Scientist declares alien signal sent from extrasolar planet Gliese 581g
121 replies, posted
[Quote]Ragbir Bhathal, an astrophysicist at the University of Western Sydney claims the light pulses he detected in December 2008 is from the region of space where the extrasolar planet Gliese 581g orbits a red dwarf star.
Recently, Gliese 581g was declared 100 percent certain to have life. Now the question has been raised, is it intelligent life?
Professor Steven Vogt of the Carnegie Institution in Washington who declared the new-found planet to be within the elusive "habitable zone"—a zone that Vogt estimates encompasses at least 10 to 20 percent of all planets in the universe—stunned the world after a press conference where the professor went on record contending that "Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say, my own personal feeling is that the chances of life on this planet are 100 percent."
[B]The [URL="http://astronomy.helium.com/topic/5880-milky-way-galaxy"]Milky Way galaxy[/URL] is estimated to contain more than 200 billion stars. Using Vogt's percentages as a guideline, about 40 billion planets may have life or be developing life.[/B]
As Earth's sun is what is known as a third generation star—meaning other stars developed billions of years before the sun—the prospect arises that life developed on other worlds uncounted eons before the [URL="http://astronomy.helium.com/topic/3929-solar-system"]solar system[/URL] was created. The idea is both simultaneously mind-boggling and sobering.
Dr. Frank Drake, a radio astronomer that has spent most of his life searching for alien intelligence with the SETI program (Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence) and a past director of the giant radio telescope at Arecibo, [URL="http://travel-planning-advice-travel.helium.com/topic/3504-puerto-rico"]Puerto Rico[/URL], doubted Bhathal's claim. Although Bhathal has a top reputation, Drake asserts that the Australian astrophysicist was not forthcoming with any evidence to support his claim of the signals during 2008.
Astronomers and exobiologists have argued for some time that if life is discovered on other planets within our own [URL="http://astronomy.helium.com/topic/3929-solar-system"]solar system[/URL] that it would likely be rife throughout the universe. Although some in the past have argued that life is rare—and intelligent life rarer still—the consensus of experts has gradually turned a collective eye more favorably upon the hypothesis that life is ubiquitous and a natural evolution of the universe.
Recent findings of running water on Mars and the high presence of methane gas—strongly considered more biological than geological in origin—lend weight to the belief that Mars had life in the past and may have life presently.
Titan, the large satellite orbiting Saturn, also hints at the possibility of life.[/Quote]source: [url]http://english.pravda.ru/science/earth/12-10-2010/115338-alien_contact-0/[/url]
My own emphasis added. Given that there are roughly 40 billion planets that are hospitable to life, (atleast as we know it) that would estimate around at the very least planets with intelligence ranging in the millions, right? Spread a couple hundred million across the milky way and that leaves us with quite a few potential neighbors...
so a signal was sent 20 million years ago from a planet that might not exist
lol
Ahh we're all going to die
[QUOTE=alienmartian23;25474588]so a signal was sent 20 million years ago from a planet that might not exist
lol[/QUOTE]
If it was sent 20 million years ago, it would take 20 million more years to send a message back, and by then, any life on that planet probably be gone, and the human race may quite possibly be gone as well.
This is the same planet all the articles were raving as being the most likely to be hospitable for human life, the planet is likely 20 light years away not 20 million.
[QUOTE=alienmartian23;25474588]so a signal was sent 20 million years ago from a planet that might not exist
lol[/QUOTE]
Did you just pull that number out of your ass?
[editline]18th October 2010[/editline]
[QUOTE=Spidermn;25474633][url]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?1012521-Strange-alien-signal-coming-from-Gliese-581g-claims-scientist[/url][/QUOTE]
I tried doing a search but its disabled for non-mods... didn't see that thread.
What is this, Slashdot?
[QUOTE=ShukaidoX;25474659]Did you just pull that number out of your ass?
[/QUOTE]
Apparantly he did.
20 million years ago?
Are you stupid?
Another article on that site says the planet is 220 years away... As long as you can travel at one tenth of light speed.
20 Light years away. That's feasible.
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;25474689]20 million years ago?
Are you stupid?[/QUOTE]
Well, let's review your question by looking at his post and thread history.
I'd say he is. The planet mentioned is about 1.94×10^14 km from the Earth, which equates to be around 20 and a half light years.
Meaning, if they found us somehow, it could have been as little as 41 years ago.
[editline]17th October 2010[/editline]
Given that we (humans) began experimenting with radio technology largely during the early 1900's it's not unreasonable at all.
