Making It Hard For Extraterrestrials To Hear Us

quaith writes "US astronomer Frank Drake has told scientists at a special SETI meeting in London that earthlings are making it less likely that we will be heard in space. In the past, we used huge ground stations to broadcast radio and television signals which could be picked up relatively easily — according to astronomers' calculations anyway. Now we use satellites that transmit at 75 watts and point toward Earth instead of into space. In addition, we've switched to digital which makes the transmissions even fainter. Drake has concluded that very soon, in space no one will hear us at all. I guess we'd better keep listening."

Re:This has its perks

[nitro316]

James Cameron? Is that you?

Re:Why can't we hear ET?

[Toonol]

I keep asking this question: Why can't we detect ET's transmissions?

DRM'ed, no doubt.

Maybe this is a good thing?

[martin-boundary]

In nature, young defenceless animals which make too much noise and bring attention to themselves often get invited to dinner by predators. Discuss.

Re:Not news

[pengin9]

Yes xkcd [xkcd.com] says it best yet again.

Re:This has its perks

[eclectro]

So if aliens invade, it will be for solely their own entertainment, not for economic reasons.

Unless they invade so they can suck our brains with a straw. Which case that would be for both entertainment and economic reasons.

Re:Why can't we hear ET?

[syousef]

I keep asking this question: Why can't we detect ET's transmissions?

DRM'ed, no doubt.

Dude, if only that were true! You'd find aliens just by searching the pirate bay!

Re:so what

[Supurcell]

And when they do see those signals, they will shit themselves when they see how good we are at killing aliens and promptly call us up to surrender.

Re:Find US?

[Rogerborg]

Has anyone considered the historical evidence of what happens when superior civilizations encounter lesser ones?

No, as it turns out, you're the first person ever to consider it. The first person in the entirety of human history. Even as I type, the Nobel Committee are holding an emergency session to create a new honour that's significant enough to even begin to recognise the enormity of your insight. Do not leave your home: a team of crack sculptors are en route to measure you up for your 400 foot tall solid gold statue.

Re:Fermi Paradox

[HeronBlademaster]

If such a planet was found, I'd consider it proof of god.

Tonight, on CNN: Disparate religions have suddenly voiced a unanimous desire to fund space exploration.

Re:This has its perks

[Anonymous Coward]

So if aliens invade, it will be for solely their own entertainment, not for economic reasons.

[insert tentacle rape mental image]

Any sufficiently advanced intelligence ...

[Fractal Dice]

I believe there is a general principle here that goes beyond the technology at hand: any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from white noise.

In another galaxy... sentients are wondering...

[garompeta]

In another galaxy, a frustrated physics professor is in charge in a project equivalent to SETI:

"Stultz, I wonder if there is actually life out there. We've been centuries monitoring the neno-kurflichsk time-fabric disturbance detector that any technologically advanced civilization should be sending out if...if... they sentients do exist. I mean, it is third grade stuff, anybody knows that time-fabric can be disturbed instantly, we keep doing it simultaneously to all the atoms of the universe, and still nothing for CENTURIES. Can you believe it?"
"Professor, I wonder... I have this crazy idea... maybe other other advanced civilizations use... radiowaves?"
"Stultz, you are an idiot or what?"
"I...I am just saying, maybe some less advanced civilizations..."
"Pluuhlease, that is enough! Are you serious? You should go back to elementary school. Have you forgot that radiowaves travel at the speed of light??, it is more than obvious that it is not the most convenient way to communicate with other civilizations... unless you want to wait another lifetime to send your response, and to where should we point the antennas, huh?. Have you forgot that we are talking about ASTRONOMICAL DISTANCES?? It would take centuries! Or even worse, those electromagnetic waves would be absorbed by black holes, bounced, even hit by the breshanistok matter! We would get nothing or everything scrambled, indistinguishable from white noise! Your question is simply retarded. We are trying to contact sentients, not idiots!"

And professor Breshanistok stood up upset and the graduate student Stultz watched the glowing monitoring holoscreen scratching his head.

Re:Find US?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't crack sculptors make a 400 foot tall solid crack sculpture?

Re:Not news

[FatdogHaiku]

Be sure to broadcast all the information that was included on the Voyager probes... you know, like our physiology and location... it's hard to plan a menu if you don't know what you will be using as the entree. Hey, we could end up as the secret ingredient on some sort of galactic "Iron Chief" program!

Re:Find US?

[khallow]

Yea, if anything you want bling sculptors. He'll also receive a twenty pound gold necklace with three inch lettering that says "I FUCKING SAVED THE HUMAN RACE" to wear on formal occasions.

Re:Maybe this is a good thing?

[Anonymous Coward]

In nature, young defenceless animals which make too much noise and bring attention to themselves often get invited to dinner by predators. Discuss.

Alright, I shall. We're all going to die anyway. Getting killed by an advanced alien civilization is so goddamn cool, it should be your preferred way to go.

Re:This has its perks

[Jeremi]

We are in the XXI century just are beginning to see the Fusion Reactor [...] and I am certain I will die seeing one working efficiently.

Now there's an ominous sounding prophecy... :^)