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Do you ever wonder if someone is looking back?

wuthton

By wuthton
in The Astro Lounge

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wuthton

wuthton

Posted
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If you have the most rudimentary grasp of distance and physics then you know that the chance of contact with an alien civilisation is essentially zero.

BUT do you look to the night sky and wonder if someone is looking back? 

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Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

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Even if actual face-to-face 'contact' is extremely unlikely, it is human-nature to wonder if we are alone - or if we have company in our universe. Such explains why scientists at UC-Berkeley set up SETI - the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence:

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/index.php

And why they have access to the enormous radio-telescope array in Arecibo - Puerto Rico. And we all have the means to allow our home computer(s) to, when not busy with other matters, crunch numbers in this search. And why I am an active participant in this.

Clear Skies & Little Green Men,

Dave

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laser_jock99

laser_jock99

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I'm certain life exists elsewhere in the Universe. I equally certain that the vast differences in time and distance will mean we will never make contact with another civilisation. The best we can hope for is to detect for 'echoes' of long past alien life.

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Treeden

Treeden

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If you have the most rudimentary grasp of distance and physics then you know that the chance of contact with an alien civilisation is essentially zero.

That is undoubtedly true.... if our understanding of distance and physics is complete.  :smiley:

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wuthton

wuthton

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That is undoubtedly true.... if our understanding of distance and physics is complete. :smiley:

Very true as it is a mere blink of the eye in our existence since we thought that the earth was flat.... But... Speed of light...

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PatrickGilliland

PatrickGilliland

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We can have all the tech we want, we rely on the senses we developed to survive our planet and perception of existence, even with the biggest radio telescope or super fandangled super device we may not be able to perceive the information that might be hear now!

Physics is an undeniable barrier to what we can comprehend but biology may be the true limiting factor.

On the maths side if you take an approximation of galaxies X stars X potential planets (goldilocked) and devide by average hydrogen atoms per cm cubed in space (6) maths startes every 22 to the power of 10 to the power of 100 a human will be duplicated at a molecular level. This number is greater than 1 and if the universe is essentially infinite then the repeating factor is too. I.e. Not only is someone looking, back you are!

Paddy

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wuthton

wuthton

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We can have all the tech we want, we rely on the senses we developed to survive our planet and perception of existence, even with the biggest radio telescope or super fandangled super device we may not be able to perceive the information that might be hear now!

Physics is an undeniable barrier to what we can comprehend but biology may be the true limiting factor.

On the maths side if you take an approximation of galaxies X stars X potential planets (goldilocked) and devide by average hydrogen atoms per cm cubed in space (6) maths startes every 22 to the power of 10 to the power of 100 a human will be duplicated at a molecular level. This number is greater than 1 and if the universe is essentially infinite then the repeating factor is too. I.e. Not only is someone looking, back you are!

Paddy

The distance can't be ignored, a radio conversation would need to be conducted across many generations.

It is nice to think that someone is looking in our direction even if it was a million years ago.

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Paul M

Paul M

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I like the idea that the water here on Earth today is the same water that was here when the dinosaurs were knocking about. So it could be argued that at least one of the molecules of water in your body spent some time inside a dinosaur. Perhaps it was simply drank and expelled as waste, if you know what I mean.

It's something that can't be ruled out.

In the same way, when I'm stood looking through my telescope there is usually some stray light. Some of it will reflect of my head and some of those photons will escape into space and be added to the general luminance of our solar system. To an alien somewhere across our galaxy who observes our Sun in the distant future some of those photons entering his instrument will be those that reflected off my head.

So, perhaps when we look at some distant star, some of that light might be the reflected light off an alien retina?

I play the lottery too :D

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SniffTheGlove

SniffTheGlove

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Existence of Aliens will be as hard to prove and Ghosts on Earth are.

Do they exist?

We are relying of the electro-magnetic spectrum to to listen for Aliens at SETI and they are paranormal hunters on earth using the electro-magnetic spectrum to try and capture EVP's etc.

Some people think Aliens are impossible, some people think Ghosts are impossible.

One day we will find out if either are possible.

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Viewmaster

Viewmaster

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BUT do you look to the night sky and wonder if someone is looking back? 

If they have many moons around their planet the LP may be so great as to prevent them from looking back anyway.

They will be listening though, just as we have been for over 50 years.

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trazor

trazor

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If they have many moons around their planet the LP may be so great as to prevent them from looking back anyway.

They will be listening though, just as we have been for over 50 years.

50 years is but a blip in the timeline of the universe.

Their may be intelligent life forms, that have existed for a million years or more, we could possibly be insects to them........ :shocked:  :shocked:

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wuthton

wuthton

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t is always going to be lonely as the others will always be so far as to all intents and purposes not exist.

I couldn't agree more but in all probability there is someone out there looking at the Milky Way and we're there looking straight back.

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Charic

Charic

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I always smile and wave back, those images from satellites are totally mind blowing, day or Night!

As for life forms further afield, YES. There should  be something, somewhere? 

If our race can put landers onto  Comets, or photograph  Saturn looking back with Earth in the image, it won't  be long before something is discovered,  if not already discovered, but just kept quiet,  on a need-to-know basis?. Look at Roswell, was that just a weather balloon incident, or the electrical socket in the Moon rock image, prop maybe or did they really land ? 

I once worked from a secure site, the stories will go on forever? If  you ever ask I would have to use my Neuralyzer to erase your memory?  :glasses7:

Probability says yes, there will be something that can be considered Alien, and yes, possibly looking back with envious eyes............music commences!

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