How long would it take to communicate with a planet 40 light years away?

How long would it take to communicate with a planet 40 light years away? We've found planets in the habitable zones of many different systems that could harbor intelligent life. The question would be: if they are too far to visit or explore with current technology, could we communicate with them? Radio, laser...whatever the medium, is this something that is possible and how long would it take to transmit and receive a communication?

reply to post by amazing

40 Years each way. If it is possible to build a Sub-Space Radio then this time could be reduced to days.
Split Infinity

40 years...at the speed of light.

Peace

80 years round trip.

reply to post by amazing


I would like to confirm what the previous repliers have stated already - since I'm piling up my "20"
So - 2nd line - this was an easy one!

Cheers

Ansar

reply to post by amazing


INSTANT!

0 (zero) seconds. The phenomenon of non-locality connects every piece of matter in this universe 'instantly'. It's what Einstein called "spooky action at a distance".

the quantum connection between two particles can persist even if they are on opposite sides of the universe. From the standpoint of their entanglement, notwithstanding the many trillions of miles of space between them, it’s as if they are right on top of each other.

Imagine asking someone in the 1600's how fast can you get to America? They would probably answer only with the mode of transportation they know - ships. The answers above represent thinking in terms of 'ships' - or more clearly: thinking in terms of today's communication methods. But in the fast paced world we live in this is often erroneous. Today for example nobody would think to answer that question using ships as reference.

Quantum entanglement experiments have already very shown rudimentary INSTANT communication between two points. So far nothing spectacular, just measuring a change in the 'receiver' when a change is applied in the 'sender'. But even the mightiest oak starts from a small, fragile seed 20 years ago very few people knew the term e-mail or internet. Point is: progress happens pretty FAST.

Of course this doesn't take into consideration their technology. Chances are that they're either very primitive... or very ADVANCED - in which case they would be looking at a regular 'radio' or 'microwave' communication as we would look at a civilization that communicates through messages in a bottle thrown in the ocean. Very unlikely we'll hit the 'Goldilocks' civilization that is exactly at the same level as us.

reply to post by amazing


As everyone else is saying; roughly 80 years for our message to be received, and a reply to return.

Year 00 - Us: Hello! We're from Earth. If you come here, please don't eat us.

Year 40 - Aliens: WTF is this? Send this reply ...

Year 80 - We get this message out of nowhere: Are you animal, vegetable, or mineral?

The round-trip talk time would have such lag that each end would likely forget a conversation was ever even started.

Plausible Science Fiction ways around this, fiction mind you, but seated in remote possibility, would be to send one end of a stable micro-wormhole however long it might take a space craft to travel those 40 light years; many many thousands of years using today's propulsion, but, when the wormhole got there, we'd then have instant communication, if there's anyone there, and if anyone on this end even remembered there was a phone line left open on this end.

The most distant spacecraft humans have made is Voyager 1, which is currently about 100 AU from the Sun, after 30 years of travel. At this rate it will take 18,750 years for Voyager 1 to travel one light-year.

So, 18,750 x 40 = 750,000 years to travel 40 light years ONE way at the speed of Voyager.

That's 3/4ths of 1 MILLION years.

Thus, as said, if there was anyone on the other end of the micro-wormhole when it arrived to talk, and anyone here even remembered we had a phone line sent off to planet XYZ 750,000 years ago, then, we'd have some instant full-duplex conversation; with as much bandwidth as can/could be squeezed out of a micro-wormhole.


Something to consider:
Radio and television broadcasts from 40 years ago in 1972 are at the 40 light-year mark in our ever expanding radio bubble.

Aliens could be listening to this:


Imagine an alien civilization influenced by this where a disco Inferno Alien sets off to make contact with the signal origin.

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
reply to post by amazing

 

40 Years each way. If it is possible to build a Sub-Space Radio then this time could be reduced to days.
Split Infinity

I take it THEY would have to have it as well or it's pointless

reply to post by wmd_2008

Yes that is true. Both sides would need a very strong Broadcast ability as well as a sensitive receiver.
Split Infinity

Originally posted by wmd_2008

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
reply to post by amazing

 

40 Years each way. If it is possible to build a Sub-Space Radio then this time could be reduced to days.
Split Infinity

I take it THEY would have to have it as well or it's pointless

I think the most frustrating part is how it would have to be caught just at the right time. Even if it was a repeating message that was sent for years. Think about how many years we were technological capable but didn't even look for signals. That, and depending on the type of signal, where to look for it in the sky... etc, etc.

Accidental transmission are probably more likely than an intended message...

reply to post by firefly9000

Quantum Entanglement is far beyond our capabilities as far as using it as a way to communicate.
Split Infinity

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
reply to post by firefly9000

 

Quantum Entanglement is far beyond our capabilities as far as using it as a way to communicate.
Split Infinity

Split - We advanced from letters to phone communication after centuries. From then to email, instant messaging and now video chatting over a matter of years, literally.

This is a very interesting thread because I see most people judge this as if we'll stay at this level for decades to come. Kind of like people in the late 1800s debating what kind of hull a ship should have in order to cross the ocean faster History proves otherwise though... We didn't cross the Oceans faster by using better boats, but rather by using planes. Communications will probably suffer a similar fate in that the progress will not come the usual expected way - but in a new form that very few think of.

And if we DID stay at this level, who's to say the aliens would care. DO YOU check the ocean every day to see if anybody sent you a message in a bottle LOL - I know I don't.

Read on prof. Fran de Aquino, about gravity waves....

www.abovetopsecret.com...

so, if you are using advanced wave tech... it is instantaneous..

reply to post by firefly9000

I am aware of some very High Tech. programs that are miraculous in their abilities. You are correct that we are advancing very rapidly but the Quantum World eludes us. I believe it is because we are looking at the problem from too small a view. Split Infinity

reply to post by firefly9000


Hi firefly9000!

Since ... the (amazing) question was...

>How long would it take to communicate with a planet 40 light years away?

...my impression was that he/she wanted to know what is technical possible right NOW.
If you know of a possible method to harvest these qualities of the quantum realm right NOW please tell.
The world will be listening...

Godspeed

Ansar

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
reply to post by firefly9000

 

I believe it is because we are looking at the problem from too small a view.

Spot On - I agree 100%. Like Einstein used to say that you can't solve a problem using the same logic you used to create it. If we just look at communication in the way we're used to today, then we're missing the point.

Originally posted by Ansar
reply to post by firefly9000

 

Hi firefly9000!

Since ... the (amazing) question was...

>How long would it take to communicate with a planet 40 light years away?

...my impression was that he/she wanted to know what is technical possible right NOW.
If you know of a possible method to harvest these qualities of the quantum realm right NOW please tell.
The world will be listening...

Godspeed

Ansar

Lol - well, the proposed method so far would entail 80 years of waiting... and that's AFTER building the machine to first send the message. So I'm not quite sure if you come out ahead time-wise

To put it in perspective - in LESS THAN 80 years we went from barely getting a wood and cloth kite with an engine off the ground at Kitty Hawk to Walking on the MOON. (66 years I believe - 1903 - 1969)

reply to post by firefly9000


I would be the last to say that we should stay where we are right now - level-wise and that - but right now we would have to use our pigeon-like-radio-waves (speaking of cosmological scale... ) to address that said planet.

It might very well be that the scientists will come up with a quicker method of communication while "our pigeon" is on it's way (like you said there are those possibilities and they are looked at today for faster communication INSIDE computers... ) and that our 2nd message might outrun the 1st...

That on the other side could lead to further communication problems.
Lets hope that the mood of the leaders in charge by than doesn't differ sooo much from that of their predecessors

Ansar