Earth Receives Message from 10 Million Miles Away

[Randall55]

NASA confirmed Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment beamed a near-infrared laser encoded with data nearly 10 million miles away to the Hale Telescope in San Diego. Known as "first light" this achievement paves the way toward higher-data-rate communications, high-definition imagery, and streaming video that can be transmitted throughout the solar system. If there are different life forms out there, are we asking for trouble? What would Spock advise us?

[margaretmattson]

NASA confirmed Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment beamed a near-infrared laser encoded with data nearly 10 million miles away to the Hale Telescope in San Diego. Known as "first light" this achievement paves the way toward higher-data-rate communications, high-definition imagery, and streaming video that can be transmitted throughout the solar system. If there are different life forms out there, are we asking for trouble? What would Spock advise us?It is interesting to witness the advancements in artificial Intelligence and laser beams. The technology seems quite similar to episodes of Star Trek. I think Spock would say "with the unknown there is always a potential for danger." Let's hope there aren't Klingons and Romulans intercepting our data. Or, Chinese and Russians. Before I die, I would love to be BEAMED to any city in the world. That certainly beats a cramped airplane!

[MorTech]

It is all taxpayer-funded fun and games until someone loses an eye.

[Two Bills]

Earth Receives Message from 10 Million Miles Away

That's nothing.
I received a letter from my brother 10,000 miles away in Australia, that is practically a Nobel Prize event!

[Randall55]

Earth Receives Message from 10 Million Miles Away

That's nothing.
I received a letter from my brother 10,000 miles away in Australia, that is practically a Nobel Prize event!That is quite a difference than 10 MILLION miles. But, I get your humor. Thanks for the laugh. I'm still waiting on a text or email from my daughter in Michigan. I wonder how long that is going to take!

[NoMo50]

If they haven't already, they will find a way to weaponize it.

[Byte1]

I doubt any "intelligent" life form would wish to open a conversation with anyone on Earth. After all, if humans cannot communicate with each other in peace, how can anything out there think it would be any different with them? Interesting subject but likely a big waste of money better used elsewhere.

[ureout]

very few know this but the communication was when costco will be coming to the villages

[Keefelane66]

May be the end of religion as we know it.

[Bill14564]

10 million miles? Sounds like a big number until you realize Venus is 67 million miles away, the sun is 95 million miles away, and mars is 142 million miles away. 10 million miles is really just a little past our property line.

The success here was being able to aim the laser accurately enough to hit the receiver on the earth while both are moving and the earth is turning.

[dtennent]

NASA confirmed Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment beamed a near-infrared laser encoded with data nearly 10 million miles away to the Hale Telescope in San Diego. Known as "first light" this achievement paves the way toward higher-data-rate communications, high-definition imagery, and streaming video that can be transmitted throughout the solar system. If there are different life forms out there, are we asking for trouble? What would Spock advise us?

I assume the higher data rate transmission is for space related communication. For those of us living on earth in the developed world, the existing optical fiber network provides a very high data rate transmission that is not dependent on atmospheric conditions.

On the other hand, maybe we can expose the entire solar system to 200 channels of TV that has nothing on there that anyone would want to watch.:laugh::laugh:

[Taltarzac725]

ET! Phone home.

[Taltarzac725]

Wrong number.

[Battlebasset]

It would take 4.3 years moving at the speed of light to reach the nearest star. Space is really big. Bigger than anyone can imagine.

Add in the additional issues of the power needed, and all of the issues of time and relativity when traveling at the speed of light, it is a pretty good bet that we have never been visited, and we will never visit them or hear from them, assuming there is anything out there other than us.

And if you want to look at it from a Judeo-Christian religious perspective, there is no need for other intelligent life other than humans.

[bopat]

I'd think they'd get more bang for their buck with quantum entanglement and teleportation.
Laser transmissions are so 1990's.

[ThirdOfFive]

I was watching a rather grainy YouTube video last night on how to use the latest in cutting-edge technology--the dial telephone! I still remember what the dial phone replaced: the old wooden box on the wall with a black horn that you spoke into, while listening with the receiver held to your ear, and you rang people up with a little hand-crank: longs and shorts. Calling anyone not on our "party line" meant ringing up "central", with the worker (Audrey, in our case) physically connected your line with the line of the person you were calling. Audrey only worked 40 hours a week though, so you had to plan your calls accordingly. Stone-age technology, relatively speaking, when compared to sending information 10 million miles on a beam of light. But those old phones themselves were cutting-age technology mere decades before dial phones came available.

