If anybody's out there, what do we tell them?
By Scott LaFee
STAFF WRITER
October 13, 2004
Arecibo Observatory
Thirty years ago, a message to aliens was transmitted from the 1,000-foot-diameter radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The radio signal, shown below in a visual conversion, was directed toward globular cluster M13, 25,000 light-years away. Scientists don't expect a reply for another 50,000 or so years.
* Looking for aliens? then, do the math
Scientists recently decoded the first confirmed alien transmission from outer space. It said:
"Please send 5x10 atoms of hydrogen to each of the five star systems listed below. Then, add your system to the top of the list and delete the system at the bottom. Transmit copies of this message to 100 different solar systems. If you follow these instructions, you are guaranteed that within 0.25 degrees of a galactic rotation you will receive in return sufficient hydrogen stores to power your own civilization until the universe reaches inevitable maximum entropy. This really works!"
OK, it's only a joke, a cosmic/comic chain letter that's no more likely to happen than, well, promises of chain letters of the terrestrial type. But that's not to say there isn't an alien civilization somewhere in the far reaches of space with the ability ? and desire ? to communicate.
Why else do serious scientists at SETI ? the Search for Extraterrestrial Life ? scan the heavens for alien signals? Why did NASA stick iconic plaques on its first interstellar probes?
...
read the very interesting Story if anybody's out there, what do we tell them?
and remember one think
Q: Approximately how many stars are there in the universe?
A: The number of stars in the visible universe is estimated to be 70 sextillion, or 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 [seven followed by twenty-two zeros].
Three Tough Questions
Sir Ulli
By Scott LaFee
STAFF WRITER
October 13, 2004
Arecibo Observatory
Thirty years ago, a message to aliens was transmitted from the 1,000-foot-diameter radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The radio signal, shown below in a visual conversion, was directed toward globular cluster M13, 25,000 light-years away. Scientists don't expect a reply for another 50,000 or so years.
* Looking for aliens? then, do the math
Scientists recently decoded the first confirmed alien transmission from outer space. It said:
"Please send 5x10 atoms of hydrogen to each of the five star systems listed below. Then, add your system to the top of the list and delete the system at the bottom. Transmit copies of this message to 100 different solar systems. If you follow these instructions, you are guaranteed that within 0.25 degrees of a galactic rotation you will receive in return sufficient hydrogen stores to power your own civilization until the universe reaches inevitable maximum entropy. This really works!"
OK, it's only a joke, a cosmic/comic chain letter that's no more likely to happen than, well, promises of chain letters of the terrestrial type. But that's not to say there isn't an alien civilization somewhere in the far reaches of space with the ability ? and desire ? to communicate.
Why else do serious scientists at SETI ? the Search for Extraterrestrial Life ? scan the heavens for alien signals? Why did NASA stick iconic plaques on its first interstellar probes?
...
read the very interesting Story if anybody's out there, what do we tell them?
and remember one think
Q: Approximately how many stars are there in the universe?
A: The number of stars in the visible universe is estimated to be 70 sextillion, or 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 [seven followed by twenty-two zeros].
Three Tough Questions
Sir Ulli
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