23 replies to this topic

[UM-Bot]

Image credit: Henrique Senna

Alexander Popoff: At a meeting of the Royal Society in London, in trying the explain the current failure of SETI to discover extraterrestrial civilizations, Frank Drake said that phasing out analog transmissions from TV, radio, and radar is making our planet electronically invisible from outer space, because while an old-style TV transmitter might generate a million watts, the power of a digital satellite signal is around twenty watts. The digital revolution does not make civilizations invisible to extraterrestrial search. On the contrary, the electromagnetic radiation of our civilization is getting stronger and stronger, and we are sending an increasing amount of radio waves into space.

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[Asadora]

In regards to the article the OP links above, there are two things that stand out to me:

1) "Some scholars, including Stephen Hawking, are concerned that the deliberate sending of radio signals into deep space and the leakage radiation could be a serious risk, because we are revealing the location of our planet to hostile alien civilizations."
2) "There is absolutely no need to worry about this. The advanced civilizations from our Galaxy know that we exist and know exactly where we are. The spectral analysis of Earth’s atmosphere alone is enough to reveal us, because it is specific to planets with complex life and technological civilizations. We cannot hide our atmosphere."

My ponderings: Regarding the first quote from the article: Mr. Hawking is a very smart man. Everyone pretty much knows who he is, what he does and that he lives amongst us. We -know- Mr. Hawking. He makes a lot of sense and he has facts to back up his 'sense.'
Now regarding the second quote from the article: I would very much like to know -who- knows enough to be able to state in any shape or form that: 'The advanced civilizations from our Galaxy know we exist and know exactly where we are.'
This second quote is stated with a high sense of certainty, enough certainty to be almost down right impossible to actually clarify or to -know- as utter fact.
I think the word 'if' before that statement would have made it a little bit more 'believable', because we actually do not -know- anything.

(This post has not been intended to flame or to demonstrate a verbal injustice to the OP. This has been clearly a criticism  of the the article itself. )

My words of advice: Listen to Mr. Hawking.



Kind Regards.

[Kim is Canadian 2]

I agree Mr. Hawkings rules!

[Eldorado]

Kim is Canadian 2, on 27 February 2013 - 07:14 PM, said:

I agree Mr. Hawkings rules!

Agreed, although I wouldn't ask for his advice on dating.

(joking)

[Hawkin]

I'm inclined to agree with Stephen Hawking. An advanced civilization could be hostile and conquer us.
For example, Europeans took over the Americas and took lands from the natives. Not to mention enslaved
Africans and brought them to the Americas. Lets also include the Australian Aborigines also their lands
taken by Europeans. It would seem a more advanced culture will dominate a less sophisticated one.

Now some might say a civilization far advanced then us would be peaceful. We can only hope but don't count on it.

[CRYSiiSx2]

Should we really let anyone else know we're here?

[Frank Merton]

I don't know that European imperialist behavior is relevant.  Aliens aren't going to be needing slave labor and we've already used most of the resources of the planet, and our biologies are going to be so different nothing that grows here will be edible to them.

Now maybe they are xenophobic and so will just wipe us out on principle.

[Dan'O]

Mag357, on 28 February 2013 - 03:16 AM, said:

Europeans took over the Americas and took lands from the natives. Not to mention enslaved
Africans and brought them to the Americas.

The vast majority of African slaves were enslaved by Africans and then sold to other nationalities.

Quote

Now maybe they are xenophobic and so will just wipe us out on principle.

God, one can only hope...

[Queen in the North]

They can't see me, I have my tin foil hat!

[keithisco]

Considering that the human race has been broadcasting in the Electro-magnetic spectrum for over 150 years then it is probably a little bit late to start worrying about it - like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted

[Jinxdom]

2) "There is absolutely no need to worry about this. The advanced civilizations from our Galaxy know that we exist and know exactly where we are. The spectral analysis of Earth’s atmosphere alone is enough to reveal us, because it is specific to planets with complex life and technological civilizations. We cannot hide our atmosphere."

Saying that makes a lot of sense; considering how some people are xenophobic, paranoid and have the tendency to overreact. Maybe he just wanted to avoid some the same backlash that the whole Mayan thing brought up.

I just figure; if we can see other planets then why can't they see us. I'm pretty sure other intelligent life would also be curious to find what is out there and would be just as cautious.

[badeskov]

keithisco, on 02 March 2013 - 09:44 AM, said:

Considering that the human race has been broadcasting in the Electro-magnetic spectrum for over 150 years then it is probably a little bit late to start worrying about it - like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted

Not really. By far most of our broadcasts are drowned out in background noise by the time they reach the edge of the solar system. Contrary to common belief, very few radio signals emitted from Earth actually has the power and directivity to be picked up outside of the Solar system.

Cheers,
Badeskov

[theSOURCE]

I would assume that if aliens were to prove to be detrimental to human life it would be unintentional. Perhaps their technology or biology would be "unsafe" for humans in some way that they are otherwise immune (although exo-biology being the least likely of the two)?

[Frank Merton]

I would presume a sufficiently advanced culture would have done a complete survey of the galaxy and know every planet and its nature in sufficient detail to find us.

I think probably they aren't out there, either being so advanced so as to have left this cosmos for better things or being that we are a hard thing to evolve and happen very rarely.  If they are out there, they present an unmeasurable danger, probably the greatest safety being in how far away we are.  The stars are really far apart, in spite of appearances.  It may also be that they are highly evolved morally or spiritually, and so present no danger.

I strongly doubt they are disinterested.  This just does not seem likely to me in an intelligent being.

[Frank Merton]

Or, as Source says, our biology will inevitably be so different that our presence, while of interest, is unimportant to them.