What if?

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Message 1780761 - Posted: 20 Apr 2016, 17:09:10 UTC

What if we started searching for gamma rays instead of radio waves?
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Message 1780764 - Posted: 20 Apr 2016, 17:12:35 UTC

My first thought is that gamma rays aren't generated by normal human actions. Radio waves are a entwined part of our lives. I would wonder what an alien civilization would be doing that would generate gamma rays, without causing harm to themselves.

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Message 1780772 - Posted: 20 Apr 2016, 17:53:37 UTC

You did get me thinking a bit. Radio waves can be modulated and carry communication. I am not sure if gamma rays could carry communication, other than a binary on/off mechanism. If gamma rays were somehow being produced at high levels by an alien civilization, and weren't modulated or pules in some form, it would be fairly difficult to distinguish them from other natural causes.

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Message 1781657 - Posted: 23 Apr 2016, 14:25:09 UTC - in response to Message 1780772.  

You did get me thinking a bit. Radio waves can be modulated and carry communication. I am not sure if gamma rays could carry communication, other than a binary on/off mechanism. If gamma rays were somehow being produced at high levels by an alien civilization, and weren't modulated or pules in some form, it would be fairly difficult to distinguish them from other natural causes.

Steve


It could be a possibility IMHO.

I should be working instead of posting..... Snicker.


LOL :D
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Message 1781679 - Posted: 23 Apr 2016, 15:40:16 UTC

It is possible to modulate gamma-waves, but one has to be more than extremely careful, get it wrong, point it in the wrong direction, or.. and you will end up frying things. Probably not a very practical way of transmitting over vast distances as they do get scattered very readily by annoying little things like Hydrogen atoms...
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Message 1781737 - Posted: 23 Apr 2016, 18:49:47 UTC - in response to Message 1780764.  

My first thought is that gamma rays aren't generated by normal human actions. Radio waves are a entwined part of our lives. I would wonder what an alien civilization would be doing that would generate gamma rays, without causing harm to themselves.

Steve

Perhaps they have found the magic element with a electron spin transition to build a gamma ray laser. Would be a nasty weapon, or perhaps a power source for a light sail type of space probe?
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Message 1782286 - Posted: 25 Apr 2016, 6:14:30 UTC - in response to Message 1781737.  


Perhaps they have found the magic element with a electron spin transition to build a gamma ray laser. Would be a nasty weapon, or perhaps a power source for a light sail type of space probe?


As I believe in highly evolved intelligence throughout space, I want to +1 that.
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Message 1782381 - Posted: 25 Apr 2016, 14:28:31 UTC - in response to Message 1780772.  
Last modified: 25 Apr 2016, 14:31:38 UTC

You did get me thinking a bit. Radio waves can be modulated and carry communication. I am not sure if gamma rays could carry communication, other than a binary on/off mechanism. If gamma rays were somehow being produced at high levels by an alien civilization, and weren't modulated or pules in some form, it would be fairly difficult to distinguish them from other natural causes.

Steve

I should be working instead of posting..... Snicker.


Gamma Rays are just a very high frequency i don't see any reason why it could not be used to modulate a signal on to it ...it would probably be a good choice for interstellar communication since as far as i know has the ability to pass through smaller asteroids etc ...besides from beeing deadly to us hrhrhr

back in school we used a 1500W microwave took the part out and modulated a tv signal onto it ....works like crap over a longer distance but it does work
I came down with a bad case of i don't give a crap
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Message 1783021 - Posted: 27 Apr 2016, 21:44:47 UTC

detecting warp signatures? that might work for non-cloaking space races
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Message 1784599 - Posted: 4 May 2016, 0:17:40 UTC

What if other intelligence does not WANT to be found (modification to ‘L’ in the Drake equation) - I am just finishing a sci-fi book with this central question - Earth in particular is a young planet orbiting a young star with a VERY nascent ability to radiate EM waves (radio, etc.) - do we really want to alert anyone out there that we are here - just like indigenous tribes sending emissaries across an ocean – chances are almost a certainty based on stats that any other intelligence would have to be MUCH more advanced and given earth’s experience VERY dangerous to come in contact with – inferior civilizations never fair well in these circumstances – maybe ALL intelligent civilizations come to the same conclusion and find a way to block any radiation out of their system to avoid such encounters – I would.
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Message 1784712 - Posted: 4 May 2016, 12:34:50 UTC
Last modified: 4 May 2016, 12:49:40 UTC

do we really want to alert anyone out there that we are here -


In the case of a highly evolved intelligent species I'm sure they already know we are here.

What if other intelligence does not WANT to be found


I think you might be right on this.

I also think that the cosmic background radiation can provide us with a lot of information concerning the history of our universe.



Found an interesting article on the subject:

http://arxiv.org/abs/1412.3886


Full article:

http://arxiv.org/pdf/1412.3886v1.pdf
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Message boards : SETI@home Science : What if?


 
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