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I'm not the first to make this observation but our search seems limited by our imagination which in turn is limited by our current level of technology. In the V
by TheBlight 7y ago
I'm not the first to make this observation but our search seems limited by our imagination which in turn is limited by our current level of technology. In the Victorian era canals were considered a technological innovation. So we looked for canals on the surface of Mars and some of us were sure we saw them. Radio was invented so we decided to search for radio signals from space. The concept of solar panels was invented so we decided to see if any civilizations were covering their star with a fleet of them. Lasers were invented and recently we're talking about powering light-sail probes with them so now we have optical SETI. LIGO detected gravity waves and so... well you get that point. I don't think we shouldn't look for all of these things but I think we should temper expectations. My suspicion is in a couple hundred years the idea of looking for ET radio broadcasts will seem as silly as looking for canals on Mars does to us now.
- 6510 7y agoHow do we search for non-local non-corporeal beings?
- ncmncm 7y agoThe radio telescopes are programmed to report only signals that are varying at a rate that matches our own. Life working ten times slower or faster than us would be automatically ignored. The "Dyson Sphere" notion cracks me up every time. They are advanced enough to build so much space stuff it blocks starlight, but not advanced enough to have fusion power, so have to rely on solar panels? Might as well look for signal flags. Any actually advanced aliens will live out in the Kuiper belts where useful elements are conveniently frozen. Goldilocks planets are for extreme primitives.
- nitrogen 7y agoStars are by far the largest fusion reactors physically possible in any given system. It makes sense to use them as such if you can.
- ncmncm 7y agoWhat makes sense about relying on the "largest possible" variant of anything, when you can make small and portable ones, and bring them with you anywhere you need them?
- Causality1 7y agoIf you can build a Dyson sphere the idea of needing particular elements is probably irrelevant too. Assuming they aren't all electronic intelligences living in a virtual world, they could probably just convert bulk matter into whatever they need.
- ncmncm 7y agoStrangely enough, controlled fusion of light elements is overwhelmingly easier than constructing nuclei to order, which itself is overwhelmingly easier than creating atoms from pure energy. In any case, you need the energy. So, copious supplies of frozen light elements will be useful for much longer than one might imagine. Electronic intelligences living in a virtual world will depend on a reliable supply of both energy and computing substrate. There again, extreme low temperatures are beneficial to reduce signal noise and spontaneous decoherence.