Question about SETI

[Onceler]

It would seem really foolish if we aren't transmitting to find a signal pointed at us.
It would cost a civilization money to broadcast and I think that to find one pointed at us with nothing better to do is fantasy.

 

[Modelworks]

Listening.
We have been sending signals since the invention of radio over 100 years ago.

 

[herm0016]

we are not necessarily looking for a signal pointed at us but searching the background for signals. the theory is most civilizations will be somewhat more advanced than us and that they will have somewhat similar and/or more advanced wireless technology and thus have signals like our radio and TV that are broadcast.

 

[Aberforth]

They aren't looking for a particular signal, they check for non-sequential variable signals emitted from distant galaxies. But the fact is, if an advanced civilization exists...they are are doing a good job not contacting us.

 

[firewolfsm]

I think it's a waste of computing power that could have gone to Folding@home.

 

[bobsmith1492]

If we were to transmit anything it would take ages before it reached any significant number of stars, not to mention other galaxies...

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
I think it's a waste of computing power that could have gone to Folding@home.

The aliens have a cure for cancer. It is only a matter of finding them

 

[Onceler]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
If we were to transmit anything it would take ages before it reached any significant number of stars, not to mention other galaxies...

I think so too
If we were to recieve anything it would have been sent eons ago.
Probably any civ would have advanced beyond the need for broadcasting anything before we pick them up

 

[PolymerTim]

Originally posted by: Onceler
It would seem really foolish if we aren't transmitting to find a signal pointed at us.
It would cost a civilization money to broadcast and I think that to find one pointed at us with nothing better to do is fantasy.

I don't know of any continuously transmitted messages, but we have sent several messages to specific stars with the intent of communication. Check out this link for more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_SETI

I find it especially interesting to see how the scientists choose to construct the messages. They try to construct something that anyone with math and logic skills can figure out, but it seems to me that they make it more complex than it needs to be. For instance in the arecibo message, the formatting for numbers changes depending on what section of the message you are in, and as best as I can tell, the purpose is only to save space.

 

[JTsyo]

Originally posted by: Onceler

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
If we were to transmit anything it would take ages before it reached any significant number of stars, not to mention other galaxies...

I think so too
If we were to recieve anything it would have been sent eons ago.
Probably any civ would have advanced beyond the need for broadcasting anything before we pick them up

ahh but just knowing they are out there would be worth it even if we could never make contact.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Originally posted by: PolymerTim

Originally posted by: Onceler
It would seem really foolish if we aren't transmitting to find a signal pointed at us.
It would cost a civilization money to broadcast and I think that to find one pointed at us with nothing better to do is fantasy.

I don't know of any continuously transmitted messages, but we have sent several messages to specific stars with the intent of communication. Check out this link for more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_SETI

I find it especially interesting to see how the scientists choose to construct the messages. They try to construct something that anyone with math and logic skills can figure out, but it seems to me that they make it more complex than it needs to be. For instance in the arecibo message, the formatting for numbers changes depending on what section of the message you are in, and as best as I can tell, the purpose is only to save space.

I wonder what they were going at with the Arecibo message. We created it and most people on this planet probably won't be able to understand that, why would another species understand it.

I get the entire universal Standard Language thing through math they were trying to convey, but still.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: tenshodo13

Originally posted by: PolymerTim

Originally posted by: Onceler
It would seem really foolish if we aren't transmitting to find a signal pointed at us.
It would cost a civilization money to broadcast and I think that to find one pointed at us with nothing better to do is fantasy.

I don't know of any continuously transmitted messages, but we have sent several messages to specific stars with the intent of communication. Check out this link for more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_SETI

I find it especially interesting to see how the scientists choose to construct the messages. They try to construct something that anyone with math and logic skills can figure out, but it seems to me that they make it more complex than it needs to be. For instance in the arecibo message, the formatting for numbers changes depending on what section of the message you are in, and as best as I can tell, the purpose is only to save space.

I wonder what they were going at with the Arecibo message. We created it and most people on this planet probably won't be able to understand that, why would another species understand it.

I get the entire universal Standard Language thing through math they were trying to convey, but still.

I think if you truly put forth your research resources one could interpret the message. I've always found the process and encoding of these messages fascinating. The attention taken to try and convey universal constants and use those to define a set of data that gives information about ourselves is very interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

The Voyager Golden Record is particularly interesting. They had to convey how to use the record, not only in setting up the turntable but how fast to rotate the record and how to interpret the signal. They used the transition time of the hydrogen atom (and the wavelength of the resulting transmitted radiation) to define a standard unit of time and distance. Cool beans.

 

[covert24]

Originally posted by: Aberforth
they are are doing a good job not contacting us.

compared to other theoretical civilizations out there we are probably the equivalent to the stone age in our time. they already have TV's in their stomachs. Like the teletubbies....

 

[bobsmith1492]

Originally posted by: covert24

Originally posted by: Aberforth
they are are doing a good job not contacting us.

compared to other theoretical civilizations out there we are probably the equivalent to the stone age in our time. they already have TV's in their stomachs. Like the teletubbies....

Why does everyone assume other civilizations HAVE to be more advanced than us?? There is no cause or basis for that assumption.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492

Originally posted by: covert24

Originally posted by: Aberforth
they are are doing a good job not contacting us.

compared to other theoretical civilizations out there we are probably the equivalent to the stone age in our time. they already have TV's in their stomachs. Like the teletubbies....

