Other Solar Systems

[skybirds]

Recently a planet has been imaged around a distant star.
The disc of some of the larger stars has been resolved.
The space telescopes have been succesful in accomplishing
this. It would be nice to get a close up of an Earth sized
planet or resonable reconstruction. It is fun to see Saturn
through a telescope. I wonder if we will have the technology
to be able to resolve these distant planets within a decade
or two. It would be interesting to detect a signal from outside
the solar system if they exist. Apparently in the seventies a
WOW signal was detected but nothing since to my knowlege.
I wonder if we have the technolgy to detect a signal or will
have it in a decade or two.

[ShotoJuku]

I wonder if we have the technolgy to detect a signal or will
have it in a decade or two.

April 5th 2063

[scorched]

Well maybe we can detect it before Zefram launches the phoenix and has to fly blindly into space.

April 5th 2063

[blu2blu]

Star Trek references. Epic!

[skybirds]

CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL! The aliens are communicating!

[dcan]

[skybirds]

ATT TMobile or Sprint regardless ET's
roaming charges must be astronomical!

[dcan]

Recently a planet has been imaged around a distant star.
The disc of some of the larger stars has been resolved.
The space telescopes have been succesful in accomplishing
this. It would be nice to get a close up of an Earth sized
planet or resonable reconstruction. It is fun to see Saturn
through a telescope. I wonder if we will have the technology
to be able to resolve these distant planets within a decade
or two. It would be interesting to detect a signal from outside
the solar system if they exist. Apparently in the seventies a
WOW signal was detected but nothing since to my knowlege.
I wonder if we have the technolgy to detect a signal or will
have it in a decade or two.

While it sounds romantic to find intelligent life on another planet, the reality is that (a) life-sustaining planets are extremely rare, (b) any intelligent life capable of producing such a signal will be at least as intelligent and powerful as we are, and © evolution dictates survival of the fittest. In other words, we would eventually be at war, and likely that would be one of the first interactions with any alien race -- struggle over habitable worlds.

Given that, and given that they know that, and they know we know, and we know they know we know, ad nauseum, the only rational choice is a first strike with a relativistic kill vehicle designed to destroy the opposing civilization. Because, since they've worked out the probabilities as well and came to the same conclusion, they will be preparing a first-strike for us as well. Or, they could use a modified AI-driven von Neumann probe to seek out intelligent life that could potentially pose a threat to their civilization, and once the AI determines the life it finds is evolving into a potential future threat the probe could begin terminating the species. So if they send a von Neumann probe our way -- or already have? how would we know? -- then they could be monitoring us for future colonization, or resource gathering, or trade, or maybe they just want to watch re-runs of I Love Lucy. Who knows?

It's crazy, MAD on steroids, but it makes sense. Is it worth risking the existence of your entire species on the hope that a creature completely alien to your entire way of thinking would be peaceful? Maybe it will see you as lunch, or a slave, or simply an obstacle to get to your resources. And they see you as just a big a threat as you see them.

Scifi movies have made much of the trope of the evil alien invader, but if you look at history, you could easily make an alien invasion movie about the Conquistadores. The results were not very good for the native population.

[ryoder]

The worst of all scenarios is that we find unintelligent life living in a communal society and when they see our progress and productivity they guilt trip us into sharing our wealth with them. Even worse, a large interstellar United Federation of Planets oversees interplanetary wealth redistribution on a galactic scale. I do not want to discover planet Marxicom or Libtardia

[LaterBloomer]

Thanks, dcan. I figured we'd all join hands or fins or whatever and sign Kumbiaya (spelling?). Now I won't be able to sleep tonight. As a liberal, ryoder's version would be a lovely fairy tale that would give me sweet dreams!