Just checked my wrist: the watch I'm wearing is a computer multiples upon multiples more powerful than what took the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon and back. Heck, my watch CHARGER is more powerful.

Knowledge begets knowledge. Today's miracles are only destined to be tomorrow's antique curiosities. I have no doubt that in the lifetimes of my grandchildren we will have the capability (whether or not we have the will is another question) not only for interplanetary but for interstellar travel. No doubt an antique curiosity from our age, Voyager 1, will one day grace the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Remember we couldn't fly--until we did.

"There is no "never". Only "not yet". Words I recall seeing on an old German silent-film - era science fiction movie. Less than a hundred years ago--do you think they really had any inkling, compared to today, just how prophetic those words were?

[star20166@yahoo.com]

Spock would say' that is illogical, Captain."

[toeser]

NASA confirmed Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment beamed a near-infrared laser encoded with data nearly 10 million miles away to the Hale Telescope in San Diego. Known as "first light" this achievement paves the way toward higher-data-rate communications, high-definition imagery, and streaming video that can be transmitted throughout the solar system. If there are different life forms out there, are we asking for trouble? What would Spock advise us?

Other beings already know we are here. Fortunately, the ones that do don't think we taste good.

[Get real]

Build a wall now.

[Fastskiguy]

NASA confirmed Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment beamed a near-infrared laser encoded with data nearly 10 million miles away to the Hale Telescope in San Diego. Known as "first light" this achievement paves the way toward higher-data-rate communications, high-definition imagery, and streaming video that can be transmitted throughout the solar system. If there are different life forms out there, are we asking for trouble? What would Spock advise us?

Ah the dark forest theory. There may be something to it! On the other hand, space is really big so we've got that going for us. As Douglas Adams wrote...

"“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” "

Joe

[Bay Kid]

Probably from a new Dollar General store.

[nn0wheremann]

So why are we measuring in miles when the whole world is measuring in klicks?

[HORNET]

Maybe we ought to worry about Planet Earth, and get the leaders worry about us. Let’s save the monies and take care of our own. We have people going to bed hungry and worrying about paying their bills. Let’s worry about others out there.

[Blueblaze]

10 million, you say? Yawn.

Call me when they receive a signal from 24,963,500,379,000 miles away -- about 25 TRILLION miles. That's how far it is to the NEAREST star!

[Randall55]

10 million, you say? Yawn.

Call me when they receive a signal from 24,963,500,379,000 miles away -- about 25 TRILLION miles. That's how far it is to the NEAREST star!There is a possibility there are advanced life forms out there. Who knows what type of knowledge and technology they possess. Slim chance of this? Possibly. No chance? Never say never.

[Blueblaze]

There is a possibility there are advanced life forms out there. Who knows what type of knowledge and technology they possess. Slim chance of this? Possibly. No chance? Never say never.

With a billion-billion stars in the VISIBLE universe, I would estimate that "slim chance" at something on the order of 99.9999999999...%

But with 25 trillion miles to the nearest star, I would estimate the chance of ever encountering one of those advanced life forms at about 0.00000000...1%

[JMintzer]

They've been able to decode the message...

https://y.yarn.co/95f8cd5c-c6fd-48d7-812c-60a9eb2fc219_text.gif

[ThirdOfFive]

10 million, you say? Yawn.

Call me when they receive a signal from 24,963,500,379,000 miles away -- about 25 TRILLION miles. That's how far it is to the NEAREST star!
True, but considering that radio waves travel at the speed of light (as do TV signals), those signals have already reached 75 star systems, with that number growing all the time. If there are intelligent beings within that range who are capable of at least the science we have, it is a good bet that they know about us--at least to the extent that our media represents our civilization, which come to think of it is pretty negative most of the time.

Maybe they figure that we're not worth striking up a conversation. If all I knew of us is what is on our news and entertainment media, I know I'd come to that conclusion.

[Taltarzac725]

True, but considering that radio waves travel at the speed of light (as do TV signals), those signals have already reached 75 star systems, with that number growing all the time. If there are intelligent beings within that range who are capable of at least the science we have, it is a good bet that they know about us--at least to the extent that our media represents our civilization, which come to think of it is pretty negative most of the time.

Maybe they figure that we're not worth striking up a conversation. If all I knew of us is what is on our news and entertainment media, I know I'd come to that conclusion.

They have probably been here over the past billions of years and probably planted the seeds of life at some point. I kind of doubt we were the first in the universe with life.

And they need not worry about us unless our technology develops a lot more and we can also travel at much faster speeds.

