Scientists Now Searching for "Alien Transit Systems"

a reply to: TXRabbit

No, but it's not in the least bit surprising.
Phage seems like everyone's favorite science teacher around here. With good reason of course.

So, 100k stars... Is that the point when a member is able to ignite fusion in their core and become a second Sun?

a reply to: pfishy

To be honest, I was actually very surprised that I even hit 100. I'm just some middle-of-the-road nobody who likes science and stirring the pot a little.
Kind of makes me wonder how accurate a measure of popularity or respect or appreciation or whatever, the stars actually are.
But no matter their value, 100k is still impressive.

originally posted by: TXRabbit
Anyone else notice that Phage is approaching 100k stars? :-)

Child's play.
Chicken feed.
Rinky-dink.
Bush league.

Harte

originally posted by: trifecta
This is another "Made to Fail" SETI distraction.

Microwaves used for Sails?! Propulsion emissions?! Are these thespians serious?! Sure let's look for starfaring, alien civilization who employ either mirror technology, or assume their advanced propulsion even emits harmful waste, fallout, or signatures. Sure, advanced life uses propulsion that normally sterilizes fertile ground, or contaminates environments and their indigenous constituents. Makes perfect sense! Who scripts this chaff?

Want confirm alien life? Deregulate civilian enterprise of space travel and communication. Remove government influence and their corporate puppets.

I totally agree with you...these guys are dumbing us down...like everything else lately ..we run in reverse...remember how Star Trek started with all this wonderful technology being imagined and displayed in the movies inspiring millions to dream about travelling through the stars?? and slowly reversed to the point where Scott Bakula was flying a stripped down version of a space ship that was so small and ugly looking compared to the other Entreprise ships?? What happened?? ..we run out of smart Sci Fi writers?? Why all the "reverse" thing...why not look forward ? We have landed on the moon in '69..what happened since then?? stalling and reverse...scrap the space shuttle and return to rockets...oh..and promises..lots of promises...but no major breakthrough..except mars rovers and some probes .

a reply to: Nairda

Yeah, I certainly agree that we still have plenty of use for a reusable orbiter. The shuttles were fantastic ships. But, they weren't capable of reaching anything but Low Earth Orbit. The altitude at which the Hubble orbits was pretty much the ceiling for the Shuttles. The SLS (Space Launch System) currently in development is going to be more powerful than the Saturn V. So, the new rockets are actually necessary to bring astronauts back to the Moon or anywhere else.

Here is one for ya. The next president cancels the entire space program. Everything. Until the CIA and the Military finally turn over to mainstream science what they know (or have) concerning the production of gravity.

I wonder who would be a good POTUS choice for that

originally posted by: charlyv
Here is one for ya. The next president cancels the entire space program. Everything. Until the CIA and the Military finally turn over to mainstream science what they know (or have) concerning the production of gravity.

I wonder who would be a good POTUS choice for that

Offhand, I'd have to say Alfred E. Neuman.

Harte

originally posted by: rollanotherone
a reply to: JadeStar

This was all I could think of when the quoted article described the theoretical apparatus.
design.osu.edu...

tron.wikia.com...

Not surprising since the idea that solar sails, light sails, magsails could be a viable means of space travel pre dates that sci-fi movie.

a reply to: Harte

“The probability of success is difficult to estimate,” wrote co-authors Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison, “but if we never search, the chance of success is zero."

It would be nice to know that there are other planets out there with advanced life but I am already convinced of that, so the only real benefit in finding advanced life is to open two way communication so we can learn from one another. Now if we are lucky to find another planet in our immediate vicinity its still going to take at least a couple of hundred years to say hello and get a reply unless faster than light communications is feasible. And if faster than light communications is feasible, its a sure bet advanced life will be proactive using that technology, instead of electromagnetic spectrum, to search for life.

originally posted by: glend

“The probability of success is difficult to estimate,” wrote co-authors Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison, “but if we never search, the chance of success is zero."

It would be nice to know that there are other planets out there with advanced life but I am already convinced of that, so the only real benefit in finding advanced life is to open two way communication so we can learn from one another.

There is a difference between believing and knowing for sure though. And I would say there are benefits of knowing for sure even if the advanced life was non-communicative or even extant.

Finding out that other advanced life evolved anywhere else in our galaxy or universe would confirm the following:

1) life is not rare
2) advanced life like us is not a fluke
3) there are plenty of other advanced civilizations out there (in astronomy there's an expression "if you find one there's probably a billion" because the chances of finding things in astronomy often are very slim so being lucky enough to find something new means it's probably not that rare).

a reply to: JadeStar

Great post! I find stuff like this fascinating. (I want to believe!)

