Edward Snowden has a really good theory as to why we've never heard from aliens

Tech Insider ^ | September 18, 2015 | Kelly Dickerson

[WhiskeyX]

Note the transmission power versus distance. See: Table 1 Detection ranges of various EM emissions from Earth and the Pioneer spacecraft assuming a 305 meter diameter circular aperture receive antenna, similar to the Arecibo radio telescope. Assuming snr = 25, twp = Br * Tr = 1, r = 0.5, and dr = 305 meters. http://www.faqs.org/faqs/astronomy/faq/part6/section-12.html

[wally_bert]

Is there any cursive on the Voyager probe?

Couldn’t resist the attempt at humor.

[databoss]

Snowden is no genius, he was a floppy flipper that got away with sneaking thumb drives into a skiff...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Not saying it's aliens, but . . .

DANG!

[Gefn]

I love Giorgio. He makes such a great meme.

I think his hair dresser is an alien, btw.

[Flick Lives]

...which would leave you with entangled particles as the primary mode of communication... something we could never eavesdrop on or find evidence of

Entangled particles also have the advantage of providing no time delay which is important at interstellar distances.

[oblomov]

Or the “aliens” are unicellular creatures, with eukaryote symbiosis being a once-in-a-universe event.

[oblomov]

That seems to assume the existence of Chomskyean linguistic “deep structures” that exist across civilizations. E.g. “Clearly U is an operator”

[Wilderness Conservative]

Amazing how these so called geniuses can flap their yaps and sound like they are actually revealing something enlightening.

[WKUHilltopper]

The government lets every alien on the planet come in here unchecked...why would “Martians” be any different?

[onedoug]

That would be history’s greatest event. When science chimes in, we’ll know it. Otherwise, the government???

Are you an øbama fan?

[FreedomStar3028]

Language meaning communication. Not spoken word, or even written word. If a species of extraterrestrial is intelligent, conscious, and self-aware. I think you would know it, even if their modes of communication were not spoken, or written.

[GingisK]

Are you an øbama fan?

Thems fight'n words...

[MeshugeMikey]

one word:

Democrats

[bluejean]

Okay, but you’re assuming this alien civilization would be sending signals for the same reason we do. Maybe they aren’t. Maybe they only want to send signals to their colony or a ship that’s across the cosmos. Maybe their signals are unintentional, a result of some other process they’re involved in.

They may not be like us or think like us or even care that we’re here. Especially since we are such a self-destructive, unreasonable, violent lot. Maybe they’re better than us. Maybe they’re much worse. Hard to say.

[UCANSEE2]

We might understand that they were trying to communicate, but would we understand what they were communicating ?

[FreedomStar3028]

Maybe, maybe not. But we wouldn’t get the message if they were encrypted.

[kiryandil]

Snowden has watched to many SciFi movies and his commentary on extraterrestrial communications is about as valid as his integrity.

Thus spake "Cyman", some anonymous guy, gal, or dog on the Interwebs...

[PghBaldy]

HLN (sister channel to CNN) had a “Snowden supporter” on, who started talking about Edward Scissorhands, and the anchor appeared unfazed (halfway through 2m 44sec video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3r51QI4Ctw