Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
1–10 of 68 posts
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#2What’s the worst that could happen?
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#3I prefer a Dark Forest strategy for approaching the universe.
If anything, we should be thinking about how to emit less radiation that can be traced back to Earth into space.
Best case: aliens send us technology via morse code.
Worst case: relativistic projectile from advanced civilization destroys Earth.
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#4This seems to me like shining a laser pointer randomly up into the sky and hoping someone from a passing plane sees it?
Is this practical given the vastness of space and the directionaality of this laser?
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#5especially if those astronomers live in nearby systems, such as around Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth, or TRAPPIST-1, a star about 40 light-years away that hosts seven exoplanets, three of which are potentially habitable. If the signal is spotted from either of these nearby systems, the study finds, the same megawatt laser could be used to send a brief message in the form of pulses similar to Morse code.
“If we were to successfully close a handshake and start to communicate, we could flash a message, at a data rate of about a few hundred bits per second, which would get there in just a few years,”
40 light years in "just a few years"? So this laser beam travels faster than the speed of light?
In any case, I don't open my front door and flash my lights to invite strangers off the street, and I don't think we should be doing the same thing to strangers from outer space, you never know if it's an interstellar axe murderer and if they meet us at our planet, then they are already known to be far more technologically advanced than we are so there's nothing we can do to stop them.
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#6What’s the worst that could happen?
What's the best that could happen? No such thing as a free lunch.
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#7This seems to me like shining a laser pointer randomly up into the sky and hoping someone from a passing plane sees it? Is this practical given the vastness of space and the directionaality of this laser?
Well not just a plane passing overhead, a plane passing overhead 200 years from now.
Maybe we should be aiming the big laser at Oumuamua. With a big HEY COME BACK HERE message.
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#8especially if those astronomers live in nearby systems, such as around Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth, or TRAPPIST-1, a star about 40 light-years away that hosts seven exoplanets, three of which are potentially habitable. If the signal is spotted from either of these nearby systems, the study finds, the same megawatt laser could be used to send a brief message in the form of pulses similar to Morse code.…
I would venture a guess that all so-called intelligent life seeks make use of anything that it can get its hands on and order it according to its will. If this is true, then you really don't ever want to meet other intelligent life. At best they would integrate you into their economic system, just like we integrate people with lower intelligence into our economic system... or underdeveloped countries for that matter. A bit worse would be making us into slaves, which might appeal to their humanity. Most likely is simply to eliminate us and take the planet for their own colony and keep us as pets.
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#9This seems to me like shining a laser pointer randomly up into the sky and hoping someone from a passing plane sees it? Is this practical given the vastness of space and the directionaality of this laser?
Let's hope that there are no interstellar laws against shining lasers at other star systems.
Re: Existing laser tech could be used for “porch light” to attract alien astronomers
#10especially if those astronomers live in nearby systems, such as around Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth, or TRAPPIST-1, a star about 40 light-years away that hosts seven exoplanets, three of which are potentially habitable. If the signal is spotted from either of these nearby systems, the study finds, the same megawatt laser could be used to send a brief message in the form of pulses similar to Morse code.…
> such as around Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth, or TRAPPIST-1, a star about 40 light-years away...
I don't think they are asserting that the laser beam travels faster than the speed of light. I think they are referring to Proxima Centauri being about 4 light-years away from Earth [0].