[Taltarzac725]

Age of the universe - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_universe)

Putting things in perspective.

[Two Bills]

When I was a kid, we laughed at the absurdity of Dick Tracy and his two-way radio watch.
We now have them, and can practically run our lives with the things.

"Beam me up Scotty" became a joke expression.
The way things are going, wont be long before the first thread on TOTV appears about reckless transporters going the wrong way while beaming around space roundabouts!

[cjrjck]

It would take 4.3 years moving at the speed of light to reach the nearest star. Space is really big. Bigger than anyone can imagine.

Add in the additional issues of the power needed, and all of the issues of time and relativity when traveling at the speed of light, it is a pretty good bet that we have never been visited, and we will never visit them or hear from them, assuming there is anything out there other than us.

And if you want to look at it from a Judeo-Christian religious perspective, there is no need for other intelligent life other than humans.

Well said. Einstein showed that the speed limit in space is the speed of light. Not only is it not feasible that our messages will reach some life form that would be able to understand them, it is not feasible they could ever visit us even if they wanted to. Personally, I think we are alone aside from those creatures mentioned in the bible. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong aside from some mathematical hypothesis.

[frayedends]

Einstein also thought the speed of light is constant but we now know it’s not. We thought we knew the age of the universe sine the Big Bang. But now the Webb telescope has brought this belief into question. We don’t know what we don’t know. If the being that created our simulation decides to have aliens visit us, they will visit us.

[ThirdOfFive]

Einstein also thought the speed of light is constant but we now know it’s not. We thought we knew the age of the universe sine the Big Bang. But now the Webb telescope has brought this belief into question. We don’t know what we don’t know. If the being that created our simulation decides to have aliens visit us, they will visit us.

"We don’t know what we don’t know."

Sums it up perfectly.

And until we know what we don't, it seems pretty close-minded to conclude that we never will.

[cjrjck]

Einstein also thought the speed of light is constant but we now know it’s not. We thought we knew the age of the universe sine the Big Bang. But now the Webb telescope has brought this belief into question. We don’t know what we don’t know. If the being that created our simulation decides to have aliens visit us, they will visit us.

We know that the speed of light is not constant? From Wikipedia: it has been suggested in various theories that the speed of light may have changed over time. No conclusive evidence for such changes has been found, but they remain the subject of ongoing research.

From theorized by some to "we know" is about as far apart as one side of the universe is to the other in the realm of science.

[frayedends]

We know that the speed of light is not constant? From Wikipedia: it has been suggested in various theories that the speed of light may have changed over time. No conclusive evidence for such changes has been found, but they remain the subject of ongoing research.

From theorized by some to "we know" is about as far apart as one side of the universe is to the other in the realm of science.

Newer research has found speed of light can be slowed. No evidence so far it can go faster but it’s not always constant. Wikipedia isn’t the best source for all updated info. Speed of light not so constant after all (https://www.sciencenews.org/article/speed-light-not-so-constant-after-all)

[Blueblaze]

True, but considering that radio waves travel at the speed of light (as do TV signals), those signals have already reached 75 star systems, with that number growing all the time. If there are intelligent beings within that range who are capable of at least the science we have, it is a good bet that they know about us--at least to the extent that our media represents our civilization, which come to think of it is pretty negative most of the time.

Maybe they figure that we're not worth striking up a conversation. If all I knew of us is what is on our news and entertainment media, I know I'd come to that conclusion.

No doubt, there is a race of spacefaring monsters out there, glued to their TV's, and on the verge of attacking the moment they discover that Dallas season 9 was just a dream -- which is exactly the plot of a Futurama episode. "Lrrrr", ruler of Omicron Persei 8, invades, conquers Earth, and goes away -- and Earth goes right back to the same lunacy we consider normal, here on our planet of backward lunatics.

The fact is, here in the real world, those radio waves would have degraded so far by the time they made it to the first star system, that even if it happened to be inhabited by an "advanced" civilization, they probably wouldn't have recognized what it was, even if they knew what to look for. Think about it -- this thread started with someone marveling that NASA managed to communicate over a mere 10 million miles -- and they had to use a focused laser to do it, with someone at the other end looking for it. Meanwhile, the nearest star is 500 thousand times farther than NASA's little experiment.

The most likely scenario is that, in a universe of a billion-billion stars, Earth TV transmissions probably won't make it to an advanced civilization until centuries after we're radioactive dust. That's how unimaginably huge the Universe is. There are undoubtedly millions of advanced civilizations in the Universe. The fact that we didn't detect one of them the moment SETI switched on the giant Arecibo antenna, tells you that we will never hear from any of them.

