Light is easier to focus than radio, AFAIK. For long-distance communication, lasers are good.
Of course, even radio works over long distances if you put enough power to it...
Scientists - Time to actively try to contact aliens using "active SETI"
- Thread starter SniperHunter
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Light is easier to focus than radio, AFAIK. For long-distance communication, lasers are good.
Of course, even radio works over long distances if you put enough power to it...
Well, I suppose if they were comprised of the same DNA we'd have reason to worry about being 'consumed'. But all this recent concern over "too intelligent" A.I. makes me think it isn't too far off that habitable epoch-era life forms may have been done in by their own self-replicating machines and are multiplying throughout this ever-expanding universe, just waiting to deem us inferior and enslave or destroy us.
Bring it on!
Doug Heffernan
Member
What's the big deal?
If they had the technology to reach our planet and "obliterate" it than they have the technology to realize that we exist.
Broadcasting signals wouldn't put the planet in jeopardy. It's ridiculous.
If they had the technology to reach our planet and "obliterate" it than they have the technology to realize that we exist.
Broadcasting signals wouldn't put the planet in jeopardy. It's ridiculous.
DiscoJer
Member
And yet, there are more people living today than have ever lived. I'd say we are doing a much better job of keeping humans alive than killing them.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Depends. Alien civilisations are probably run by super-intelligences too. Controlling the solar system is a big home field advantage logistically, but if they're already some vast empire they can crack all our major bodies apart with RKVs and send in mop up crews.
demented waffle
Gold Member
Lasers would still share some of the liabilities of radio signals. I would say quantum communications at the very least.
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2014/nov/13/secure-quantum-communications-go-the-distance
Neuromancer
Member
I say lets do it. You never know, maybe they'll help us.
They might have the tech but not the reason to look at us. For all we know, they might be like "we shoot if someone notices us, otherwise, whatever, we don't care".
It is a frigging Russian Roulette.
EDIT And understand we have no way of knowing for sure. Aliens are just that, alien. Scifi nearly always portrays them wrongly, just humans that look (and perhaps function biologically) different.
Sectorseven
Member
An advanced civilization, by definition, is not barbaric.
terrisus
Member
BreezyLimbo
Banned
In the article they mention sending them the internet.
They should send them 4chan. That'll make them turn around.
They should send them 4chan. That'll make them turn around.
If they're tentacle aliens that will just egg them on.
SniperHunter
Banned
We are moving too slow. The Americans should have built a base on the moon already. At the rate they are going, we should be lucky to have humans land on Mars by 2100 or so. Interest in astronomy is at an all time low. Confirmation of intelligent alien life will go a long way to speed things up a bit.
If an advanced civilization hear us they'll probably ignore us.
The problem comes with not knowing what else could be out there, I doubt there's something like a Klingon race that conquers others but what if there's a species that doesn't see us as equals but as animals? we wouldn't try to colonize a planet with intelligent talking bipeds but we would colonize one that is populated with animal life, maybe the definition of animal life for another species is different from ours.
The problem comes with not knowing what else could be out there, I doubt there's something like a Klingon race that conquers others but what if there's a species that doesn't see us as equals but as animals? we wouldn't try to colonize a planet with intelligent talking bipeds but we would colonize one that is populated with animal life, maybe the definition of animal life for another species is different from ours.
FunkyMunkey
Banned
You need to look at the age of the universe and how long ago planetary formation was. There's no reason another species could not have been where we are now but hundreds of thousands of years ago. And if they are that old, there is a good possibility that they have mastered all forms of energy and matter that we know of (and may not yet). I don't think it's right to say with 100% certainty that a species will never reach FTL given thousands and thousands of years of progress, or haven't at least discovered ways to circumvent light speed and the nasty limits it presents.
abstract alien
Member
Ah! lol
SniperHunter
Banned
There's probably different kinds of alien races. A race that steals technology to advance, AI/robot race, angelic Vulcan race. You never know...of course the universe is simply too big and everyone might be stuck in their own little bubble
titiklabingapat
Member
Every time a technologically advanced civilization interacts with a less techy one, the latter either gets destroyed or absorbed.
I don't see how aliens would be any different.
I don't see how aliens would be any different.
A noise that vanishes pretty quickly to the cosmic background radiation, as i understand it. An analogy, you may hear but not care about someone else listening to music somewhere but what if they shone a laser pen to your eyes?
Planetary formation happens still. And there might be aliens that are on our level, or perhaps a bit more advanced. Even an advanced species might destroy others because of the risk a species may pose later.
Hope for the best, assume the worst, prepare for the worst.
EDIT Duh, didn't read your text completely. Should a species have ability to travel fast enough they might actually get here in our lifetimes, all bets are off. And that's an even bigger reason not to do it.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
If they all have radio telescopes pointing to the sky scanning constantly they will notice us assuming they point in exactly the right place. If they don't use radio technology, and/or aren't scanning the sky for it, they will not notice us. The fact that we don't notice large scale radio transmissions means either that aliens don't exist, aliens don't exist close to us, or that aliens don't use that technology (either they are too primitive or too advanced; Radio is probably not going to be used indefinitely and has only been used for a very brief window of human history).
Slayer-33
Liverpool-2
Not only that, they'll want you to worship their shit or follow their beliefs/political views
Why would they be any different than the imposing shit we do *cough us world police*
m_shortpants
Member
It could go either way.
I think brutality and "survival of the fittest" is inherent in life forms that have evolved enough to make it that far. The "alpha" mentality and such. As much as we like to believe were civilized, humanity really isn't. So I doubt aliens would be either.
And so inviting beings that are capable of interstellar travel might not be the best idea? Unless they've somehow eliminated that mentality and biological impulse, they would probably kill us all and harvest our planet rather than share their knowledge.
