The Physics of Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations

http://www.mkaku.org/ ^ | unk | Michio Kaku

[Semper Paratus]

I had a treasure hunt that involved using a compass. Only one out of about 25 even knew how to use it.

You heartless bastard. You crushed their self-esteem.

[r9etb]

Sounds like navel gazing to me.

Agreed. IF his assumptions are correct, he's still probably wrong.

[Junior]

There is also the possibility they are awaiting directions from the home office...

[js1138]

Do you advocate "polluting" or swarming a series of stars with self-replicating nano-probes?

Two things: first history suggests that if such probes become possible, they will be built. Second, it is possible that some ethical way will be found to explore without overwhelming existing biosystems or cultures.

I'm thinking that in a few hundred years, such probes will be sentient and could justifiably be considered our grandchildren. Just a speculation.

[Charles Martel]

Another theory: prodution is so automated and efficient, and entertainment is so incredibly advanced, that the entire population of advance civilizations are still at home wired into their "better than life" VR systems. Or even uploaded into the same. Apathy wins.

Ah, yes... a perennial SciFi plotline.

[Tac12]

Rare Earth
Definitely went against the grain when it was published. However, it makes a lot of sense. A lot more than most wishful thinking that is going on in this area.
I agree, I think this is the most plausible answer to Fermi's paradox.

[Tac12]

but human evolution is something very different. It has developed very fast during the last 10,000 years, far too fast to be explained by ordinary evolution.
Can you elaborate on this point? I don't know if humans were that different 10,000 years ago. On the other hand, the fact that humans are much more intelligent than other animals (sorry for the creationists on this site) can be explained by a certain runaway proces like the plumage of peacocks. This is of course only a conjecture, but it is a nice one.

[RadioAstronomer]

Certainly possible. :-)

[RadioAstronomer]

Actually I think Fermi's paradox is garbage. IMHO, it was an offhand remark with little or no thought to it.

[Baseballguy]

http://www.eve-online.com/
This game is awesome.

Funny how to become a evolved planet you all have to be one. Crap I say. The smarter will over run the weak and stamp out stupidity. God place us on this earth to solve these problems and make them better.

[Ignatz]

Oh..And this bad boy is MINE in April....

Here's my current "bad-boy", and a typical view of M13:

Discovery 10" PDHQ Dobsonian

[from occupied ga]

Intellgent life may be vary rare indeed.

Absolutely true, in fact so rare as to be completely absent with the majority of voters in NY, CA, MD, MA, NJ, CT, RI, IL , and DE.

[js1138]

Also, why would a race use the extremely valuable resources of their solar system to create one-way journeys that would give zero return for their effort?

Possibly because intelligent probes would have their own reasons.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Humans are no different than they were 10,000 years ago.

But, for 9,900 of those 10,000 years, we were stagnant at little more than small enclves of people growing little more than what was needed to survive, not even inhabiting millions of square miles of the 1/3 of the earth above water, and locked in little more than a "stone age"/unpowered society who used manual hand tools.

It fact, of the 15 billion years of the universe, we have only been using electricity for 125 years.

Who's to say WE aren't the most technologically advanced society out there.

[RightWhale]

I have often wondered at the alt-az mount of these cannon. I have built ordinary equatorial mount scopes, grinding glass and all, but never thought to use an alt-az mount. Would it be difficult to mount the cradle at the polar angle? You'd have to add a bracket over the declination bearing and the range of declination would be restricted, but it would still be simple enough.

[PatrickHenry]

Actually I think Fermi's paradox is garbage. IMHO, it was an offhand remark with little or no thought to it.

I suppose that's a rather common view in SETI circles. I agree with you. But ol' Enrico certainly got us thinking, didn't he?

[Ignatz]

as they are, there is a "dobson's hole" if you're viewing straight up-it can be difficult to manuever.
You can get an inclined board for them, but for my use, it's fine the way it is.
Ground your own glass, eh? I'm impressed!

[RightWhale]

Ground your own glass

It's a huge hobby! Requires total patience, but the result is an amazing thing if you think about it. Also, it might be an excellent hobby for retired folks. You can't make money at it, commercial optics are really inexpensive, but you can make specialty telescopes and even lenses.

[Ignatz]

I've read a lot about it. Mybe when I'm retired!
Right now, two daughters (11y and 18m) use up most of my available patience, lol!

[RightWhale]

Yeah, I know. The big thing is setting apart a dust-free place to do grinding and optical testing. You'll need a fairly long sightline so you can check focal lengths and mirror figures. It isn't easy with a growing family inhabiting the same space.