many ways it is too early to do this research, so it is a kind of art (as is a lot of research, imho). As long as only a few people do it, it's cool and useful so we can be aware of our potential future.

On the other hand, since we have no credible evidence of extraterrestrials, it would be surprising to find a civilisation so advanced to build a Dyson sphere. If they can build Dyson spheres, wouldn't they already be all over the place?

Ok, I suppose I should actually go read the paper now...

It depends on how you define practical value. Immediately capitalizable? Probably not outside of Hollywood. Building a theoretical underpinning for the future of our species? I hope so.

This probably has implications around the Fermi paradox and the great filter(s). We would like to pass whatever filters are ahead of us.

Was there any practical value in Columbus discovering America? If the Aztecs had instead sailed to Europe or Africa and discovered them, would that have been of any practical value to them?

It's difficult to imagine a discovery that would have more practical import than the discovery of an extraterrestrial civilization.

You could possibly win an Ig Nobel Award out of it.