But then again they could friendly too I guess. I really don't know.
I think brutality and "survival of the fittest" is inherent in life forms that have evolved enough to make it that far. The "alpha" mentality and such. As much as we like to believe were civilized, humanity really isn't. So I doubt aliens would be either.
And so inviting beings that are capable of interstellar travel might not be the best idea? Unless they've somehow eliminated that mentality and biological impulse, they would probably kill us all and harvest our planet rather than share their knowledge.
But then again they could friendly too I guess. I really don't know.
TV and movies have made people paranoid about aliens. I don't think there would be a problem. Any aliens capable of interstellar travel wouldn't have anything to exploit from our planet, and I don't think they'd make the trip just to be dicks.
They would either ignore us, or a scientifically advanced species would be interested in exploration.
I think there would be a greater chance of good than bad. We could benefit greatly if they shared their info. Imagine if they showed up and said... Dang, you still got cancer? This is how you fix that shit.
They would either ignore us, or a scientifically advanced species would be interested in exploration.
I think there would be a greater chance of good than bad. We could benefit greatly if they shared their info. Imagine if they showed up and said... Dang, you still got cancer? This is how you fix that shit.
Orbis Tabula
Member
"Can you hear me now?"
The entire history of human civilisation is one superior culture destroying another. What do you think inspired the tv shows and movies about aliens destroying us?
TheContact
Member
Bad idea. The university verse is a hungry, desperate entity. Better to stay hidden
FunkyMunkey
Banned
Oh yeah haha I agree. It's a complete gamble between contacting a species who has moved passed war or is currently in a long period between wars and could potentially be peaceful with us, or finding one who is bloodthirsty and led by the Genghis Khan of space. Or worse, one who has reached the pinnacle of organic/artificial evolution and consumes organic life like a plant or something.
¯\_(ツ
_/¯ let's throw that dice I guessThe Shogun
Banned
Thinking Alien life would in any way be nice to us, considering what we know about life on this planet alone, is horribly and vastly naive.
SniperHunter
Banned
way too many variables involved. they could be nice like the vulcans or be blood thirsty like the romulans
We don't need the Golden Path if there's no prescience in the first place.
If there is... well, then. Unless the aliens have that as well. Or have their equivalent of the Golden Path. Problematic.
D
Deleted member 80556
Unconfirmed Member
"The newest children in a strange and uncertain cosmos should listen quietly for a long time, patiently learning about the universe and comparing notes, before shouting into an unknown jungle that we do not understand. -Carl Sagan
Seriously, this idea is just terrible. Just keep using the regular SETI.
Even if a civilization more advanced than us is probably benevolent and wise (otherwise they might have wiped themselves out), there's no telling if an "evil" one somehow survived and is hunting for resources or something, or that the benevolent does not care and is indifferent for life on a planet like Earth. Do we really want to test the Fermi Paradox when we still have so much to learn and to do?
Seriously, this idea is just terrible. Just keep using the regular SETI.
Even if a civilization more advanced than us is probably benevolent and wise (otherwise they might have wiped themselves out), there's no telling if an "evil" one somehow survived and is hunting for resources or something, or that the benevolent does not care and is indifferent for life on a planet like Earth. Do we really want to test the Fermi Paradox when we still have so much to learn and to do?
m_shortpants
Member
Like I said above I think it's the nature of life to be "alpha", what with " survival of the fittest", natural selection, and all. So unless somehow they've evolved that impulse to conquer out of their inherent biology, I don't think the outcome would bode well for us.
Imperial Bishop
Banned
I'll give them the usual friendly Earth greeting.
The Shogun
Banned
The only thing we have to judge on that is "intelligent" is ourselves. Of course other life forms would have evolved totally separate from us and may be totally different in terms of thinking.
My bet is.........eh probably not. And we as a collective are pretty messed up, just ask every other life form on the planet.
D
Deleted member 80556
Unconfirmed Member
Then again, we don't know how a species with a thousand years more of physical and intellectual evolution thinks like. It could go both ways as you say.
SniperHunter
Banned
Damn thats a killer quote by Sagan. words of wisdom
PhantomHound
Banned
Fuck that shit.
All the more reason to think we actually will contact someone. I don't know if life is necessarily the way we tend to view it in human terms, but the Universe is large enough that there is no question life, sentient life, or even civilized and intelligent life also exists or has existed outside of Earth.
The Shogun
Banned
The main reason I don't see them as being this benevolent beings that some portray is.....why?
How in the hell would helping puny beings like us help them in any way? Wouldn't it benefit them more, if they found us, to simply just harvest everything from here they could then bail?
One thing we do know for certain is the Universe is hostile as hell to forms of life. I'm willing to bet any advanced civilization would be looking for every advantage they can get. This is assuming there are even intelligent beings anywhere near us, something I'm not convinced of any ways.
Millions of life forms exist on Earth fine without any form of "higher Intelligence". I for sure believe in extraterrestrial life, but assuming evolution leads to intelligence on any sort of regular basis may not be true. It may be incredibly rare what we have.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Extensive discussion available here. See the sections starting at "The Fermi Paradox" and more specifically "The Killing Star".
The discussion begins from Pellegrino & Zebrowski (note: Pellegrino is the man who did advisory work for Cameron on the strikingly plausible spacecraft in Avatar):
In general, it is not just advanced civilisations that need to be feared, but also members of advanced civilisations. If somebody can own an interstellar starship, they are a threat on a planetary scale if they are not benevolent. If a civilisation is not actively policed at a high level, and their advanced technology is at their disposal, people acting on their own accord could subjugate primitive planets or destroy on a whim.
The Scattering was part of the Path, though. That's what we need. Being confined to one planet is too dangerous.
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