41 years over the span of centuries that other intelligences have had to evolve is like a drop in a bucket for their civilization.
Even if we never get to meet the aliens in person, we can always talk to him with light/radio. It'll be like interspecies bromance.
[editline]18th October 2010[/editline]
[QUOTE=ShukaidoX;25475022]41 years over the span of centuries that other intelligences have had to evolve is like a drop in a bucket for their civilization.[/QUOTE]
what
[QUOTE=teh pirate;25475028]Even if we never get to meet the aliens in person, we can always talk to him with light/radio. It'll be like interspecies bromance.
[editline]18th October 2010[/editline]
what[/QUOTE]
He's saying given the amount of time that life has had to develop and advance, 41 years is nothing. Communicating via radio signals or otherwise won't be effective. Ultimately we'll have to setup a meeting halfway and share information before expanding greatly.
Ever play any Fallout series games? Imagine an encounter with a life form that's developed in a completely different way. Advanced, but different. In Fallout, the focus on nuclear power rather than transistors lead to a different world.
Harness the two worlds technologies together? You're suddenly much more powerful than before. Tried to explain it in a simple way.
Personally, I don't think its far fetched to think that given all the time the universe has had to evolve intelligent species, that maybe some have technology in place to use wormholes, create dyson sphere-esque technology, and possibly even have technology in place similar to the obelisks in 2001. All intelligences share the common interest in the survival of a species, no? My guess is they must have an interest in a species like us with the capacity to spread to the stars, but ultimately may destroy themselves. How could they not?
[QUOTE=ShukaidoX;25475161]Personally, I don't think its far fetched to think that given all the time the universe has had to evolve intelligent species, that maybe some have technology in place to use wormholes, create dyson sphere-esque technology, and possibly even have technology in place similar to the obelisks in 2001. All intelligences share the common interest in the survival of a species, no? My guess is they must have an interest in a species like us with the capacity to spread to the stars, but ultimately may destroy themselves. How could they not?[/QUOTE] because when humans are like ants to you you will not care and when they get to that point they would be so smart that we would be very boring to them
Source isn't working.
We need to start spamming radio signals in their general direction.
You shouldn't make assumptions based on humans for how aliens would behave. What if they developed where they only seek to benefit themselves?
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;25475278]You shouldn't make assumptions based on humans for how aliens would behave. What if they developed where they only seek to benefit themselves?[/QUOTE]
This is a quite likely possibility as well, but you have to understand that we live in a universe that isn't black and white. As likely as there are for intelligences to develop into benevolent, divine beings, they is also the capacity for the development of species more callous and malevolent than we can possibly fathom. But like I said, its likely that it's a spectrum of species that fit anywhere and everywhere in between.
[editline]18th October 2010[/editline]
[QUOTE=CodeMonkey3;25475247]Source isn't working.[/QUOTE]
Fixed the source.
[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;25475261]We need to start spamming radio signals in their general direction.[/QUOTE]
bad idea
Back on the topic of benevolent and malevolent species; I recall a lecture from a UFO abductee named Alex Collier who claimed due to the location of our solar system (within one of the milky way's spiral arms) we live in a 'boondocks' of sorts in the cosmological neighborhood so to speak. The reason is that the center of our universe has more benevolent species than in the sporadic goldie-locks zones that contain life like us within the arms of the milky way. Interesting to consider when we think about meeting other intelligences.
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;25475278]You shouldn't make assumptions based on humans for how aliens would behave. What if they developed where they only seek to benefit themselves?[/QUOTE]
If they can use space travel then I think they god all there needs sorted out and would not really have a reason to use us
[QUOTE=Comcastic;25475427]bad idea[/QUOTE]
Basically this.
[editline]18th October 2010[/editline]
automerge...
[QUOTE=ShukaidoX;25475513]Back on the topic of benevolent and malevolent species; I recall a lecture from a UFO abductee named Alex Collier who claimed due to the location of our solar system (within one of the milky way's spiral arms) we live in a 'boondocks' of sorts in the cosmological neighborhood so to speak. The reason is that the center of our universe has more benevolent species than in the sporadic goldie-locks zones that contain life like us within the arms of the milky way. Interesting to consider when we think about meeting other intelligences.[/QUOTE]
Stars in the centure die out faster so I don't think that would be the case
Wouldn't be much of a problem for a space-faring race to take what they need from their home star and leave for another when needed. If they can harvest the power of stars with dyson spheres, I'm sure they are used to this.
We should try to avoid contact with extraterrestrial life until the majority of human beings are able to deal with the fact that we are not the only living things in the universe.
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