• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

A strong signal from a neighboring solar system has E.T. seekers speculating

gdgyva

gdgyva

DP Veteran
Joined
Jun 23, 2014
Messages
13,024
Reaction score
6,994
Location
Near Atlanta Georgia
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Slightly Conservative
SETI has been listening to the universe at 1420 MHz, the emission frequency of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. They reasoned it was the one obvious astronomical commonality we would share with an unknown civilization and that they would recognize it too. Now, SETI's honing in on a new blip in the radar.

Is someone trying to phone home? Astronomers at the SETI institute have detected "a strong signal" in the direction of HD164595, a star 95 light years from Earth. At least one Neptune-sized planet orbits this star.

It was observed by the RATAN-600 radio telescope in Zelenchukskaya, in southern Russia. If the signal did come deliberately from a beacon broadcasting in all directions, as SETI is theorizing, it would require the technology of an advanced civilization, capable of converting energy from a nearby star into communication and power, as Paul Gilster reports in his blog Centauri Dreams. There are a few theories on why a civilization would send out this kind of signal, including a graffiti tag style "We were here" message, an ode to glory days, a funeral pyre or an SOS call for help.

A strong signal from a neighboring solar system has E.T. seekers speculating - AOL

it would be asinine to think we are the only intelligent life out there

is this a sign of other life? i dunno....

could it be?

makes you wonder just how insignificant we really are at times, doesnt it
 
Why is it important that we consider ourselves insignificant?
 
While I would bet every dollar I have that we aren’t the only life in the universe I would also probably bet a significant amount of money that this isn't a signal from such life forms. Every single potential signal we have found since doing this turned out to have other natural explanations. Sometimes those natural explanations were pretty freaking cool, but still not intelligent life.

But while I would bet this isn’t a signal of intelligent origin, it is a bet I would be thrilled to lose.
 
gdgyva said:
it would be asinine to think we are the only intelligent life out there
Click to expand...

Until there's a shred -- and by this, I mean the tiniest iota -- of evidence that there is, it's most certainly NOT an asinine thought.

Anything else is pure speculation, driven more by desire of wanting there to be intelligent life out there than anything else. And "supported" by the same kinds of "proofs" which have traditionally been used to "prove" the existence of a God.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
If anyone gets in touch, let them know some of us want off this planet.
Will work for space travel and escaping nutters.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be funny if we ended up being the Ferengi?
 
Harshaw said:
Until there's a shred -- and by this, I mean the tiniest iota -- of evidence that there is, it's most certainly NOT an asinine thought.

Anything else is pure speculation, driven more by desire of wanting there to be intelligent life out there than anything else. And "supported" by the same kinds of "proofs" which have traditionally been used to "prove" the existence of a God.
Click to expand...

how good are you at math?

i know enough not to buck the kind of odds that life has to exist elsewhere in the universe

and some of that life will have developed over the eons just as we have

the only questions are:

1. will we find them?
2. will they find us?

since the area is so vast and open, those are the only two questions....not if life exists....but will we find it
 
gdgyva said:
how good are you at math?
Click to expand...

Irrelevant.

i know enough not to buck the kind of odds that life has to exist elsewhere in the universe
Click to expand...

Give me the exact, mathematical mechanism for calculating those odds, and make sure you don't include a heaping helping of the speculation I referenced earlier.


and some of that life will have developed over the eons just as we have
Click to expand...

Speculation exactly like this.

the only questions are:

1. will we find them?
2. will they find us?

since the area is so vast and open, those are the only two questions....not if life exists....but will we find it
Click to expand...

This all pre-supposes such life exists, with not one shred of evidence that it does.
 
Manc Skipper said:
You'd rather assume that everything revolves around us?
Click to expand...

So if there's someone 95 light-years away, so what? A liberal like you should insist we increase food stamp distribution, instead of spending on nonsense like looking for aliens. Don't you have a food stamp rally to attend?
 
American said:
So if there's someone 95 light-years away, so what? A liberal like you should insist we increase food stamp distribution, instead of spending on nonsense like looking for aliens. Don't you have a food stamp rally to attend?
Click to expand...

Of dear! Did somebody step on your inferiority complex?
 
gdgyva said:
SETI has been listening to the universe at 1420 MHz, the emission frequency of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. They reasoned it was the one obvious astronomical commonality we would share with an unknown civilization and that they would recognize it too. Now, SETI's honing in on a new blip in the radar.

