Alien contact in 1,500 years
06-21-2016, 10:38 AM
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Alien contact in 1,500 years
(CNN)E.T. phone home?
Yeah, that'll have to wait another 1,500 years.
Astronomers estimate that if there are aliens out there, we won't be making contact with them for at least that long.
"We haven't heard from aliens yet, as space is a big place. But that doesn't mean no one is out there," said Cornell University student Evan Solomonides.
He was presenting a paper Tuesday at the American Astronomical Society's meeting, where he -- along with his professor Yervant Terzian -- explores this topic.
"Until then, it is possible that we appear to be alone -- even if we are not."
Sixty generations is a long time to wait. Why bother?
"If we stop listening or looking, we may miss the signals," he said in a statement. "So we should keep looking."
Where is everybody?
In order to understand how Solomonides arrived at this '1,500 years' figure, we'll have to take you through a quick physics lesson. Namely, two terms:
The first, the Fermi paradox. It's the contradiction that has perplexed scientists and "Star Wars" fans alike: If the universe is filled with Earth-like planets (and it is), why haven't we made contact with aliens yet?
The second, Copernicus' principle of mediocrity. This one suggests that perhaps there's nothing exceptional or special about us.
For decades, humans have been sending out television broadcasts or radio signals into space.
The Earth's broadcast signals have touched every star within 80 light years from the Sun. According to NASA's Kepler mission, signals have reached 2,326 confirmed exoplanets.
And yet, for decades we've received nothing but static.
"We have reached so many stars and planets, surely we should have reached somebody by now, and in turn been reached," Solomonides said.
Are we there yet?
So, what gives? In one word, distance.
Solomonides thinks the reason why no one has answered our radio signals is because space is incredibly vast.
We've only been sending out signals for the last 80 years. We have only discovered about 0.125 percent of our Milky Way.
The astronomers say we should give the signals time to reach half of all the solar systems in the Milky Way in order to be picked up. And even then, there may be a small percentage of intelligent life that will have the capability of deciphering and responding to our messages.
"We simply claim that it is somewhat unlikely that we will not hear anything before that time," Solomonides said.
"You might not expect to pick up any signals until someone knows we're here," said Dr. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, the government agency looking for extraterrestrial life. "That means the noise we make as a society has to have reached them."
CNN Article
Yeah, that'll have to wait another 1,500 years.
Astronomers estimate that if there are aliens out there, we won't be making contact with them for at least that long.
"We haven't heard from aliens yet, as space is a big place. But that doesn't mean no one is out there," said Cornell University student Evan Solomonides.
He was presenting a paper Tuesday at the American Astronomical Society's meeting, where he -- along with his professor Yervant Terzian -- explores this topic.
"Until then, it is possible that we appear to be alone -- even if we are not."
Sixty generations is a long time to wait. Why bother?
"If we stop listening or looking, we may miss the signals," he said in a statement. "So we should keep looking."
Where is everybody?
In order to understand how Solomonides arrived at this '1,500 years' figure, we'll have to take you through a quick physics lesson. Namely, two terms:
The first, the Fermi paradox. It's the contradiction that has perplexed scientists and "Star Wars" fans alike: If the universe is filled with Earth-like planets (and it is), why haven't we made contact with aliens yet?
The second, Copernicus' principle of mediocrity. This one suggests that perhaps there's nothing exceptional or special about us.
For decades, humans have been sending out television broadcasts or radio signals into space.
The Earth's broadcast signals have touched every star within 80 light years from the Sun. According to NASA's Kepler mission, signals have reached 2,326 confirmed exoplanets.
And yet, for decades we've received nothing but static.
"We have reached so many stars and planets, surely we should have reached somebody by now, and in turn been reached," Solomonides said.
Are we there yet?
So, what gives? In one word, distance.
Solomonides thinks the reason why no one has answered our radio signals is because space is incredibly vast.
We've only been sending out signals for the last 80 years. We have only discovered about 0.125 percent of our Milky Way.
The astronomers say we should give the signals time to reach half of all the solar systems in the Milky Way in order to be picked up. And even then, there may be a small percentage of intelligent life that will have the capability of deciphering and responding to our messages.
