[News] Is there life on HD164595b?

[Fungus]

See this is what I never get. Whenever there's a mention of alien life on another planet, they are ALWAYS apparently "far more advanced" than ourselves. Why ? They might be the equivalent of overdeveloped frogspawn lolling about in a swamp for all we know. I bet they haven't invented microwave ovens, the internal combustion engine, or Hollyoaks. What makes THEM so bloody clever eh ? EH ?

Frogspawn lolling about in a swamp would be too lazy to send signals. This means they have at least got TV, maybe even the Internet.

 

[halbpro]

I know you're JOSHING, but it is quite interesting. Obviously the reasoning is that for us to have detected signs of life, the signals we will receive will have been sent light years ago, meaning that they'll have had millions of years of evolution by the time we receive it. Equally, it makes me wonder whether less advanced life forms will find our own signals in millions of years from now.

It also makes me thing controlled time travel isn't possible. Perhaps worm holes and the likes make it possible in theory, but if it could be done on a whim, surely there'd be evidence of it.

Something can't be sent "light years ago", as light years are a measure of distance (the distance that light travels in one year to be exact). As radio waves travel at the speed of light, and the HD 164595 system is about 95 light years away, the signal would have been sent about 95 years ago, so they (probably) haven't undergone much evolution in the mean time.

However, they do have to be more advanced than us to be capable of sending the signal. The articles I've seen suggest that they'd need to be at least capable of capturing the entire energy output of their planet to broadcast this signal (assuming it's an artificial signal at all), which is a level we're not at yet.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets, the number one priority is, how are you going to communicate information? Even between different cultures here on Earth, you get into communication problems - Story Musgrave

 

[RandyWanger]

"The implications are extraordinary and point to the possibility of a civilization far more advanced than our own."

Surely they's have found us first?

 

[Curious Orange]

I don't believe there is life on HD164595b, as they clearly would all have died of boredom before they'd finished saying their planet's own name...

 

[Notters]

If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets, the number one priority is, how are you going to communicate information? Even between different cultures here on Earth, you get into communication problems - Story Musgrave

They are already among us.

 

[The Clamp]

They won't be looking for life, they'll be hoping there is no life. What they'll be looking for is it's potential to sustain life incase we break earth for good.

 

[Algernon]

 

[halbpro]

They won't be looking for life, they'll be hoping there is no life. What they'll be looking for is it's potential to sustain life incase we break earth for good.

Given there's a potentially artificial radio signal, they'll certainly be looking for intelligent life.

 

[Seasidesage]

Barber should be looking at arranging coaches from this planet to the Amex.

#Barberout

#Seagullsinspace

 

[happypig]

"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying." - Arthur C. Clark

 

[Prince Monolulu]

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Signal sent in 1921. If we reply now they'll receive our response in 2111.

 

[maltaseagull]

Signal sent in 1921. If we reply now they'll receive our response in 2111.

Blimey !
That's even slower than the post!

 

[whitelion]

Signal sent in 1921. If we reply now they'll receive our response in 2111.

No guarantee they'll respond immediately.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

No guarantee they'll respond immediately.

Especially as whoever sent it will be well over 200 years old by now.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It also makes me thing controlled time travel isn't possible. Perhaps worm holes and the likes make it possible in theory, but if it could be done on a whim, surely there'd be evidence of it.

I bet Tony Bloom wishes he could go back 5 years in time and offer Murray an improved contract...