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I used to hope someone would come to our planet but given what I've seen of the ignorance, hatred and fear of just other human beings who are slightly different from each other I'm not so sure that would be a good thing.
originally posted by: AceWombat04
Wow. So the proposed HDST, if built in the 2030s as planned, will actually be able to visually resolve exoplanets to a degree any average person can view an image captured with it and see a dot!?
If so, that's the single most exciting thing I've ever heard, and I move that we accelerate funding for it immediately! That's huge both scientifically and in terms of firing the human imagination.
It seems the biggest hurdle and dissuading threats from what I'm reading are merely 1) cost, and 2) the current inability to repair it once in orbit. But I have a sneaking suspicion the latter won't be an issue within coming years. (I hope.)
Peace.
originally posted by: glend
a reply to: JadeStar
I used to hope someone would come to our planet but given what I've seen of the ignorance, hatred and fear of just other human beings who are slightly different from each other I'm not so sure that would be a good thing.
I am sorry Jadestar, please forgive our intolerance. I think as children we accepted one another more readily. So perhaps its the conditioning from media that pushes egoism above all else that is our undoing.
I remember watching a 1996 documentary called Blue Eyed which shows that intolerance is deep rooted even if we want believe, that its not. So we all, including myself, need accept our faults and work on it.
Great thread as always, you make my heart smile.
originally posted by: yorkshirelad
Whilst I have absolutely no doubt (belief if you want put a theist slant on it ) that we will, with our ever larger telescopes, finally detect life elsewhere this leads to the next massive question. Can we visit them and/or can they visit us?
The answer, with current sublight travel is a resounding no.
OK the nearest two or three solar systems may be reachable with a hibernated crew but the turnaround of decades per return trip makes any meaningful intercourse with an alien civilisation exceedingly unlikely.
The only way of having a meaningful interaction is to travel faster than light.
Not only that but you must be able to detect the remote civilisation using a faster than light comms signal. Think about it. We detect a signal 1000 light years away. We travel using our FTL drive in a year and discover...nobody because they died out 800 years ago! Or nobody because they have flitted elsewhere 200 years ago.
Unwasted trips to civilisations can only be achieved with FTL detection and travel.
That said we can use sublight travel to visit a planet with life and photograph observe etc. Interaction would be pointless though. Photographing an alien Jurassic world would still be worth the trip!
originally posted by: crayzeed
Forgive my ignorance from a layman but first my question would be " would the aliens criteria for a habitable planet be the same as ours"?
Now with that in mind the aliens (by your definition) would be technically advanced to have the equipment to search. That technological level MUST have comunicational technology to collate the data between entities.
So my next question is " why do you think SETI is using this method to search for exterrestrial life"?
The answer is if you find technology you've found inteligent life, ergo a habitable planet. But it might not be the habitat that your species want.
As we've been told we have been sending these signals of our technology galaxy wide since we first sent a radio signal.
Yes, I know the light spectrum travels faster than the sound waves, but as is already been postulated the spectrum for habitability from a distant world could be eronious as that world may have already passed into unhability.
originally posted by: crayzeed
Forgive my ignorance from a layman but first my question would be " would the aliens criteria for a habitable planet be the same as ours"?
And tomorrow things start to return back to the same petty squabbles, mistrust, bigotry and hatred, only now there is an ET species who were allies with humanity during the war to hate on.
sad huh?
i still have hope but the older I get the more cynical i feel i am becoming.
originally posted by: glend
a reply to: JadeStar
And tomorrow things start to return back to the same petty squabbles, mistrust, bigotry and hatred, only now there is an ET species who were allies with humanity during the war to hate on.
sad huh?
i still have hope but the older I get the more cynical i feel i am becoming.
Yes sad but you are too young to get cynical, I believe in the great Arundhati Roy's view this world and agree her prediction that a new world is coming (see last 30 seconds video below). The current cycle of consumerism is ending soon. The new world will demand a more intelligent and compassionate race. Hopefully one that celebrates our differences instead of fearing them. Small steps Jade.
I used to hope someone would come to our planet but given what I've seen of the ignorance, hatred and fear of just other human beings who are slightly different from each other I'm not so sure that would be a good thing.
originally posted by: QuietSpeech
a reply to: JadeStar
I used to hope someone would come to our planet but given what I've seen of the ignorance, hatred and fear of just other human beings who are slightly different from each other I'm not so sure that would be a good thing.
It would most likely destroy all social barriers if we could put everyone on the moon for a day. No more black/white/brown/Christians/muslims/athiests...just humans. A visitor from another planet would force many to reconsider what makes them so different from other people.
originally posted by: AceWombat04
a reply to: JadeStar
Re: a new/better world... It may take us 100s of years, but I believe we will get there. If we don't destroy ourselves first.
Another thing less real-world I do when I start to lose hope for humanity, as silly as it may seem, is watch this old clip from Star Trek The Next Generation. To me, there's a moment in this scene that always gives me goosebumps, because I believe it sums up Gene Roddenberry's hope for our future. As a primitive woman from a species far less advanced than the Federation discovers that interstellar travel is a reality, Picard is trying to explain to her that his people are not gods (as her people believe,) but merely more advanced people just like her. Once she realizes this, she says perhaps one day her people will achieve such technological feats as well. Picard's response is a moving affirmation that, although fictional, always fills me with hope.
We will get there. "Of that I have absolutely no doubt."
Peace.