Indefinite information processing in ever-expanding universes

We show that generic anisotropic universes arbitrarily close to the open Friedmann universe allow information processing to continue into the infinite future if there is no cosmological constant or stable gravitationally repulsive stress, and the spatial topology is non-compact. An infinite amount of information can be processed by 'civilisations' who harness the temperature gradients created by gravitational tidal energy. These gradients are driven by the gravitational waves that sustain the expansion shear and three-curvature anisotropy. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.