Aliens?

[thatkidakayoungguy]

Aliens are fake, they r really just demons.

I agree - if we're speaking of the ones we always hear about, in unexplainable cases. It's what MIGHT be beyond what we can know about that I wonder about.

What ever happened regarding that SETI radio wave thing in the 70s? It was heard once then never again.
Bona fide ET contact? Weird glitch involving nearby electrical devices?

[Philip]

Well, here's the thing, IF aliens somewhere in the universe had sent out signals of contact, it's doubtful that they'd ever reach us. In fact, it would take so long to reach us, that there is a good chance their civilization had long ago died out.

Consider the factual statements found within this Newsweek article: https://www.newsweek.com/alien-civiliza ... ays-841863:

"Our galaxy alone spans 100,000 light years across. Humans have been sending radio signals for 80 years, but the first radio waves ever sent could only have traveled a maximum of 0.001 percent of the galaxy, Science News reports."

"On top of that distance, however, is another consideration: civilizations don't last forever. In their new calculation, the researchers, which included Frank Drake, assumed that each civilization might last a maximum of 100,000 years. That means that if that civilization was sending radio signals for its entire lifetime, it would have reached 1,250 times as far a distance as Earth’s radio waves have reached. But that’s still only 1.25 percent of the galaxy."

"If alien races were to send a signal, those waves would disperse and ripple through the galaxy, making spots of mixed “ghost signals.If they reached us at all, the signals would take well over 100,000 years to arrive on Earth."

So, if we DID ever receive an intelligent alien signal, A) we'd have no assurance whatsoever that the civilization that produced it remains intact, and B) it would take over 100,000 years for them to receive any response from us.

So we can see that the SETI program is money well spent! LOL

[thatkidakayoungguy]

Well, here's the thing, IF aliens somewhere in the universe had sent out signals of contact, it's doubtful that they'd ever reach us. In fact, it would take so long to reach us, that there is a good chance their civilization had long ago died out.

Consider the factual statements found within this Newsweek article: https://www.newsweek.com/alien-civiliza ... ays-841863:

"Our galaxy alone spans 100,000 light years across. Humans have been sending radio signals for 80 years, but the first radio waves ever sent could only have traveled a maximum of 0.001 percent of the galaxy, Science News reports."

"On top of that distance, however, is another consideration: civilizations don't last forever. In their new calculation, the researchers, which included Frank Drake, assumed that each civilization might last a maximum of 100,000 years. That means that if that civilization was sending radio signals for its entire lifetime, it would have reached 1,250 times as far a distance as Earth’s radio waves have reached. But that’s still only 1.25 percent of the galaxy."

"If alien races were to send a signal, those waves would disperse and ripple through the galaxy, making spots of mixed “ghost signals.If they reached us at all, the signals would take well over 100,000 years to arrive on Earth."

So, if we DID ever receive an intelligent alien signal, A) we'd have no assurance whatsoever that the civilization that produced it remains intact, and B) it would take over 100,000 years for them to receive any response from us.

So we can see that the SETI program is money well spent! LOL

From what I remember the region wasn't THAT far from us. Only maybe several light years at the minimum, and a 1000 or so light years at the max.

[Morny]

So, if we DID ever receive an intelligent alien signal, A) we'd have no assurance whatsoever that the civilization that produced it remains intact, and B) it would take over 100,000 years for them to receive any response from us.

You don't seem to have read the book, or seen the movie, "Contact".

[Philip]

Morny: You don't seem to have read the book, or seen the movie, "Contact".

Of course I did! Interesting movie - based upon science fiction's imaginative speculations. Read here why astrophysicist Hugh Ross refutes the possibility of aliens visiting and why supposed wormholes would offer no solution whatsoever to the impossibilities imposed by physics and massive distances:

https://reasons.org/explore/publication ... from-there

BTW, this still doesn't refute the potential that aliens, vast distances away exist - whether slugs or intelligent beings - maybe they do, maybe they do not.

[Morny]

Your penultimate post in this thread mocked the SETI program in the sentence following this:

So, if we DID ever receive an intelligent alien signal, A) we'd have no assurance whatsoever that the civilization that produced it remains intact, and B) it would take over 100,000 years for them to receive any response from us.

The book/movie "Contact" shows why the importance of SETI has nothing to do with either your A or B points. But even just picking up a 100,000 year delayed alien signal equivalent of an "I Love Lucy" show would be the biggest scientific discovery ever.

Evidence so far shows that the probability of finding alien signals may be low, but our search hasn't even scratched the surface yet.

After predicting gravitational waves from general relativity, Einstein thought that we would never be able to make an observation. Now, almost a 100 years later, we already have 10, one of which is from 2 colliding neutron stars. And we've barely just turned on the LIGO detectors.

[Philip]

Look, these programs cost a lot of money. NASA and other are always hyping some mission as urgent or essential to human interests. But a lot of it is self interest in maintaining programs, jobs and cash flow. Its interesting, I've nothing against SETI, though I think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

[Morny]

Glad I could enlighten you on a real purpose of SETI. Another is to inspire a generation of scientists, sort of like Martin Gardner inspired a generation of top mathematicians.

Look, these programs cost a lot of money.

Also incorrect. Donations fund SETI, which hasn't received Federal money for decades. And even when NASA funded SETI, the fraction of just NASA's budget was less than .1%. Miniscule.

[...] I've nothing against SETI [...]

Oh, OK. I must have mistook your criticisms.