Is someone trying to phone home? Astronomers at the SETI institute have detected "a strong signal" in the direction of HD164595, a star 95 light years from Earth. At least one Neptune-sized planet orbits this star.

It was observed by the RATAN-600 radio telescope in Zelenchukskaya, in southern Russia. If the signal did come deliberately from a beacon broadcasting in all directions, as SETI is theorizing, it would require the technology of an advanced civilization, capable of converting energy from a nearby star into communication and power, as Paul Gilster reports in his blog Centauri Dreams. There are a few theories on why a civilization would send out this kind of signal, including a graffiti tag style "We were here" message, an ode to glory days, a funeral pyre or an SOS call for help.

A strong signal from a neighboring solar system has E.T. seekers speculating - AOL

it would be asinine to think we are the only intelligent life out there

is this a sign of other life? i dunno....

could it be?

makes you wonder just how insignificant we really are at times, doesnt it
Click to expand...

Kill 'em....kill 'em all.
 
Being a amateur astronomer for many years,, I have no reason NOT to believe that life exists out there somewhere, In some form.. And if it ever landed her and asked for volunteers, I would sign up in an instance to fly across the galaxy,, Can you imaging the views? Lets go fly through the Orion Nebula,, Or take a spin past the Hercules cluster..

djl
 
bmr528 said:
Being a amateur astronomer for many years,, I have no reason NOT to believe that life exists out there somewhere, In some form
Click to expand...

There's no evidence against it, but that's not how science works. If you want to establish something, you need evidence for it.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
I want them to be Vulcans, so I can have a more consistent life, with more consistent people/things.
This planet we have is lacking.
Click to expand...

While being more logical is laudable, I don't think to the exclusion of any emotion would lead to a very fulfilling or enjoyable life.
 
gdgyva said:
SETI has been listening to the universe at 1420 MHz, the emission frequency of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. They reasoned it was the one obvious astronomical commonality we would share with an unknown civilization and that they would recognize it too. Now, SETI's honing in on a new blip in the radar.

Is someone trying to phone home? Astronomers at the SETI institute have detected "a strong signal" in the direction of HD164595, a star 95 light years from Earth. At least one Neptune-sized planet orbits this star.

It was observed by the RATAN-600 radio telescope in Zelenchukskaya, in southern Russia. If the signal did come deliberately from a beacon broadcasting in all directions, as SETI is theorizing, it would require the technology of an advanced civilization, capable of converting energy from a nearby star into communication and power, as Paul Gilster reports in his blog Centauri Dreams. There are a few theories on why a civilization would send out this kind of signal, including a graffiti tag style "We were here" message, an ode to glory days, a funeral pyre or an SOS call for help.

A strong signal from a neighboring solar system has E.T. seekers speculating - AOL

it would be asinine to think we are the only intelligent life out there

is this a sign of other life? i dunno....

could it be?

makes you wonder just how insignificant we really are at times, doesnt it
Click to expand...

The odds of us finding other intelligent life that has adopted and utilizes radio technology are absurdly low. While it's probable that life exists on other planets and may even be abundant in the universe you have to keep in mind that of all the species that exist on earth now and all the species that have come before us we're the only ones to regularly use tools. Is it possible that live evolved in a way parallel to earth on another planet? Sure, in a quantum sense. But what that means is that hoping to find a radio signal from another intelligent species is roughly the equivalent of hoping a ham sandwich into existence. It could happen but don't bank on it.
 
American said:
So if there's someone 95 light-years away, so what? A liberal like you should insist we increase food stamp distribution, instead of spending on nonsense like looking for aliens. Don't you have a food stamp rally to attend?
Click to expand...

Jesus somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed today
 
American said:
No, just wondering about your confused priorities.
Click to expand...

I can support space exploration AND a strong social safety net. I'm skilled like that.

So, what is the single thing you support?
 
Deuce said:
I can support space exploration AND a strong social safety net. I'm skilled like that.

So, what is the single thing you support?
Click to expand...

I'm sure YOU can, I'm so sure you can support cutting defense to nothing (even though it is #1 on the Constitution to-do list), and social programs (not on the Constitution to-do list) and space exploration (not on the Constitution to-do list). I know liberals are good at everything EXCEPT what the founders thought the purpose of the Constitution was. You don't have to tell me, I've known you for years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom