have they found anything? - Page 24

JoeTheJuggler · 18th November 2009, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by Belgian thought

we should be/are aiming the signals at these, i.e. to one side of the star, hoping that we would hit something within planetary orbits and repeating this after a certain period, in case one potential planet was behind its corresponding star, at the time of the first signal.

It's called Active SETI.

amb · 19th November 2009, 04:06 AM

Supposing our radio transmission is picked up by an alien intelligence say, one hundred light years away. We would say, ''hello we are here'' or whatever it is we are transmitting. A reply would take a hundred years to get here and say ''so are we'' Not exactly a conversation starter is it? But at least we would find out we are not alone and perhaps kill off religion once and for all.

JoeTheJuggler · 19th November 2009, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by amb

Supposing our radio transmission is picked up by an alien intelligence say, one hundred light years away. We would say, ''hello we are here'' or whatever it is we are transmitting. A reply would take a hundred years to get here and say ''so are we'' Not exactly a conversation starter is it? But at least we would find out we are not alone and perhaps kill off religion once and for all.

Yup--on the Active SETI Wiki page I just cited, we've yet to reach the arrival date of any of our messages. (So far, the ones aimed at the Super-Earth sized planet Gliese 581 will arrive first--in 2029-2030.)

Plus, as I said, we only sent these directed signals for a matter of minutes each, I believe. So the recipient would have to have their gigantic radio telescope pointed at us and listening or recording our signal at exactly the right moment. Given the huge distances and long times involved, this is about like randomly plucking out a piece of straw from a super-gigantic haystack. We're not likely to find a needle that way.

So, not finding a needle that way doesn't argue that no needles are in the haystack.

And who knows? We might just get fabulously lucky some day.

18th November 2009, 10:23 PM	#921
JoeTheJuggler Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 9,546	Originally Posted by Belgian thought we should be/are aiming the signals at these, i.e. to one side of the star, hoping that we would hit something within planetary orbits and repeating this after a certain period, in case one potential planet was behind its corresponding star, at the time of the first signal. It's called Active SETI.
	__________________ "That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons

19th November 2009, 04:06 AM	#922
amb Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Western Australia Posts: 8,108	Supposing our radio transmission is picked up by an alien intelligence say, one hundred light years away. We would say, ''hello we are here'' or whatever it is we are transmitting. A reply would take a hundred years to get here and say ''so are we'' Not exactly a conversation starter is it? But at least we would find out we are not alone and perhaps kill off religion once and for all.
	__________________ ''Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.'' - Carl Sagan-

19th November 2009, 10:46 AM	#923
JoeTheJuggler Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 9,546	Originally Posted by amb Supposing our radio transmission is picked up by an alien intelligence say, one hundred light years away. We would say, ''hello we are here'' or whatever it is we are transmitting. A reply would take a hundred years to get here and say ''so are we'' Not exactly a conversation starter is it? But at least we would find out we are not alone and perhaps kill off religion once and for all. Yup--on the Active SETI Wiki page I just cited, we've yet to reach the arrival date of any of our messages. (So far, the ones aimed at the Super-Earth sized planet Gliese 581 will arrive first--in 2029-2030.) Plus, as I said, we only sent these directed signals for a matter of minutes each, I believe. So the recipient would have to have their gigantic radio telescope pointed at us and listening or recording our signal at exactly the right moment. Given the huge distances and long times involved, this is about like randomly plucking out a piece of straw from a super-gigantic haystack. We're not likely to find a needle that way. So, not finding a needle that way doesn't argue that no needles are in the haystack. And who knows? We might just get fabulously lucky some day.
	__________________ "That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons Last edited by JoeTheJuggler; 19th November 2009 at 10:48 AM.