Posted on 05/21/2020 4:46:49 PM PDT by Kaslin
In an article over at Space.com, Leonard David describes a new development in the efforts by humans to contact extraterrestrial life elsewhere in the galaxy. While the SETI program (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) has been in operation for decades, the results thus far have been mostly disappointing. There was a brief flurry of excitement in 1977 when “the WOW signal” was received, but in later years even that one has been called into question. Now, however, there’s a new player in the game. China has constructed the largest single-dish radio telescope in the world and they are reportedly gearing up to hunt for potential alien signals from space. So are we headed toward a 21st-century arms race to see who can get E.T. to phone home first?
According to the experts they spoke with, this one of those rare areas where there really won’t be much in the way of geopolitics messing up the process, so a “new space race” isn’t in the cards. The reason is that the process of acquiring signals at such low levels across such a vast target area requires the cooperation of nations with large radio telescopes around the world. The odds are good that if we do finally hear something interesting, no single country will claim all the “credit” for it as it will likely involve scientists from multiple nations.
The interesting word in their analysis, however, is the word “contact.” Up until now, most of what we’ve done has just involved listening in the hopes of detecting some sort of radio waves from an alien intelligence. But the new FAST dish in China is capable of more than passive detection. They can actually broadcast powerful, targeted signals out into space that might eventually be detected by another civilization.
So is that really a good idea? Scientists from Carl Sagan to Stephen Hawking have warned us against such a move over the years. Sure, everyone wants to be the first to discover another intelligent species, but what if these signals attract undesirable attention from a potentially hostile race? If they’ve got the technology to make it all the way to Earth, they’ve probably got weapons we haven’t even imagined yet.
Of course, the odds of any signals sent from China today reaching another civilization and getting an answer in our lifetimes are pretty slim. Even a signal sent to the closest star to ours would take more than four years to arrive and another for years for the reply to reach us. And most of the really interesting exoplanets discovered during the Kepler mission were much further away than that.
But all of this leaves what should by now, be an obvious question dangling in front of us. What if we don’t need to hook up a phone call with someone that’s light-years away from us to contact E.T.? What if they’re already within cell tower distance? Let’s face it… somebody had to build those Tic Tacs that our Navy has been chasing around. And somebody might even be flying them. I’d be a lot more interested in seeing them dial-up someone’s smartphone and let us know what’s going on. (Hey… aliens. I’ll give you my digits. I’m available.)
But at least so far, whoever or whatever is directing the movements of those things doesn’t seem interested in talking to us. Unless, of course, they’re already talking to our government and we’re being left in the dark about it. But that’s a conspiracy theory for another column.
Yeah, you don’t like it when someone misattributes something to you, do ya?
Here’s your assertion, liar.
“if your, “Team” thinks like you, they’re all wrong as well.”
You bet, if, "Your team", as your referred to them, thinks like you, they're all wrong as well in the context that we have yet to scratch the search for live in this universe.
Btw, you stated, "There is nobody out there." Tell me, how do you know this?
I didn’t say that we’d scratched the surface in exploring the universe.. You KNOW that, you quoted my post.
Literally every human ever born since (Creation?, since we climbed down from the trees?) since forever has looked, within the confines of their ability, for evidence that there is someone else “out there”.
They have, collectively, bupkes.
So you’re admitting that you’re arguing about something I did not say.
How do I know? In addition to the above, SETI. ($20 million a year, finding nothing) See also: Genesis 1:1
Tell me, how do you know this?
How do I know? In addition to the above, SETI. ($20 million a year, finding nothing)See also: Genesis 1:1
You know this because SETI did find any life and Moses or groups of religious people told you this?
Okie dokie! ☺
Pretty selective of you...
Nobody, anywhere, has ever found any evidence of life off this one tiny little insignificant planet.
Those “religious people” have provided quite a bit of evidence.
Words matter, BTW; in the scripture I referenced, there are three singulars, and one plural. See if you can sort that out differently than I have.
It is surprising how good a lot of those low budget, Saucers and Aliens movies are.
And that brings us full circle. Again, man has not even scratched the surface when it comes to finding or discovering life in the universe. Be it microbial life or whatever. And people who claim, "There is nobody out there." like you, really have no idea. Simple as that.
So somebody has found something?
Give it up. You can’t refute what I’ve said, and I won’t argue with you about stuff you just made up.
lol....
Make your case.
I did. But I'll repeat it just for you. You stated, "Nobody" is out there. And you were told man has not even scratched the surface when it comes to finding or discovering life in the universe. Be it microbial life or whatever. And people who claim, "There is nobody out there." like you, have no idea.
This is not complex.
Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit
Again, you define my tagline perfect! Congratulations!
Your case is that you disagree with me?
So what?
I disagree with your comments, such as, "There is nobody out there" because you haven't the slightly clue if life exists out there. How many times do you need to be told this?
When told we haven't scratched the surface regarding the search for life, ya just blow it off. You're a very narrow-minded person who clearly has zero grasp regarding the size of the the universe.
I have no idea if life exists outside earth, but then again, I would never say, "There is nobody out there". From my perspective, only a narrow-minded fool would make that claim.
So you disagree with me and you have an opinion.
Again, so what?
It’s more than a disagreement when ya state, “There is nobody out there”.
You don’t know that and your only running on your preconceived notions or impressions, generated by a narrow-mind.
No. It’s a difference of opinion until facts are presented.
You haven’t presented anything other than your opinion; as it pertains to me, as it pertains to people who think like I do, as it pertains to the amount of the universe that humans have looked at...
It’s your opinion, and that’s okay. I’m not trying to change your mind.
“There is nobody out there”. That’s not an opinion, that’s a blanket statement.
Again, I have no idea if life exists outside earth, but then again, I would never say, “There is nobody out there”. From my perspective, only a narrow-minded fool would make that claim.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.