The Galactic NSA

With all of us (well, some of us anyway) increasingly concerned with guarding our privacy, we may be forgetting that on the cosmic scale, there is none.

The first public radio broadcast was in 1910, and the first television broadcasts began in 1928. Since then our culture (mostly pop culture) has been transmitted out into space for all would-be voyeurs to witness. Radio and television signals have been zooming at light-speed since the earliest transmissions.

This thread isn’t so much about how we’re sending information ‘out there,’ nor about what technologies are being used to transmit and receive—but how we’re representing ourselves to a larger community.

Instead, I’d like to ask who’s out there and what they would think of what they’re seeing. (Even if no one is out there, it’s a little discouraging to think we’re filling the cosmos with what we do!) Obviously, we can’t answer that—but we can try to put ourselves in their shoes. How would you judge the summary of human culture based on television and radio transmissions? Would you vomit and turn your ship around? Would you want to send down scouts to investigate more closely?

We’ve broadcasted just about everything from factual wars, athletic rivalries, celebrity worship, pornography, stylized violence, televangelism, to Honey Boo Boo. There’s some positive thrown into the mix though, such as tranquilizing nature shows and stimulating scientific documentaries. It’s not all bad. I think however, some aliens would get the idea that we place less or more importance on some things than others. Could what we send out there be critical in how other galactic species might evaluate us? What if it's a prerequisite for deciding to make first contact?

If we knew there were neighbors next door, would we clean up our act and behave ourselves? Or would we continue to shamelessly be those guys.

Let’s take this a step further. What if these supposed galactic NSA also knew how to tune into our thoughts?

Radio waves and brain waves are both forms of electromagnetic radiation—waves of energy that travel at the speed of light.

engineering.mit.edu...

They just need to find the right frequency and have the right technology to detect our relatively weak brain waves (as indicated in the above source; no pun intended.) Something tells me they just might have access to technology beyond our imagination—that allows them to peer into our imagination!

What?! Why not? It’s possible.

Alright, well even if they can’t tune into our individual thoughts—someone out there definitely has the ability to observe our popular culture.

As a human being myself (I swear!) I am sometimes embarrassed or ashamed of the drivel being spewed out across the airwaves. I don't feel that this is representative of me, but it may be representative of the majority of humanity. I can only imagine what the rest of the cosmos thinks.

What say you, ATS? Is the galactic NSA watching us? Are they concerned with what they’re seeing? Or are they bored out of their minds?

As always, there are more questions than answers. Thanks for allowing me the indulgence to kick this idea around—NB

At least one Universe is doing exactly as you describe.

originally posted by: Psynic
At least one Universe is doing exactly as you describe.

Cool. Anything else to add?

Chiming in to add nothing but - bookmarked for Ron !

(later-on )




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I think they view it as cosmic background noise.



It's quite dumb that human take themselves too serious

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

S&F!

Excellent thread concept!

I think that if we received a TV show televised by ET ... that just that single transmission would hold bulk information on whether the ET's use sound and language to communicate and what they look like and what technology they may have access to.

We have transmitted that we have nuclear capabilities and that may just keep us safe!

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

If they are that advanced, then I hope they are able to tell fact from fiction.

I also agree, that it's not all that bad. (History Ch, Discovery Ch fan right here, lol.)

I think it's all the wars and corruption that would make them think twice before making contact.
If they haven't already

a reply to: DietJoke

I guess it's a pretty good chance that because we haven't received anything, maybe nothing of ours has been received either.

One way or the other, it would be an amazing game-changer. First impressions are important, right?

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

That's an interesting OP.

...and in some circles? It should be of some concern, at the very least.

Though if that Galactic NSA (that sounds very ominous, by the way...) is that advanced? There's not a whole lot we can do about it.

As for the radio waves reachin' out 'cross the Universe? Way, way too late to do anything about that. A century plus of signals are out there...and other brains much smarter than mine have sounded warnings.

...and I agree, for whatever that's worth, with them. Why do we assume that any aliens that our radio pollution reveals us to are some sort of benevolent "space brothers"? We can in no way know that.

A dominant race that achieves the technological advancement necessary to get into space, and defeat the light speed problem is, in all likelihood, a predator species. Predator species are not commonly known for being kind and gentle to those perceived as a competitor, or prey.

I suppose that they could have reached a level of enlightenment that will enable them to be a race of "space brothers", but then again, maybe not.

A galactic NSA? That doesn't sound at all altruistic. Sounds downright malevolent.

Good OP, nicely done.

originally posted by: candlestick
It's quite dumb that human take themselves too serious

Maybe we humans come off as dumb because we're not taking ourselves serious enough?

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha


A dominant race that achieves the technological advancement necessary to get into space, and defeat the light speed problem is, in all likelihood, a predator species. Predator species are not commonly known for being kind and gentle to those perceived as a competitor, or prey.

I don't agree with your reasoning in classifying a superior species as likely to be "predators".

The most common tendency of the human race seems to be fear brought about by the projective identification of others as "predators" just because we happen to be.

I think the more likely possibility is a species that has advanced beyond warring tribalism would NOT be predators.

Our creation of weapons of mass destruction has life on earth teetering on the brink of extinction.

A race that has managed to survive past the vicious, warring stage of evolution is more likely enlightened than being part of the Dark Side.

a reply to: seagull

Unfortunately it's not just about what we broadcasted in the past, but what we're continuing to broadcast. I see it as kind of a Cliff Notes synopsis on the human species. Life imitates art, and art imitates life. Others will probably view it that way as well.

I always wondered why TV fell out of style in Star Trek

a reply to: Psynic

That's true enough, perhaps even likely. But not necessarily will that be the case. Obviously no one can know...

A race that rises to a dominant roll on their planet of birth isn't likely to be a prey species. In fact, I can't see how it could even happen...

Someday, we'll find out. ...and frankly? I hope you're the one that's right. Seriously. 'cause, it'll get rather uncomfortable in that cooking pot.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Oh, absolutely. It should concern us.

Not sure what we can do about it...but I see exactly where you're coming from.

By now theyd have put up a quarantine around our solar system ..

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

We may be able to warp drive faster than the speed of light and then we could travel out far past the expanding bubble of radio transmissions and nullify them by beaming those same shows at half phase and cancel them out!

originally posted by: DietJoke
a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

We may be able to warp drive faster than the speed of light and then we could travel out far past the expanding bubble of radio transmissions and nullify them by beaming those same shows at half phase and cancel them out!

I'll put together a proposal for the FCC

one odd thought....by now they've heard the War Of The World's broadcast and quite possibly decided this planet has already been invaded? .....and who wants a piece of that? seriously?

Anything "alien" listening in will make the same mistakes as we already see with other more local entities. Context ....
it always comes down to the ability to put things into "context". Anything "alien" by definition has unfathomable thinking processes plus absolutely no frame of reference for our societies babblings. We have exactly NO IDEA what hertz they hear or communicate in. Our stuff broadcasting across the universe must absolutely sound like herd of chipmunks having a hissy fit.

Chipmunks who do Math.....yep! That's the ticket!!

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

...exactly, my man
S&F'd..
sometimes they make special appearances in dreams

originally posted by: UNIT76
a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha
sometimes they make special appearances in dreams

Okay you can't just walk away without expanding on that statement!

Please elaborate, now that my interest is piqued.