Seth Shostak's Article

[spaceman186000mps]

<br />http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_whattosay_041202.html<br /><br />Now here's a guy who thinks like me.<br /><br /><br />Sooooo... What would you posters ask a being from another species first? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">70 percent of novel proceeds </font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">www.trafford.com/06-1593</font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff"> are donated to </font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">www.caringbridge.org</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

I wouldn't recommend us uploading the Internet to an alien species. There is too much information that can be misinterpreted without a working knowledge of the human "condition."<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[summoner]

Yeah, that would be scary. They'd think we're a bunch of nympho's. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />I like Seth, i think he's the closest we have to Sagen right now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:271px;background-color:#FFF;border:1pxsolid#999"><tr><td colspan="2"><div style="height:35px"><img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/htmlSticker1/language/www/US/MT/Three_Forks.gif" alt="" height="35" width="271" style="border:0px" /></div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

I like Seth too. I just don't think uploading the net is a great idea. After all, if we have to guard our kids against certain exposures, why would we want to subject aliens to the same?<br /><br />I can see it now: An interstellar lawsuit against Earth for peddling porn to alien kids. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[nexium]

Because of the very broad bandwidth of the internet we would need a trillion watt transmitter driving an antenna with a gain of a trillion to upload the internet. If the aliens are at the distance of our Moon, the 2.7 second transmission delay for each click of the mouse would be very annoying for an alien using an ISP. Neil

 

[spaceman186000mps]

Okay ... I do see Your point about the confusion.<br />But think about it for a moment ... <br /> We, (humans) as a society, are as a whole, the total of what we are. The good and the bad.<br />If You wanted to spy or secretly zero in on an alien world, Wouldn't we learn a great deal if we could log in to their computer network? <br /> That is of course, assuming that (they) the aliens do have computers. <br /> Suppose though for a moment, that if aliens ever contacted beings on earth that they communicated with whales first since they do have the largest brains of any known mammal on planet Earth?<br /><br />I also see the point about delayed transmission and band width, but we're assuming again that they (the aliens) see or visualize in the same frequency of light spectrum that humans see in. <br />Perhaps the frequency of a WHALE's voice is in the infrared range and we as humans only hear the the outer edge of the band width that bleeds over into our hearing frequency range?<br />Perhaps it even exceeds light speed?<br />Sure I know, nothing can. <br /> But then again, I do wonder if we give ants proper credit for their intelligence also? <br /> Or... what would be their opinion of humans? <br />Maybe to whales and ants we humans don't exist.<br />That is of course again assuming that I myself am a human also.<br /><br />http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/humpbackwhale/behavior.cfm <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">70 percent of novel proceeds </font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">www.trafford.com/06-1593</font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff"> are donated to </font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">www.caringbridge.org</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[spaceman186000mps]

Certainly, N-body problem solving would provide a great deal of knowledge.<br /><br />http://www.ams.org/new-in-math/mathnews/nbody.html<br /><br />http://www.amara.com/papers/nbody.html<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">70 percent of novel proceeds </font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">www.trafford.com/06-1593</font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff"> are donated to </font></strong><strong><font size="2" color="#3366ff">www.caringbridge.org</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[pizzaguy]

<font color="yellow">What would you posters ask a being from another species first?</font><br /><br />When you kill me, can you do it painlessly? <br /><br />EDIT: This post is not meant to be funny. I am answering the question. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1"><em>Note to Dr. Henry:  The testosterone shots are working!</em></font> </div>

 

[meteo]

That's probably right. I'm guessing that the average technological lifetime of a civilization is MUCH longer than we've been technological. I belive technolgy advance is exponential. So I believe in less than 200 years we will be gods realitive to where we are now, assuming we last that long. I can't even imagine what comes after that.

 

[mcbethcg]

I believe that science has answered most questions and that technological advances have been coming slower and slower and slower, and will eventually stop coming entirely.<br /><br />The reason that the theory of relativity has not been overturned is that its correct.<br /><br />The reason that the discovery of DNA has not been refuted is that its correct.<br /><br />Modern discoveries and inventions, today, are merely fine tuning. <br /><br />We are reaching the end of an era of scientific discovery.

 

[meteo]

<font color="yellow">The reason that the theory of relativity has not been overturned is that its correct.</font><br /><br />Realitivity is a special case of physics that only applies to large scales. It isn't incorrect it explains the large scales excellently, but it is incomplete. The field of astrophysics is yet to explain MANY things.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">The reason that the discovery of DNA has not been refuted is that its correct.</font><br /><br />It is correct, sure but our understanding of DNA is pretty elementary. When we can say code an elephant from scratch like we're writing computer code that would be a mature understanding of DNA. This is a long way off.<br /><br />This sounds like a good idea for a new thread. "Greatest unanswered questions in science."

 

[mcbethcg]

In 1880, we were enteringing the age of scientific discovery.<br /><br />In 2004, we are entering the end of it.<br /><br />Face it: There have been no significant advances in many fields for many years.<br /><br />Cars go no faster than they did 60 yerars ago- they are merely safer and more efficient and more expensive.<br /><br />We reached the zenith of manned atmospheric flight 40 years ago with the Blackbird.<br /><br />We reached the zenith of space exploration 30 years ago with the moon missions.<br /><br />For thousands of years, the paradigm was that Aristotle was the last word, that there was no new science.<br /><br />For hundreds of years the paradigm was that technology would continually improve.<br /><br />But lately the only major advances in technology have been in electronics and biology.

 

[CalliArcale]

<b>Face it: There have been no significant advances in many fields for many years.</b><br /><br />I disagree, though I suppose since "significant advance" is a largely subjective phrase, that may be a matter of opinion.<br /><br /><b>Cars go no faster than they did 60 yerars ago- they are merely safer and more efficient and more expensive.</b><br /><br />Why do cars have to go faster in order to be better? 60 MPH is a good speed for most purposes. And why are "safer" and "more efficient" not as significant as "faster"? What makes raw speed more significant in determining the technological level of an automobile?<br /><br />Cars have improved tremendously since the 1940s, and people now survive crashes with minimal damage that would've been fatal sixty years ago. What is it that makes an improvement in survivability unimportant?<br /><br /><b>We reached the zenith of manned atmospheric flight 40 years ago with the Blackbird.</b><br /><br />In the sense of speed, or altitude? Why are either of those the overriding factors? A similarily arbitrary measure might be capacity. In that case, you might argue that we've had no progress since 747 (except for improvements in the 747 itself) or one of the big cargo jets. Is it a sign of no progress that we still use B-52 and C-130?<br /><br />Seriously, raw records are fun statistics, but they are not always a good measure of technological advancement -- and technology does not always mirror advances in science, so you really can't judge scientific discovery based on technology anyway. Is it the pinnacle of aviation to get one guy going from New York to Los Angeles in just over an hour at the edge of space? Or is it more significant that you can get practically anywhere in the world in a day or two, on the spur of a moment, without even owning a plane, because of the massive international commercial aviation infrastructure? Is it more significant that the SR-71 could take spy pictures of the situation in Israel and Egypt, defusing <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[bobvanx]

My question:<br /><br />"How did intelligence evolve in your peopple?"

 

[jmeyer]

"What would you posters ask a being from another species first?"<br /><br />I'd have to ask an alien if when it leaves (assuming it was not here for war) if it was planning on coming back to Earth for any reason, and if so, would it be cool if I rode along.<br /><br />I'd even offer to bring the beer.<br /><br />