Potential signal detection at SETI??

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by peter12

Because we have to sort things out ourselves, instead of falling for the old Sagan delusion of praying that extra-terrestrials enlighten us before the bombs drop.

Sagan delusion of praying?

Did you just make that up?

[peter12]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Sagan delusion of praying?

Did you just make that up?

Cosmos was a rather strange book.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by peter12

Cosmos was a rather strange book.

He wrote Cosmos at a time during the Cold War when there was worry about global nuclear war. I believe one of his fields of research was the effects of nuclear winter. One explanation for the Fermi Paradox is that advanced civilizations do not survive the development of advanced technologies.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Puppet Guy

As rational as one tries to be with stories like this, deep down you want something to come of it. In the last year alone, with NASA predicting discovery of alien life by 2025, Proxima B, the Alien Megastructure and now this, I do wonder if it's more a case of "when" and not "if" we meet ET. And hopefully he brings the plutonium nyborg.

Isn't that the Tabby star thing? Where they thought it was a dyson's spear but is more likely meteor phenomena.

At the end of the day, even if there is life out there in the universe that's reached a sentient level, its unlikely that we'll see them because of the travel distance.

And even if there is a species that's out there that can somehow travel here in less then decaades or centuries, why would they bother?

And if they did because of the vast differences in technology, and their perception of life which could be quit different from ours, I doubt that communication would even be possible. Would they even understand our base 10 math, would they even see the same way or would they be like humans who stomp on billions of bugs a day without thinking about it?

And even if they did recognize us as life would they laugh at our primitiveness, and hunt us for sport or feed like human's hunt deer?

I mean lets be honest, lets say man found a way to travel to a distant planet with life, that maybe we don't recoginize as life, maybe its an hyper intelligent bacteria or mold.

So we land on their planet, the first thing we do is empty our toilets and garbage that are backed up from the long trip. Then we stomp over to a colony destroying his royal eminance FDSDFSERE who literally looks like a mushroom made our of rock. Then we dig up a bunch of soil samples, which means that we've captureed their capital city or destroyed their food supply for the year. Return to our ship and fire up the old rocket incinerating their version of New York City and head for home.

[polak]

I like the idea that our galactic neighbourhood is part of a "wild reserve" where the more advanced civilizations have decided to leave us alone and let us develop and grow. Like uncontacted tribes here on earth. But with Twitter.

[Locke]

I dont know what you all are yammering on about, I watched a documentary indicating that Aliens are mining for Oil on the moon, so we clearly are not alone.

Not only are we not alone, but we didnt even know there was oil on the moon! and its our moon! I cant believe we missed that.

Well played Aliens. Well played.

[pseudoreality]

Originally Posted by peter12

Because we have to sort things out ourselves, instead of falling for the old Sagan delusion of praying that extra-terrestrials enlighten us before the bombs drop.

I agree that praying to higher power to solve your problems is delusional. However, meeting someone else would be cool and we could learn so much.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Locke

I dont know what you all are yammering on about, I watched a documentary indicating that Aliens are mining for Oil on the moon, so we clearly are not alone.

Not only are we not alone, but we didnt even know there was oil on the moon! and its our moon! I cant believe we missed that.

Well played Aliens. Well played.

I've heard that the moon in an artificial alien megastructure built to monitor us, and not part of our natural solar system at all. That's why NASA won't reveal the videos / evidence of the craft that continuously land on and depart from the dark side of the moon, since they (along with the Roosevelt administration) brokered a deal whereas we would gain some of the alien technologies (um, hello, where did Fitbits come from) in return for non-disclosure of their existence and access to human abductions whenever they need new lab rats.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Muta

I've heard that the moon in an artificial alien megastructure built to monitor us, and not part of our natural solar system at all. That's why NASA won't reveal the videos / evidence of the craft that continuously land on and depart from the dark side of the moon, since they (along with the Roosevelt administration) brokered a deal whereas we would gain some of the alien technologies (um, hello, where did Fitbits come from) in return for non-disclosure of their existence and access to human abductions whenever they need new lab rats.

