New Europe-Wide Radio Telescope To Look For ET 49
astroengine writes "A new radio telescope is under construction, consisting of 44 stations (each consisting of several antennae) spread across Europe. The pan-European Low Frequency Array is half built and already returning unprecedented observations of cosmic radio sources. The best thing is, when it's complete, SETI will be able to use the array to seek out transmitting extraterrestrial civilizations in these untapped low radio frequencies."
Re:First Post? (Score:3, Interesting)
It's not about ET (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:First Post? (Score:3, Interesting)
This is a fascinating point.
The odds that any 2 un-introduced civilizations might be dabbling with RF communications at the same time are probably pretty slim.
OTOH, we are backwards-compatible. Someone around here knows semiphore protocols, morse code over light, i'll bet someone on /. even knows a thing or two about smoke signals.
The odds that any civilization who surpasses RF communication completely abandons all knowledge of it is probably pretty slim.
Re:First Post? (Score:3, Interesting)
Perhaps we don't hear ET because tecnological species are an evolutionanary flash in the pan, on geologic times scales as soon as they aquire the ability to destroy themselves they do so. Perhaps there are billions of life bearing planets where the only trace of technology is a mass extinction event marked by a layer of plastic and radioisotopes burried in the rock [wikipedia.org] and a "razor thin" ripple of communication signals expanding across the cosomos. What would be the chances that Earth just happened to be sitting in one of those ripples at this particular point in cosmological history?