Sending signals into space continously into space in hopes of contact a good thing or a bad thing?
If the point is to make contact with aliens that have some capability to intepret these signals/intelligence.
How do we know they will be friendly. Why are we taking this chance? It could be hit or miss...they could be helpful or they could be hostile. Why take this chance? Is the reward worth the risk? Its similiar to putting your life's savings on the line and you could lose it all or double it. How many people would be willing to do this? And why is this being done without the public choosing if they want this or not?
The first transmitted signals from humans (which, by the way,among them, was Hitler's speech to rally Nazis) haven't even reached the edges of our ow solar system's oort cloud.
The first transmitted signals from humans (which, by the way,among them, was Hitler's speech to rally Nazis) haven't even reached the edges of our ow solar system's oort cloud.
Not true. You must be thinking about TV signals - it is true that one of the first TV broascasts was of Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - a point made famous in the movie "Contact." However, radio transmissions have been going on ever since the invention of the "wireless" in 1895. Broadcasting of human voice was first done in 1906. Commercial radio broadcasts started in 1920. So radio signals with human voices, music etc have travelled around 102 light-years, which puts the leading edge of radio signals way beyond the Oort Cloud (which has a radius of about 3 LY), and even past the closest 1000 or so stars.
Voyager has a never ending greeting being broadcast on it's never ending travels through the milky way galaxy.
The Golden Record
Both Voyager spacecrafts carry a greeting to any form of life, should that be encountered. The message is carried by a phonograph record - -a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan of Cornell University. Dr. Sagan and his associates assembled 115 images and a variety of natural sounds. To this they added musical selections from different cultures and eras, and spoken greetings from Earth-people in fifty-five languages.
Not true. You must be thinking about TV signals - it is true that one of the first TV broascasts was of Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - a point made famous in the movie "Contact." However, radio transmissions have been going on ever since the invention of the "wireless" in 1895. Broadcasting of human voice was first done in 1906. Commercial radio broadcasts started in 1920. So radio signals with human voices, music etc have travelled around 102 light-years, which puts the leading edge of radio signals way beyond the Oort Cloud (which has a radius of about 3 LY), and even past the closest 1000 or so stars.
So, in fact all the transmissions, meaning radio, tv, communications etc, are travelling into space?
So, in fact all the transmissions, meaning radio, tv, communications etc, are travelling into space?
Sure. Radio/TV transmissions are radio waves - which means they are a form of light. So just as the light from stars can travel many light years through space, so too can radio waves. Like ripples in a pond - if you have a pond of almost infinite size and drop a stone in it, how far do the waves travel? Astronomers routinely study stars, galaxies, etc at radio wavelengths because their relatively long wavelengths can more easily penetrate through the dust, allowing them to "see" further into the galaxy core. Of course, the further they go the weaker they get - power goes as the inverse square of the distance - and so given the relatively weak signal strength of commercial broadcasts the power level of these transmissions after traveling tens or hundreds of light years is so weak that it is doubtful they could be discerned from the background noise. For example, if there were intelligent life on a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri (the nearest star to us after our own sun - about 3 LY away), and they were broadcasting radio or TV using the same technology and power levels as our own commercial stations, it is doubtful that we on earth would be able to pick it up, even using the powerful Arecibo radio telescope.
Voyager has a never ending greeting being broadcast on it's never ending travels through the milky way galaxy.
The Golden Record
Both Voyager spacecrafts carry a greeting to any form of life, should that be encountered. The message is carried by a phonograph record - -a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan of Cornell University. Dr. Sagan and his associates assembled 115 images and a variety of natural sounds. To this they added musical selections from different cultures and eras, and spoken greetings from Earth-people in fifty-five languages.
I don't believe that it's broadcasting, it just has the record on board - an alien civilization would have to work out how to play it in order to hear the data. (There are very convoluted instructions on the cover, designed so that a civilization with knowledge of fundamental physical constants would be able to play it, maybe)
I say we should communicate despite any potential risk. Since Earth is essentially a closed system, and if it isn't, then the solar system is, all closed systems fall towards entropy, then someday we as a race will have to leave the planet. So why not start looking for digs now.
Maybe somewhere out there there is a galatic homeowners union that will allow us to become their new neighbors.
Seriously though, what could really turn out to be cool is if the speed of light can be exceeded by some sort of superlominal signaling device. Then think of the conversations we could have! I know there's a great deal of debate, but the recent BBC report sure sounded exciting. I can only imagine what will be learned at CERN in the next couple decades.
I say we should communicate despite any potential risk. Since Earth is essentially a closed system, and if it isn't, then the solar system is, all closed systems fall towards entropy, then someday we as a race will have to leave the planet. So why not start looking for digs now.
Maybe somewhere out there there is a galatic homeowners union that will allow us to become their new neighbors.
Suppose we find a hospitable planet to live at an other galaxy. How can we ever actually go there?
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