[Villagevip]

Right on predicted schedule from the seditious N.W O. deep state, NASA included...Don't be bamboozled again, election year ahead don'cha know...

[ThirdOfFive]

No doubt, there is a race of spacefaring monsters out there, glued to their TV's, and on the verge of attacking the moment they discover that Dallas season 9 was just a dream -- which is exactly the plot of a Futurama episode. "Lrrrr", ruler of Omicron Persei 8, invades, conquers Earth, and goes away -- and Earth goes right back to the same lunacy we consider normal, here on our planet of backward lunatics.

The fact is, here in the real world, those radio waves would have degraded so far by the time they made it to the first star system, that even if it happened to be inhabited by an "advanced" civilization, they probably wouldn't have recognized what it was, even if they knew what to look for. Think about it -- this thread started with someone marveling that NASA managed to communicate over a mere 10 million miles -- and they had to use a focused laser to do it, with someone at the other end looking for it. Meanwhile, the nearest star is 500 thousand times farther than NASA's little experiment.

The most likely scenario is that, in a universe of a billion-billion stars, Earth TV transmissions probably won't make it to an advanced civilization until centuries after we're radioactive dust. That's how unimaginably huge the Universe is. There are undoubtedly millions of advanced civilizations in the Universe. The fact that we didn't detect one of them the moment SETI switched on the giant Arecibo antenna, tells you that we will never hear from any of them.
Yet, the SETI program continues.

Is it possible that the folks in charge of that program have a bit more insight into the possibilities of contact being made than either you or I?

[Dusty_Star]

Yet, the SETI program continues.

Is it possible that the folks in charge of that program have a bit more insight into the possibilities of contact being made than either you or I?

Probably maintaining their jobs & benefits, are their prime insight.

[Bill14564]

Yet, the SETI program continues.

Is it possible that the folks in charge of that program have a bit more insight into the possibilities of contact being made than either you or I?

Actually, no, the folks in charge of SETI have no more insight into the possibility of contact being made than any of us. In order to have more insight they would need to know that there was something out there to contact. Conspiracy theories aside, there is no proof that there is anything out there. the SETI scientists don't have a clue whether contact will ever be made and neither do we.

[Blueblaze]

Yet, the SETI program continues.

Is it possible that the folks in charge of that program have a bit more insight into the possibilities of contact being made than either you or I?

Certainly possible... and yet SETI has never found anything in the 44 years since Carl Sagan founded it. I applaud science for making the attempt. But I am disgusted that "science" continues to blow billions of our tax dollars on the project, 44 years after it failed.

Real science follows the scientific method and rejects a theory when it is proven false. Fake "science" will slavishly follow a pretty theory, even after a 100 years and 100 million dead prove it false.

Fake "science" has become an industry that wastes most of the few brilliant minds born each year, to study new and better ways to separate citizens from their tax dollars.

[Bill14564]

Certainly possible... and yet SETI has never found anything in the 44 years since Carl Sagan founded it. I applaud science for making the attempt. But I am disgusted that "science" continues to blow billions of our tax dollars on the project, 44 years after it failed.

Real science follows the scientific method and rejects a theory when it is proven false. Fake "science" will slavishly follow a pretty theory, even after a 100 years and 100 million dead prove it false.

Fake "science" has become an industry that wastes most of the few brilliant minds born each year, to study new and better ways to separate citizens from their tax dollars.

How long have we been looking for a cure for cancer? Should we declare that a failed attempt and stop spending money on it?

Absence of proof is not proof of absence. It's a big universe out there; it is very likely that we haven't looked in the right direction at the right time and in the right way to notice that we are not alone.

[ThirdOfFive]

Certainly possible... and yet SETI has never found anything in the 44 years since Carl Sagan founded it. I applaud science for making the attempt. But I am disgusted that "science" continues to blow billions of our tax dollars on the project, 44 years after it failed.

Real science follows the scientific method and rejects a theory when it is proven false. Fake "science" will slavishly follow a pretty theory, even after a 100 years and 100 million dead prove it false.

Fake "science" has become an industry that wastes most of the few brilliant minds born each year, to study new and better ways to separate citizens from their tax dollars.
Actually, SETI is privately funded and has been since 1993.

" Contrary to popular belief, and their Form 990, no government funds are allocated for its SETI searches" (Wikipedia). NASA and other agencies, in conjunction with doing their own research projects, may use SETI from time to time in pursuit of that, and pay their way accordingly.

