Mystery of interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua gets trickier

Post by 14 » Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 5:38 PM UTC

throwaway316943 wrote: post #68

kentonv wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That could only be true if they are intentionally hiding from us, rather than replicating and harvesting the solar system as fast as they can. But personally I have a hard time believing that hyper-intelligent devices would care about avoiding detection by lowly biological organisms like us.

If the mission of the probe is exploration then it doesn’t need to consume all of the resources of a solar system. It just needs enough to make a few copies to reach the nearest handful of stars. If they are using light sails as propulsion they probably need barely anything. I don’t have a hard time believing that an advanced civilization would choose hiding as the default method of exploration. Anything from the dar…

Post by nvrspyx » Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 5:39 PM UTC

burtonator wrote: post #71

kentonv wrote: post #47

My pet theory (which is not intended to be taken too seriously) is that it is indeed a discarded light sail, and that light sail in particular was used to transport a Von Neumann probe which detached at some point after the object entered our solar system but before we first observed it. This detachment, in addition to leaving the sail tumbling, would have changed its trajectory, meaning our estimation of which direc…

> Realistically, though, it's too much of a coincidence that such a probe would first arrive so soon after we gained the ability to conceive of it. It is based on TIME but our conception of it would be independent. I think a lot of what's part of the drake equation is merited on overlap. It's entirely possible that other civilizations have been created and died out LONG before mammals even evolved. IF you factor in j…

Post by licebmi__at__ » Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 5:58 PM UTC

burtonator wrote: post #71

kentonv wrote: post #47

My pet theory (which is not intended to be taken too seriously) is that it is indeed a discarded light sail, and that light sail in particular was used to transport a Von Neumann probe which detached at some point after the object entered our solar system but before we first observed it. This detachment, in addition to leaving the sail tumbling, would have changed its trajectory, meaning our estimation of which direc…

> Realistically, though, it's too much of a coincidence that such a probe would first arrive so soon after we gained the ability to conceive of it. It is based on TIME but our conception of it would be independent. I think a lot of what's part of the drake equation is merited on overlap. It's entirely possible that other civilizations have been created and died out LONG before mammals even evolved. IF you factor in j…

Post by rbanffy » Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 6:03 PM UTC

Post by Izkata » Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 6:05 PM UTC

sdenton4 wrote: post #58

sandworm101 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First sign? The first was probably the irrigation canals spotted on mars. Then repeating radio signals. The face on mars. Tabby's star. Each had their day as the first sign . The first real detection won't be some slight variance that we debate for years but solid evidence. If Oumuamua was a triangle, that would be solid evidence. It isn't aliens until it is.

Well, even a 'giant triangle' may still not be enough... There is a giant hexagon on Saturn, after all. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn%27s_hexagon