I think it was Socrates that said. "I know nothing but I know what I don't know."

An ET- society which is trying to communicate (radio signals) with other hypothetical civilisations reminds me of our own society.
In a very anthropocentric point of view they would be very similar to homo sapiens. Similar technology.. discovery spirit… And the transmitted signal would be easy to detect for us, but I think it would be maybe impossible for us to decode any information out of such signal.

it would be maybe impossible for us to decode any information out of such signal.

I actually think that it would be easy--if only we would examine any strong signal that we think is extraterrestrial. Switching the carrier on and off followed by a fixed interval of silence would allow us to detect the counting out of prime numbers, the fist 50 digits of Pi and other well known sequences. This would indicate that the signal contained intelligence and came from an advanced civilization. Next we would look for a pictograph or type of video frame. If you look at the one that was transmitted by us at one time you can see that the location of the signal and the configuration of our species could be given.



With a little more imagination you could see that they could easily begin instruction in their numeration system and their alphabet.

If a signal is sent our way purposely I think it is safe to assume the sender will include a primer to unlock the language of the message. Likewise, if an alien society is trying to find other civilizations around the galaxy it makes sense that they will send the signal via a means that primitives like us detect and understand. Why take the time and effort to send a signal that either can't be detected or can't be understood.

On the other hand if we accidentally intercept private messages between alien outposts or between alien space vehicles understanding the contents may be nearly impossible. But such intercepts are most likely not going to happen.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Sure, mathematic seems to be universal, and so this aspect would be no problem for us. But what about the linguistic barriers between ET and humans? And maybe they use different ways of thinking... Imagine a eusocial species communicating via chemical compounds (like ants), such a species would be aware of the world they are living in in a way we can’t hardly imagine.

They probably don't speak English:) Could be they don't even have vocal chords and every communication goes through sign language or maybe even telepathy.

such a species would be aware of the world they are living in in a way we can’t hardly imagine.

+1

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rOZZ
Music
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But if we trust some biologists, an intelligent extra-terrestrial species would be a bilaterally symmetrical organism, with a bipedal locomotion, 5 fingers, cephalization and using the same senses as we do…etc... In fact they would be very similar to homo sp. They justify this idea with the biological principle of convergent evolution. :-)

Run that by me again in English?

I'd be interested in a citation for this supposed biologist who claims all of that as well, especially the five fingers part.

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citation for this supposed biologist who claims all of that as well, especially the five fingers part

I can't give you now a excat citation, but Simon Conway Morris worte a book about convergent evolution. Life's Solution. Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe.

Run that by me again in English?

is my english so bad? :-D

Hello!
i took some reading on matter of detection for SETI, and found some non very nice stats ( hope, i be misunderstood) -
1.Signal received from seti is about 107 seconds or so from one region ( point) in sky.
2. the search is for repetitious signal, designed as special signal to "ET call".
it means, we no find a ET radio / tv communications, but for special ET communication signal ( who, for example, earth not producing at all). seems it be a very narrow signal, and must aimed to solar system. very uncommon situation, imho - in that situation, even if we have 100 habitable planets, even with civilization level comparable with us, in 100 ly radius, i think, in that way we find nothing.

thats all is even without subject of that theme - can we even can detect aliens signal, i e can sort out - that is signal produced by sapiens, not by natural...

there are some project, who try determine variable stars, pulsars, quazars signals to get be more or less sure, it been not modulated artifically by some signal?

i think, we not use detection things right, even in that electromagnetic spectre, who is available for us. and there always can be some signal change types, who not available for us, like we do not imagine there can be communication via radio, only 300 years ago....

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To me the point is that we are listening for a transmission from another intelligent civilization that is at least as advanced as we are. If there is an alien civilization that is space faring or at least capable of broadcasting radio signals then I think it is fair to make a few assumptions about them regarding their physiology. I can't imagine a creature without arms or fingers being able to construct things like rocket ships or even radios. If ET is out there and wants to make contact with us they will find a common denominator and initiate communication with us poor dumb earthlings.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

looks like, you do not study that problem deep enought.
even not say your own civilization no send any special signal to our "sapiens brothers" at all - civilizations can be sorted by energy, who their can use / command. our level civilizations do not have energy for wide, broadband radio transmitting on big distances. yes, we have technically possibility to sent narrow signals - but what is a chance, your narrow signal - say, 1/10 degree wide - can get in this way any civilization? and if they analyze for repetite signals, as looks do SETI, then trancmitter must be sitting on cosmos, because our planet rotate, and cannot send the same signal 24/7 to one sky point, and so on. there is a huge technical problems for that "communicating", not say about fears, our signal can be intercepted by agressive civilization, who getting to us, and treat us in any way, what they want...

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not say about fears, our signal can be intercepted by agressive civilization, who getting to us, and treat us in any way, what they want...

Them's good eat'n.

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not say about fears, our signal can be intercepted by agressive civilization, who getting to us, and treat us in any way, what they want...

Them's good eat'n.

Wonder if they'd 'prepare' soylent green as well...

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rOZZ
Music
Pictures

I have a copy of Slim Whitman's "Indian Love call" song. In case things were to go shall we say, pear-shaped. It worked in Mars Attacks. :)

ET might not have a need to communicate like us, maybe evolved beyond the necessity of communicating. Then again they could be whales on a water world. If the drake equaition is correct we should hear something but we are so far from other stars our chances of getting to another star are slim at best. Any messages would lose all the guts of the message but leave a carrier wave.

Everybody seems to be missing the point. The only ET's we want to contact are those at approximately the same level of advancement as us and who communicate in a similar fashion. A civilization thousands or millions of years ahead of us would have absolutely nothing in common with us and most likely would not even bother even if we came knocking. It would be like us communicating with ants. As for aquatic intelligent life, they may be smarter than us but I don't see how they could build any interstellar means of communication let alone spacecraft. Living in the water is too easy and does not encourage the development of tools and technology.

I believe somewhat in convergent evolution. Given a similar gene pool to start with if intelligence does develope it ought to at least generally resemble us. The dinosaurs dominated for millions of years and weren't even close to becoming an intelligent species. We have been here for about a million years and are on the verge of moving out into the stars.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

A civilization thousands or millions of years ahead of us would have absolutely nothing in common with us and most likely would not even bother even if we came knocking.

H:Knock knock.
A: Who's there?
H: It is I a bearer of good news.
A: What news?
H: The news that the Universe is 6,500 years and was created in 6 days and if you don't listen you will cast forever in to the lake that burneth with fire.
A: Who left the warp door open again? Call animal control.

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A civilization thousands or millions of years ahead of us would have absolutely nothing in common with us and most likely would not even bother even if we came knocking.

H:Knock knock.
A: Who's there?
H: It is I a bearer of good news.
A: What news?
H: The news that the Universe is 6,500 years and was created in 6 days and if you don't listen you will cast forever in to the lake that burneth with fire.
A: Who left the warp door open again? Call animal control.

Your post makes me totally unsure of where you are coming from. If you truly believe the whole place is only 6,500 years old then you are just a troll seeking conflict and I don't understand why you are a member here.

If on the other hand you agree that the universe is billions of years old and that it is possible that ET exists I don't understand your humor.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

nflict and I don't understand why you are a member here.

If on the other hand you agree that the universe is billions of years old and that it is possible that ET exists I don't understand your humor.

You said if we (humans) came knocking would they (aliens) answer. Probably not if the human that came knocking was spouting nonsense. It was a door ringing proselytizer joke but if one has to explain it it missed it's mark.

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