And then my evil humorous side takes over and says something stupid like:

They find alien transit systems quite often along our southern border!


badaboom!

originally posted by: bbracken677
a reply to: JadeStar

Great post! I find stuff like this fascinating. (I want to believe!)

And then my evil humorous side takes over and says something stupid like:

They find alien transit systems quite often along our southern border!


badaboom!

If I were an alien from light years away I'd take one look at the debate over that issue and stay the hell away from Earth.

a reply to: JadeStar

"Stupid humans!! Do they really believe we are crossing the river or tunneling under the border?!"

a reply to: JadeStar

Perhaps another potential benefit in finding intelligent life in our universe might be the changing of our nature from warring creatures to that of research. If we could avert part of the annual global military expenditure ($1.7 trillion) into research, funding of projects like the High Definition Space Telescopes would be a breeze.

Perhaps the best way to find ETI ...

CFCs are a good candidate for detecting industrial activity, as they are not produced by natural sources. Additionally, searching for industrial pollution expands the window of time that we could detect ETI. Some CFCs have a lifetime of decades while others will be detectable for thousands of years. Detection of a short-lived CFC in the atmosphere of another world could therefore indicate an industrially active civilization—much like our own, while longer-lived CFCs would indicate that a polluting civilization existed sometime within the last 10,000 years or so.
link

Go find ETI for us Jadestar.

It's a waste of time. Resources should be spent on solving problems at home. Although I can understand people for wanting to take such a job; it's the perfect getaway from society just looking at the stars.

Second reason is even if we did detect spacecraft, then we would all know we're not alone but also know the other probably already knows about us and doesn't want to meet us. Come to think of it, it might become a good reason for us to change our ways so maybe they'll like us instead. But other than that it's only logical a spacefaring civiilization out there will find us first.

originally posted by: johnnyjoe1979
It's a waste of time. Resources should be spent on solving problems at home.

Aren't plenty of resources already spent on solving problems at home? The amount of money involved in this stuff by comparison is miniscule.

Although I can understand people for wanting to take such a job; it's the perfect getaway from society just looking at the stars.

Well it's also a case of, because we can, we should try. That's how human knowledge about our world and universe has always advanced.

Second reason is even if we did detect spacecraft, then we would all know we're not alone but also know the other probably already knows about us

Most scientists already accept that if there are aliens advanced enough to build spacecraft or even just advanced telescopes anywhere nearby in our galaxy they most certainly know about us.

See this article: Forget Space Travel: Build This Telescope

and doesn't want to meet us.

And could you blame them? Humans have enough issues with other human with differences which would be minor in comparison. Not to mention they most likely wouldn't be a few hundred or a few thousand years more advanced but millions and perhaps even billions of years more advanced due to the relative youth of our Earth and solar system compared to most star systems in our galaxy (which on average are 2 billion years older).

Come to think of it, it might become a good reason for us to change our ways so maybe they'll like us instead. But other than that it's only logical a spacefaring civiilization out there will find us first.

But as you said, just because they spotted us doesn't mean they would wish to make contact. So it's worth it for us to conduct our own search for them if that's the case.

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: JadeStar

Perhaps another potential benefit in finding intelligent life in our universe might be the changing of our nature from warring creatures to that of research. If we could avert part of the annual global military expenditure ($1.7 trillion) into research, funding of projects like the High Definition Space Telescopes would be a breeze.

Perhaps the best way to find ETI ...

CFCs are a good candidate for detecting industrial activity, as they are not produced by natural sources. Additionally, searching for industrial pollution expands the window of time that we could detect ETI. Some CFCs have a lifetime of decades while others will be detectable for thousands of years. Detection of a short-lived CFC in the atmosphere of another world could therefore indicate an industrially active civilization—much like our own, while longer-lived CFCs would indicate that a polluting civilization existed sometime within the last 10,000 years or so.
link

Go find ETI for us Jadestar.

I'm working on it.

Excellent article by the way. I very much hope we build that and other telescopes under consideration. We will find ET in my lifetime if they are out there and nearby. I'll do my best to help in the search.

originally posted by: johnnyjoe1979
It's a waste of time. Resources should be spent on solving problems at home. .

Yes...all scientific endeavors that do not provide an immediate and profound positive affect for man are bad!!

Pure research: BAD BAD BAD

Scientific research: BAD

Lets just focus on making food and babies.. wait..hold off on the babies, but definitely more food. Babies are good though.... making them are fun.

a reply to: johnnyjoe1979

Life isn't a popularity contest. But, regardless, do you really think that proving the existence of intelligent life beyond our planet means nothing? Do you honestly think it wouldn't change the entire dynamic of life on Earth?