Much as I enjoy SF scenarios with good or bad aliens suddenly turning up to throw all kinds of spanners into the works (and I've been a serious SF junkie since I first discovered the metier as a kid), I have to agree with you on this one, Slip.
Our planet has been sending out artificial electromagnetic radiation for less than 100 years - at a strength which could be dectected at a distance of more than a couple of light years for much less than that, probably since the mid 50s. So we're talking about a bubble of space with a radius of 50 light years (since c is the speed of radio, TV, EMP, etc. signals leaving our planet). So, given the size of our Galaxy (radius 50,000 ly and average thickness 1,000 ly), around 0.00001% of the galaxy can conceivably know that we are (possibly) there (if they are looking and their instruments are very accurate and sensitive [after all, they have to filter our signals out from the chaotic electromagnetic kaleidoscope of the sun, many magnitudes greater than those which we produce]). How many alien civilizations are out there? Those interested can check out the Fermi paradox or, maybe better, the Drake equation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation is a good introduction to the subject. Depending on the values given to the different variables defined by Drake, different figures are obtained concerning how many communicative technological civilizations are present in the Galaxy at any one time. One of the most optimistic suggests 5,000. Taking this estimate, there's a 0.5% chance that one of them is within the 50 ly bubble. Then, of course, there are further questions - do they travel in interstellar dimensions and, if so, how fast? Even with FTL drives (let's say a factor of 10), they'd have to have set out straight after receiving the first discernable signals to be capable of reaching us any time soon. All of Drake's variables are subject to intense discussion. However, one estimate in the wikipedia article, where the setting of each variable is at least discussed, reaches the conclusion that there are 2.31 communicative technological civilizations present in our galaxy at any one time. In that case, them darn aliens sure are a long way away. Unless, of course, they're already here. Given a lot of things going on around here, from George W. to gabby's posts (;-)), I'm sometimes pretty sure they are! Francis On 7 Mai, 15:01, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > What if switching names is a schizophrenia indication? Think of the > implications, the ramifications, the alienation from the alien > nation. > > Truth is that any aliens approaching our solar system to the point of > our ability to detect presence would be more light years away than we > have time left to live. > > On May 7, 7:30 am, nupur rana <[email protected]> wrote: > > > why is neone not bothered about the aliens..... wat if you people get > > eaten......or turned into playmates for giant alien babies....... > > > On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 1:44 PM, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Umm imagine golf in near zero gravity! Splendid. > > > > On 6 May, 16:16, "pol.science kid" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > what about aliens......and animals.. and sports...... > > > > > On May 6, 7:55 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Hopefully trash would be broken down to its molecular state and > > > reassembled into useful goods, a la Star Trek. > > > > > > [ Attached Message ]From:"pol.science kid" > > > > > <[email protected]>To:"\"Minds > > > Eye\"" <[email protected]>Date:Wed, 6 May 2009 05:48:59 -0700 > > > (PDT)Local:Wed, May 6 2009 5:48 pmSubject:[Mind's Eye] Re: Space Community > > > > > > where will you throw the trash? i mean we already have a trash belt > > > > > orbitting earth puncturing our satellites.... and how will you decide > > > > > who goes there? what if they all die! what if they get kidnapped by > > > > > aliens and have weird experiments done on them... and will they keep > > > > > animals there.... will there be money thre.what kind of > > > > > economy....socialist or capitalist?will they have > > > > > sports..... and i think the community will be called ' > > > > > Astro hippies'.cool huh... > > > > > > On May 6, 12:45 pm, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > As my mind has been dwelling on the idea of a viable self supporting > > > space > > > > > > community some where in asteroid belt where it would harvest > > > > > > asteroid > > > for > > > > > > the raw materials to expand the base . Now my idea involves the > > > community > > > > > > being entirely self supporting with out the aid of any government, > > > very much > > > > > > a private enterprise. > > > > > > > I keep wondering just how it would be referred to on earth? > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > ( > > > > > > ) > > > > > > I_D Allan- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