"We simply claim that it is somewhat unlikely that we will not hear anything before that time," Solomonides said.
"You might not expect to pick up any signals until someone knows we're here," said Dr. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, the government agency looking for extraterrestrial life. "That means the noise we make as a society has to have reached them."
CNN Article
I dont believe it. I think our government already knows about aliens and we definitely know they exist. But even if they didnt, there's no way it would take 1500 years. I think we will have undeniable proof within another 25-50 years at most.
06-21-2016, 11:29 AM
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Let's say the signal finally reached one of those distant planets today, and they were just like us, then it would take another 80 years for them to respond by the same means. That assumes they are in the same level of technological advancement we are. Meaning they either have recently discovered a way to interpret radio waves, or are FAR superior and therefore can skip the radio response and travel here in person. Otherwise, they're "deaf". Even we only recently discovered radio signals 100 years ago. What are the odds that we signaled a human-like species and happened to contact them at least 7 million years into their own evolution? And if they are 8+ million years into their evolution, then they are more than likely too far advanced to even bother with us. lol
If a foreign radio signal hit Earth 200 years ago, no one would have noticed. If a foreign radio signal hit us a million years from now, we probably wouldn't answer because we're too advanced and the "Prime Directive" would apply.
If a foreign radio signal hit Earth 200 years ago, no one would have noticed. If a foreign radio signal hit us a million years from now, we probably wouldn't answer because we're too advanced and the "Prime Directive" would apply.
06-22-2016, 02:21 AM
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What pains me here is that people are only interested in intelligent life, but there are places in our own solar system that have been proposed to include simple life or even fish! That's much more interesting imho.
There is intelligent life out there and most likely even within our own galaxy. But the rules of physics and space-time make any confirmation, let alone travel way too difficult. On that note, Area 51 is not harboring intelligent species. Sorry, your crack pot theory is just that.
There is intelligent life out there and most likely even within our own galaxy. But the rules of physics and space-time make any confirmation, let alone travel way too difficult. On that note, Area 51 is not harboring intelligent species. Sorry, your crack pot theory is just that.
06-22-2016, 05:55 AM
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I think there are both intelligent and non intelligent species out there in the universe. For the intelligent ones, it's broken down into they are either on the same level as us or far more advanced.
The far more advanced ones may have a curiosity aspect that would warrant either a visit or a "phone call" at least. Are we talking Independence Day or War of The Worlds where they want to destroy us and mine the planet for minerals? Maybe not. But one thing is for sure....not a single person on this planet can 100% say that would or would not happen because there is so much to the universe, that there very well could be some crazy stuff out there that is waaaaaayyyy more advanced than we will ever be.
If the day so happens does come where we walk outside in 25 to 50 years and there's some massive mother ship hovering above us, all I can say is....."Where's your god now?"
The far more advanced ones may have a curiosity aspect that would warrant either a visit or a "phone call" at least. Are we talking Independence Day or War of The Worlds where they want to destroy us and mine the planet for minerals? Maybe not. But one thing is for sure....not a single person on this planet can 100% say that would or would not happen because there is so much to the universe, that there very well could be some crazy stuff out there that is waaaaaayyyy more advanced than we will ever be.
If the day so happens does come where we walk outside in 25 to 50 years and there's some massive mother ship hovering above us, all I can say is....."Where's your god now?"
06-24-2016, 02:20 AM
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Interestingly judging by the age of the universe itself (based on our best calculations) and the processes by which different types of stars create the elements needed to sustain life as we underrated it, many scientists hypothesize that we may in fact have emerged as quickly as is possible in the given timeline. It's just as possible as any other theory that we are as of yet alone, and could be on track to become the first Class III Kardashevian civilization. Or even more disturbing, given we are able to confirm and even communicated with other universes, class V civilization.
06-24-2016, 08:57 AM
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Stars have formed, lived, and died millions of years before our sun was formed. One would assume that similar life-bearing planets have also done the same. And that perhaps these civilizations have found ways to leave those systems. They could be millions of years more advance than us. We were living like monkeys only a few 100k yrs ago. Imagine having a few million years to develop?