Seems a reasonable deal. Similar to the one we have with the pigeons. They get out of the way of our cars and we look the other way on the statue defecation.

[FlamesAddiction]

I give this species another 500-1,000 years before we make ourselves extinct or at the very least, begin to evolve socially in a different direction. Probably not enough time to establish meaningful dialogue with another intelligent species, assuming we ever did locate one.

If space programs offer any deliverance, it will be in the form of planet seeding, controlling biology and terra-forming. Looking for advice from E.T. is pretty far down the list of things to worry about.

[polak]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I give this species another 500-1,000 years before we make ourselves extinct or at the very least, begin to evolve socially in a different direction. Probably not enough time to establish meaningful dialogue with another intelligent species, assuming we ever did locate one.

If space programs offer any deliverance, it will be in the form of planet seeding, controlling biology and terra-forming. Looking for advice from E.T. is pretty far down the list of things to worry about.

I personally think that the reason we don't see a universe teeming with life is because uploading your conscience to a virtual world is easier than meaningful interstellar travel.

[Kybosh]

I arrogantly think we're the first. We're #1! We're #1!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I arrogantly think we're the first. We're #1! We're #1!

We could also be the last. Not sure solipsism is arrogant. More of an existential crisis, right?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by polak

I personally think that the reason we don't see a universe teeming with life is because uploading your conscience to a virtual world is easier than meaningful interstellar travel.

That, or the intergalactic community saw us evolve to what we have become and said "hell no man, we're not sticking around for that"

Basically this SETI signal was a kid in a distant galaxy playing with his super high-powered microwave transmitter and his mom told him to stop tinkering with the universe or the humans might get excited. Hence why no second signal.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

That, or the intergalactic community saw us evolve to what we have become and said "hell no man, we're not sticking around for that"

Personally, I feel if there are other intelligent civilizations in the universe, this is the most likely situation.

If other aliens are like us, in any way - that is, alienated- we would be wise to steer clear of them. If they are not like us - that is, not possessing a self - they would steer well clear of us.

[Muta]

I think it'd be hilarious if first contact was actually from a species that arrives on Earth, but they're not technologically superior at all. Their ship is a bunch of plywood and crayons loosely held together by staples, and they made it across the galaxy through sheer luck, based on a drunken experiment where some random immature lifeforms built a stupid catapult and flung their friends while they were spaced out on interstellar-grade LSD.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Muta

I think it'd be hilarious if first contact was actually from a species that arrives on Earth, but they're not technologically superior at all. Their ship is a bunch of plywood and crayons loosely held together by staples, and they made it across the galaxy through sheer luck, based on a drunken experiment where some random immature lifeforms built a stupid catapult and flung their friends while they were spaced out on interstellar-grade LSD.

So basically the Beverly Hillbillies...in Space?

[octothorp]

While there may be interstellar civilizations out there, I don't think it's a given that great civilizations are focused on colonizing the whole galaxy; that may be a very anthropocentric view of life. Long-term self-preservation probably requires colonizing at least a few different star systems and exploring others, and not much more than that. But even a large interstellar civilization could be invisible to us, given that they would probably use some sort of more direct, non-broadcast communication within their civilization.

[Ozy_Flame]

I would say there is way more anthropocentric out there, if life exists. Interstellar space travel assumes a high level of technology development; I would suspect the chances of alien life existing and being more uncivilized than ours is much higher.

[FlamesAddiction]

I don't even think it's a matter of being civilized or being intelligent enough, but rather just having the desire to know. We assume other intelligent life forms even care at all.

The only reason why humans began looking up to the stars was for navigation purposes. Environmental conditions forced us out of the trees and made us wanderers. Predicting celestial events became a survival mechanism which sparked our interest and even sculpted us socially by making agricultural communities, and eventually cities possible.

It's quite possible that other more intelligent species simply don't have the wonderment or fixation of what is out there and focus more inward.