Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Powerful Radio Signal from Deep Space

sciencealert.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 54 posts

Re: Powerful Radio Signal from Deep Space

#11

Post by jcims »

agoodthrowaway wrote: post #4

One thing that I wonder is whether we could ever identify an alien communication signal as an alien signal is likely to be much more advanced. In that scenario, the alien civilization is likely to be able to send their signal at the Shannon limit. Additionally an advanced civilization is likely to be sending signals optically instead of over radio waves. But even if we assume radio waves, Shannon says that the you ca…

Plus dispersion of the signal would smear the modulation quite a bit, possibly making it even more difficult to detect and decode.

Re: Powerful Radio Signal from Deep Space

#14

Post by richthegeek »

martin_a wrote: post #9
Koshkin wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A hostile invasion that follows will be the ultimate proof.

Don't worry, it will most probably be limited to the USA. Aliens always land there.

Usually they take a quick detour to destroy Big Ben and the great wall of China first, but after that it's straight to a plucky American kid's backyard.

Re: Powerful Radio Signal from Deep Space

#15

Post by zenmaster10665 »

agoodthrowaway wrote: post #4

One thing that I wonder is whether we could ever identify an alien communication signal as an alien signal is likely to be much more advanced. In that scenario, the alien civilization is likely to be able to send their signal at the Shannon limit. Additionally an advanced civilization is likely to be sending signals optically instead of over radio waves. But even if we assume radio waves, Shannon says that the you ca…

if they are sufficiently advanced, they would likely understand that other civilizations require primitive bands/encoding?

Re: Powerful Radio Signal from Deep Space

#19

Post by Angostura »

> an alien signal is likely to be much more advanced.

... and therefore they will probably think to themselves 'maybe we shouldn't talk too fast and say things as simply as possible... if we want to increase the likelihood of being understood'.

Re: Powerful Radio Signal from Deep Space

#20

Post by willis936 »

agoodthrowaway wrote: post #4

One thing that I wonder is whether we could ever identify an alien communication signal as an alien signal is likely to be much more advanced. In that scenario, the alien civilization is likely to be able to send their signal at the Shannon limit. Additionally an advanced civilization is likely to be sending signals optically instead of over radio waves. But even if we assume radio waves, Shannon says that the you ca…

Humans are not “advanced” in this context yet we already operate at the Shannon limit. Our channels are pristine compared to interstellar space. In order to send any information at interstellar distances you either need AGN levels of power or to slow your signal rate many orders of magnitude.
Post reply on HN