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We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035
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Good deal. Apparently, we're reaching a point in digital processing where a far, far larger portion of the radio dial (radio waves seem the mostly likely byproduct of alien civilizations, given the way the physical laws of the universe work) can be examined at one time.

What would have once taken centuries, even, may now take only two decades -- and the science boffins should be able to examine 1 million star systems within that 20 years. Given estimates that there are between 10,000 and a few million radio-broadcasting alien societies out there, the likelihood of finding one of them among the 1 million star systems to be examined seems like it could lead to a discovery.

"While these efforts are broadly similar to what’s been done for decades, they are not your daddy’s SETI. The rapid growth in digital processing means that far larger swaths of the radio dial can be examined at one go and—in the case of the Allen array—many star systems can be checked out simultaneously. The array now examines three stars at once, but additional computer power could boost that to more than 100. Within two decades, SETI experiments will be able to complete a reconnaissance of 1 million star systems, which is hundreds of times more than have been carefully examined so far. SETI practitioners from Frank Drake to Carl Sagan have estimated that the galaxy currently houses somewhere between 10,000 and a few million broadcasting societies. If these estimates are right, then examining 1 million star systems could well lead to a discovery. So, if the premise of SETI has merit, we should find a broadcast from E.T. within a generation. That would spare me the expense of buying you a cup of coffee.

Furthermore, scientists have been diversifying. For two decades, some SETI researchers have used conventional optical telescopes to look for extremely brief laser flashes coming from the stars. In many ways, aliens might be more likely to communicate by pulsed light than radio signals, for the same reason that people are turning to fiber optics for Internet access: It can, at least in principle, send 100,000 times as many bits per second as radio can. These so-called optical SETI experiments have been limited to looking at one star system at a time. But like their radio cousins, they’re poised to become speedier as new technology allows them to survey ever-wider tracts of sky."

Why the search for alien technology is about to get much more efficient

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah but absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence :)

Got to keep in mind too, we're talking about intelligent aliens akin to us. Some of the stuff I've seen argues life is inevitable on any earth-like planet, and there are probably millions or billions of those out there. My understanding is life gives a particular chemical signature in the atmosphere so we should be able to tell in the not too distant future if any of those planets we've discovered have life on them or not.
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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Nope, we shouldnt necessarily know by then. We may never know, thanks to the size of the universe and rate of expansion.

who's smarter than you're? i'm!
Last edited by: veganerd: Oct 6, 17 6:36
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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I heard it here first.

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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We're too curious for our own good. Better off to mind our beewax than to continue down this path.

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [len] [ In reply to ]
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len wrote:
I heard it here first.

I've never been wrong in one of my prognostications (okay, we won't talk about McCain-Obama and Romney-Obama LOL! ;-).

Also, I was first here to break the Bin Laden takedown back in 2011, so my news chops and bona fides are impeccable! Hahahahaha!

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [BLeP] [ In reply to ]
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BLeP wrote:
We're too curious for our own good. Better off to mind our beewax than to continue down this path.


We've never be able to do that, which is something proven over and over again throughout history. We're like Pandora and the box, bay-bee. ;-)

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
Last edited by: big kahuna: Oct 6, 17 8:08
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [ThisIsIt] [ In reply to ]
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ThisIsIt wrote:
Yeah but absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence :)

Got to keep in mind too, we're talking about intelligent aliens akin to us. Some of the stuff I've seen argues life is inevitable on any earth-like planet, and there are probably millions or billions of those out there. My understanding is life gives a particular chemical signature in the atmosphere so we should be able to tell in the not too distant future if any of those planets we've discovered have life on them or not.

Actually, I'm with you on this. I think that any life we find is going to be as you're implying: not nearly as "advanced" as we are and maybe even just bacterial or single-celled at this point. We could be too early in the universe, something that'll be a colossal bite in the hiney for all us science fiction geeks. :-(

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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Let's hope the aliens have The Apprentice Tapes. No one else seems to have them.
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [Old Hickory] [ In reply to ]
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Old Hickory wrote:
Let's hope the aliens have The Apprentice Tapes. No one else seems to have them.

Hahahahahaha! Those tapes are with the Obama-Rashid Khalidi tapes. ;-)

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: We Should Know Whether or Not Aliens Exist by 2035 [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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