Why does everyone assume other civilizations HAVE to be more advanced than us?? There is no cause or basis for that assumption.

Well, the universe was created 13.73 billion years ago. Our planets been around for 4b. We've only been around for a few million. Can you imagine if humanity had gotten out of the dark ages 2,000 years ago? It's entirely possible that the planet would suffer 1 or 2 nuclear winters, but we would eventually be formed as a hegemony - it's pretty much inevitable if we survive in the long run. If we can do that, then all of that money that goes towards fucking around with other countries will be put into improving ourselves and colonizing space (manifest destiny again).

 

[dinkumthinkum]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
I think it's a waste of computing power that could have gone to Folding@home.

The aliens have a cure for cancer. It is only a matter of finding them

The alien cure for cancer involves wiping out the human race.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

i'm sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but any em emissions from earth aren't likely to be heard by any potential aliens. even powerful emissions would lose power as the wave propagates, to the point of being overcome by the noise floor, well before reaching anything outside the solar system. i, for one, am thankful our broadcasted shame will be consumed by the cosmos.

 

[Aberforth]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492

Originally posted by: covert24

Originally posted by: Aberforth
they are are doing a good job not contacting us.

compared to other theoretical civilizations out there we are probably the equivalent to the stone age in our time. they already have TV's in their stomachs. Like the teletubbies....

Why does everyone assume other civilizations HAVE to be more advanced than us?? There is no cause or basis for that assumption.

It's doesn't matter if an advanced civilization exists or not. What matters is - what you will do when you finally meet them and why you want to meet them, humans in general are highly dependent beings, our leaders will definitely come up with some sort of technology exchange and we will all end up being slaves to aliens one day- I know it may sound funny but if you look back in our past history it has happened before and will happen again. If there is a free land we want to occupy it, if there is free stuff we want to get it, if there is luxury we want to grab it first. Space exploration is something we aren't supposed to do because we are limited by many things including intelligence. Has it helped humanity in any way? No. What we have done is spend billions of dollars for 50 years trying to find whether there is life on the next planet.

 

[iCyborg]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
i'm sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but any em emissions from earth aren't likely to be heard by any potential aliens. even powerful emissions would lose power as the wave propagates, to the point of being overcome by the noise floor, well before reaching anything outside the solar system. i, for one, am thankful our broadcasted shame will be consumed by the cosmos.

I seem to remember someone stating that our best radio detectors could detect a civ with the same EM output as ours at a distance of 20-30 light years which is quite a bit outside of the solar system. And that's just us, a more advanced civ could do much better. Once the waves get there of course.

 

[Leros]

There isn't much within 20-30 light years though. Thats a very small range. Any potential intelligent life is probably way beyond that.

 

[mordantmonkey]

Originally posted by: Aberforth
Space exploration is something we aren't supposed to do because we are limited by many things including intelligence. Has it helped humanity in any way? No. What we have done is spend billions of dollars for 50 years trying to find whether there is life on the next planet.

meh, it pales in comparison to trillions we've spent trying to kill life on this planet.

 

[Aberforth]

Originally posted by: mordantmonkey

Originally posted by: Aberforth
Space exploration is something we aren't supposed to do because we are limited by many things including intelligence. Has it helped humanity in any way? No. What we have done is spend billions of dollars for 50 years trying to find whether there is life on the next planet.

meh, it pales in comparison to trillions we've spent trying to kill life on this planet.

That's true, but if we created problems for ourselves then we could resolve them as well, we don't need help from aliens or supernatural beings. I don't hate aliens, in fact I want to know the answer to the big question but I hate to think what happens after that.

 

[herm0016]

Originally posted by: Aberforth
Space exploration is something we aren't supposed to do because we are limited by many things including intelligence. Has it helped humanity in any way? No. What we have done is spend billions of dollars for 50 years trying to find whether there is life on the next planet.

out of space exploration have come millions of products that you use every day. things like scratch resistant coatings, night vision, medical heart monitors, fuel cells....

 

[Aberforth]

Originally posted by: herm0016

Originally posted by: Aberforth
Space exploration is something we aren't supposed to do because we are limited by many things including intelligence. Has it helped humanity in any way? No. What we have done is spend billions of dollars for 50 years trying to find whether there is life on the next planet.

out of space exploration have come millions of products that you use every day. things like scratch resistant coatings, night vision, medical heart monitors, fuel cells....

Yes, naturally, but don't tell me they went up there to invent these everyday products, they've succeded in doing everything else than the purpose of their exploration. I mean 200bn on a space station to conduct experiments??? Only few among them were successful. No wonder the economy is not looking good these days, scientific progress should never be stopped but that doesn't mean you should hire dumb people who come up with these crazy schemes.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492

Originally posted by: covert24

Originally posted by: Aberforth
they are are doing a good job not contacting us.

compared to other theoretical civilizations out there we are probably the equivalent to the stone age in our time. they already have TV's in their stomachs. Like the teletubbies....

Why does everyone assume other civilizations HAVE to be more advanced than us?? There is no cause or basis for that assumption.

I watched a Michio Kaku video about a month ago on this topic. He points out that our SETI search assumes that these civilizations are no more than 100 or so years more advanced than we are, and that we're pretty much just wasting our time.
pretty good video to watch