[Fastskiguy]

Real science follows the scientific method and rejects a theory when it is proven false. Fake "science" will slavishly follow a pretty theory, even after a 100 years and 100 million dead prove it false.


SETI is killing 100 million people?

[biker1]

Unfortunately, they are dealing with low probabilities. First I will address the possibility of our presence being detected. The probability that any civilization has detected our presence is very small. We have been emitting electromagnetic energy for about 100 years so the sphere of detection is 200 light-years in diameter. This is a very small part of our galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is 100,000 light-years across. Some studies have looked at the number of star systems within that 200 light-year sphere that are capable of having viable exoplanets and the number is small. Also, since signal strength drops off as the square of the distance, detection of any of our emissions becomes more difficult the further away an extraterrestrial civilization is. The best chances of detecting that we exist is via the transit method assuming that any civilizations capable of looking are in our orbital plane. Regarding our detection of emissions from other civilizations (what SETI is looking for), the problem of signal strength dropping off as the square of the distance will be a problem. The distances across our own galaxy, let alone the observable universe, are vast. From a signal to noise perspective, it isn't clear to me that SETI efforts are on a firm technical footing. However, I was part of SETI@home for a number of years. It was an interesting distributed computing effort.

Yet, the SETI program continues.

Is it possible that the folks in charge of that program have a bit more insight into the possibilities of contact being made than either you or I?

[ThirdOfFive]

How long have we been looking for a cure for cancer? Should we declare that a failed attempt and stop spending money on it?

Absence of proof is not proof of absence. It's a big universe out there; it is very likely that we haven't looked in the right direction at the right time and in the right way to notice that we are not alone.
"Absence of proof is not proof of absence. It's a big universe out there; it is very likely that we haven't looked in the right direction at the right time and in the right way to notice that we are not alone."

SETI is basically looking for life "as we know it". Beings with basically the senses and approximate level of intelligence (or higher) than we have. That makes sense. We don't have the capabilities to look elsewhere, yet.

But I've often wondered: what about "life as we DON'T know it"? We live on an insignificant rock in a narrow temperature range that averages about 15 degrees above zero Celsius, or about -283 degrees C. over absolute zero, zipping around an insignificant star in an obscure corner of a pretty mundane galaxy. Almost all of the real estate in that galaxy as far as we know is a lot hotter, colder and/or gassier than in the narrow envelope where we live. Taking that into consideration, it is pure hubris to think that humanity, or even carbon-based life as we know it on Earth, is the only game in town. We don't have the capability--yet--to ascertain if life exists on those other environments. We may possibly never know. But it is only our self-centered conceit to think, based on that, that it doesn't exist.

"Absence of proof is not proof of absence." I like that.

[Blueblaze]

SETI is killing 100 million people?

Of course not. The fake "scientific" theory known as Marxism did that. But it's a perfect example of a pretty theory of "how things oughta be", that was a proven failure, even 60 years ago when my high school civics teacher made us study "Das Kapital", and Star Trek was on the air, showing us an example of happy shiny space men living in a future cashless paradise, conquering the universe at "warp 9" (which, even at 9x the speed of light, would still be a five month voyage to make it to the nearest star).

While I am a life-long sci-fi fan, I much prefer to solve real-world problems with real science, rather than fantasies.

[biker1]

No. Warp is actually a cubed function. Warp 9 is 729x the speed of light. I can't believe I actually know this.

Of course not. The fake "scientific" theory known as Marxism did that. But it's a perfect example of a pretty theory of "how things oughta be", that was a proven failure, even 60 years ago when my high school civics teacher made us study "Das Kapital", and Star Trek was on the air, showing us an example of happy shiny space men living in a future cashless paradise, conquering the universe at "warp 9" (which, even at 9x the speed of light, would still be a five month voyage to make it to the nearest star).

While I am a life-long sci-fi fan, I much prefer to solve real-world problems with real science, rather than fantasies.

[Blueblaze]

No. Warp is actually a cubed function. Warp 9 is 729x the speed of light. I can't believe I actually know this.

Excellent point! That's the beauty (and disaster) of fake "science". The moment someone pokes a hole in it, you can just say "well, what I meant to say was... (Climate Change!)"

Warp 9 was 9 times the speed of light when Kirk was battling Tribbles. I seem to recall, it was even mentioned in the first series. Then somebody who stayed awake in 3rd grade did the math, and suddenly somebody with an 8th grade grasp of math declared it a cube function. Theory saved!

Of course that's just my theory, but I will stick to it long after I am proven wrong, because that's what we "scientific" types always do!