Space Forum / SETI / November 2004

... and the flat screen ...

Hey! Thank you!
Al

...snip...

There's a review of that show at

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/24/arts/television/24heff.html

TV REVIEW | 'NAKED SCIENCE: ALIEN CONTACT' Our Prospective Neighbors
From the Galaxy Next Door - By Virginia Heffernan (Nov. 24,'04)

The most interesting thing I saw there was regarding a subject that
has come up frequently in this NG:

"As Stephen Hawking, who thinks we should steer clear of aliens, says
on tonight's program: "The history of advanced races meeting more
primitive people on this planet is not very happy - and they were the
same species. I think we should keep our heads low."

    Sounds rational to me, however, executing that concept does NOT
seem possible  within the current environment.  Purposeful
transmissions are allowed to be made to other star systems such as
those conducted from Evpatoria, TV & radio, radar, nightside
artificial light pollution, atmospheric pollution and megascale
megalopolises expanding into the remaining forests may be detectible
features that we cannot control.  If recon probes pass through the
solar system then it doesn't matter how quiet we are.  Additionally,
E.T. may already know that life (but perhaps not technology) is here
because of possible bio-markers in the atmosphere.  If E.T. reaches
the conclusion that simple life can lead to star-cruising technology,
then perhaps we are already under more careful surveillance.
 
    Could our becoming undetectable possibly garner more E.T.
attention to keep better tabs on us?  Would our stealth make others
concerned?  Would an alien SETI that is a million or a billion years
more advanced have at it's command the ability to detect us down to
stone-age technology?  If it were a military imperative for their
survival, could anyone possibly imagine the surveillance technology
that would be used? and could we evade it?

    Ideally I'd say keep quiet and keep searching, but perhaps it is
not possible to "keep our heads low" enough.

Maintain exploration, Jason H.