The plaque we sent out to space

[Yeeek]

Ok i'm not a buff in this matter, but wouldn't be easier for an eventual extra terrestrial civilization to catch a radio message emitted from earth than catching some spooky looking satellite in the void?

 

[Che Guava]

Yeah, theyd see it as primitve interstellar porn spam

heh heh...maybe they would send us back one: have you been paying too much for interstellar calls? 30-day free trial....

 

[Godwynn]

Ok i'm not a buff in this matter, but wouldn't be easier for an eventual extra terrestrial civilization to catch a radio message emitted from earth than catching some spooky looking satellite in the void?

Yes. This is also the reason why NASA attached a plaque to the Voyagers. At first the scientists were afraid that if the plaque was picked up in space, it may be by malicious extra terrestrials. But they reasoned that if there were malicious extra terrestrials, they would have already found Earth through our radio signals.

 

[Yeeek]

Yes. This is also the reason why NASA attached a plaque to the Voyagers. At first the scientists were afraid that if the plaque was picked up in space, it may be by malicious extra terrestrials. But they reasoned that if there were malicious extra terrestrials, they would have already found Earth through our radio signals.

This just struck me as odd, because aren't we emitting radio waves every second from earth?

 

[Godwynn]

This just struck me as odd, because aren't we emitting radio waves every second from earth?

We are.

For better or for worse. I can't stand half of the stuff spewed out on the radio and I'm a human, think of what an alien would think if he listen to 50 cent.

 

[El_Machinae]

The signal strength of the stuff we current transmit is not very high. Our military radar pulses could be heard with SETI levels of technology up to 40 light years away, but there's no message in those.

We've sent a signal, though, a couple decades ago.

IMHO, it's likely that eventually humanity will contact a peer species (one with similar levels of resource needs). IMHO, it's also likely we'll contact an inferior species first, but that has more assumptions built in.

 

[AceChilla]

heh heh...maybe they would send us back one: have you been paying too much for interstellar calls? 30-day free trial....

Obviously with that picture, they are going to send spam offering penis enlargement pills.

 

[Yeeek]

Honestly in our time i don't believe governements would go ahead and tells the population of Earth they've made contacts with an extra terrestrial civilization. It would be a shock for a lot of people and mainly, the ones who are religious.

I mean, wouldn't it just render useless all faith people have? what are the different religion's view on the thought that one day perhaps tomorrow we have contact with another species from a galaxy, not too far away.

 

[El_Machinae]

Whether we deem them to be sentient or not will make a huge difference.

I don't think the government is looking for ETs, so they're unlikely to be able to stop word from getting out regarding a discovery.

 

[Bluemofia]

Im not an alien, but I could look at that and easily interpret it to be a declaration of war. The invasion fleet has already left the third planet with plenty of breeding pairs to populate the conquered territory. Hydrogen bombs will be used.

Then how do you interpret the sounds and music that they put on a record that each one carries as well with sounds form Earth?

Greetings in like a hundred languages, sounds of nature, and Beetoven's Ode to Joy?

 

[blackheart]

Then how do you interpret the sounds and music that they put on a record that each one carries as well with sounds form Earth?

Greetings in like a hundred languages, sounds of nature, and Beetoven's Ode to Joy?

Lions roaring and Mozart are definitely declarations of war.

 

[jimbob27]

IMO if aliens ever come across this plaque, the first thing they'll think is "Look at those small genitals"

Look.... its cold up in space. Give the guy a break.

If you were floating around 1000's of lightyears away from home, with only a vagina-less woman for company, you'd have shrivelled as well.

 

[bhsup]

Honestly in our time i don't believe governements would go ahead and tells the population of Earth they've made contacts with an extra terrestrial civilization. It would be a shock for a lot of people and mainly, the ones who are religious.

I mean, wouldn't it just render useless all faith people have? what are the different religion's view on the thought that one day perhaps tomorrow we have contact with another species from a galaxy, not too far away.

- It is human arrogance, and nothing more than that, which would make anyone of faith to presume that God chose this little ball of iron, and only this ball of iron, out of all the universe to populate with life

 

[Caprice]

I happen to think the thing makes perfect sence. Yeah, I can't actually interpret all of the details specified, but any scientist from a sentient, spacefaring society should be able to interpret it if equipped with a sufficiently open mind.

But they reasoned that if there were malicious extra terrestrials, they would have already found Earth through our radio signals.

By this reasoning, would we be considered malicious due to our active attempts to detect extra-terrestrial signals?

 

[warpus]

We are.

For better or for worse. I can't stand half of the stuff spewed out on the radio and I'm a human, think of what an alien would think if he listen to 50 cent.

You know what would be even scarier?

If aliens came to Earth in giant spaceships and blasted gangsta rap above our major cities.. thinking that it would be a nice gesture to play us something we're used to.

"Mr.President, we have made contact with the aliens, and they want your b%&@%es"

 

[Caprice]

If aliens came to Earth in giant spaceships and blasted gangsta rap above our major cities.. thinking that it would be a nice gesture to play us something we're used to.

Wouldn't shock me entirely... is probably the only signals "loud" enough to make it to their planets.

 

[FreeTerminus]

Well, it may be complex, but I don't really see what more we can do - we can't very well write it in an Earth language and just hope that they happend to have developed the exact same language on their planet So, reducing the method of communication to binary makes sense to me.

 

[CaptainF]

Regardless of whether or not aliens exist, we won't be able to contact them for a long time I feel.

 

[aaglo]

That plaque is obviously a cry for help: "we need viagra!"

 

[Narz]

Do they have a radar on that thing? Can they keep track of where it it?