Got Your Ice Cream Sandwiches Ready????

[Razors Edge ★]

...for the world-ending or mass enslavement of humans that will be coming about this time in 2042????

No good can ever come from trying to contact more advanced civilizations. If they have near FTL tech, and get here relatively as quick as our communications get to them, we could be in for a rock ride in the second half of this century.

Scientists have now transmitted a signal to Luyten’s Star (GJ 273), a red dwarf 12.36 light years away.

The signal sent to Luyten’s Star incorporates “a scientific and mathematical “tutorial,” as well as 33 short musical compositions by artists in the Sónar community, according to Space.com. The team “beamed this message out in binary code at two different radio frequencies on October 16, 17, and 18, using the 105-foot-wide (32 meters) European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) radio antenna in Tromsø, Norway,” according to the report.

Even under ideal conditions, we won’t hear back from GJ 273 for 25 years, but GJ 273 wasn’t selected at random. It’s a red dwarf star with a super-Earth planet orbiting on the edge of its habitable zone, which significantly boosts (though does not establish) its chance of supporting life. Liquid water is considered a prerequisite for all life and therefore no planet without viable liquid water reserves somewhere on or under its surface is a candidate for potential communication. GJ 273’s relative proximity to Earth and the known characteristics of its planetary system make it a fairly good candidate for this kind of message. Ross 128b, another potential life-supporting candidate we covered this week, has less evidence behind it.

Merely the act of sending a message from Earth is somewhat controversial, seeing as it serves as a lovely “Hey, organic life over here!” statement.

Tom

[jsharr ★]

 

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, jsharr said:

 

I remember seeing that as a kid in the theater (my dad took us). I had no freaking clue what the heck was going on, but Dreyfus going all crazy for a while and then the later first contact was cool.

Tom

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

37 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

The signal sent to Luyten’s Star incorporates “a scientific and mathematical “tutorial,”

To which any intelligent life there may ask 'Why did they send us a comic book?'

 

38 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

using the 105-foot-wide (32 meters) European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association

Really? The brainy scientists sent a message out on an antenna owned by an organization with the words "Incoherent Scatter" in its name, and they expect to get an answer some day? 

[Kirby]

I thought this thread was related to the fact we had some barely discernible snowflakes this AM and our local weather guy tweeted a photoshopped picture of Honey Booboo frantically running through the streets with milk and bread.

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, Kirby said:

I thought this thread was related to the fact we had some barely discernible snowflakes this AM and our local weather guy tweeted a photoshopped picture of Honey Booboo frantically running through the streets with milk and bread.

Most rational people no longer leave their homes for any reason. Amazon solved soooo many problems for us all.

Tom

[12string]

Merely the act of sending a message from Earth is somewhat controversial, seeing as it serves as a lovely “Hey, organic life over here!” statement.

 

I'm more concerned that the message received is "hey, food over here"

How arrogant is it to think that any other planet has life forms that would receive and understand binary, music, or any other Earth based human constructs?

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, 12string said:

How arrogant is it to think that any other planet has life forms that would receive and understand binary, music, or any other Earth based human constructs?

Wouldn't it be more banking on the belief that an "advanced" civilization would notice the difference between natural and unnatural/artificial radio signals?  In other words, the Universe has pretty set standard rules of physics, so folks in an advanced scientific society would notice if something strange popped up in their sky scanning. So, pre-1950 or so, we (Earthlings) would probably have missed any sort of "one-time" call from ET. 

Tom

[12string]

the Universe has pretty set standard rules of physics

Only as much as Earthly Humans have discovered and understand.  Maybe they advanced by discovering some alternate laws of physics that we haven't found, and they haven't found radio waves.  Or they've gone so far beyond that so it would be like handing them a Betamax tape.

[Razors Edge ★]

3 minutes ago, 12string said:

the Universe has pretty set standard rules of physics

Only as much as Earthly Humans have discovered and understand.  Maybe they advanced by discovering some alternate laws of physics that we haven't found, and they haven't found radio waves.  Or they've gone so far beyond that so it would be like handing them a Betamax tape.

They will have gravity and light and mass and elements just like us.  They'll figure it out.

Now, on the plus side, if they are so far beyond that they don't notice "old school" tech, at least we won't draw their attention and become slaves or food.

Tom

[TrentonMakes]

“‘People of Earth, your attention please,’ a voice said, and it was wonderful. Wonderful perfect quadraphonic sound with distortion levels
so low as to make a brave man weep.

‘This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council,’ the voice continued. ‘As you will no doubt be aware, the
plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system, and
regrettably your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes. Thank you.’

The PA died away.
Uncomprehending terror settled on the watching people of Earth. The terror moved slowly through the gathered crowds as if they were iron filing on
a sheet of board and a magnet was moving beneath them. Panic sprouted again, desperate fleeing panic, but there was nowhere to flee to.

Observing this, the Vogons turned on their PA again. It said:

‘There’s no point acting all surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display in your local planning
department in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start
making a fuss about it now.’

The PA fell silent again and its echo drifted off across the land. The huge ship turned slowly in the sky with easy power. On the underside of each a
hatchway opened, an empty black square.

By this time somebody somewhere must have manned a radio transmitter, located a wavelength and broadcast a message back to the Vogon ships,
to plead on behalf of the planet. Nobody ever heard what they said, they only heard the reply. The PA slammed back into life again. The voice was
annoyed. It said:

‘What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? For heaven’s sake mankind, it’s only four light years away you know. I’m sorry, but if
you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs that’s your own lookout.

 

--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

[Guest]

So this place is 12.36 light years away (speed of light) and they expect to hear back in 25 years (speed of sound). Now I don’t claim to be Einstein but doesn’t light travel a whole heck of a lot faster than sound?

[Razors Edge ★]

2 minutes ago, Zackny said:

So this place is 12.36 light years away (speed of light) and they expect to hear back in 25 years (speed of sound). Now I don’t claim to be Einstein but doesn’t light travel a whole heck of a lot faster than sound?

12.36 to get there. 12.36 to return. 25 light years.  We didn't yell in their direction!

Tom 

[Guest]

But it says they sent sound not light

[Razors Edge ★]

5 minutes ago, Zackny said:

But it says they sent sound not light

Are you pulling me into your signature????  

"beamed this message out in binary code at two different radio frequencies " is what was written.

Tom

[Guest]

So isn’t that sound waves and not light?

[Razors Edge ★]

5 minutes ago, Zackny said:

So isn’t that sound waves and not light?

From Dr Google:

Actually, radio waves travel very quickly through space. Radio waves are a kind of electromagnetic radiation, and thus they move at the speed of light. The speed of light is a little less than 300,000 km per second. At that speed, a beam of light could go around the Earth at the equator more then 7 times in a second.

I had to google this to not make shit up (ie: I think I know something but I really don't).

Tom

[12string]

what if it goes right to their SPAM folder?

[Razors Edge ★]

3 minutes ago, 12string said:

what if it goes right to their SPAM folder?

That too would save us from a higher intelligence society. 

Any way you look at it, we (humans) are in a BAD place if we do make first contact. Especially if THEY come here rather than US stumbling on them.

Tom

[Ralphie ★]

I should be pretty dead by then.

[Ralphie ★]

6 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

Merely the act of sending a message from Earth is somewhat controversial, seeing as it serves as a lovely “Hey, organic life over here!” statement.

Tom

Did you see the 60 Minutes story on Voyager?