[extropy-chat] Fw: [atlantis_II] Re: fermi's paradox: m/d approach

[Harvey Newstrom]

>From a security point-of-view, I have developed a new hypothesis:

We may be a valuable source of free research, information and entertainment
to the universe.  We broadcast most of our information for free out to the
universe via radio and TV.  Advanced civilizations may be able to receive
all our signals and watch all our TV and radio programs.  As long as they
are receiving free service, why should they tell us?  Maybe they are afraid
we will cut them off as soon as we find out they are receiving all of our
information but we are receiving none of theirs.  Maybe it is a historical
pattern in the universe that civilizations suddenly clam up when they
discover other civilizations.  Maybe older civilizations listen to newer
civilizations for as long as they can without letting them know.

>From a security perspective, they would want to find out as much as they can
about us, and would want us to know as little as possible about them.  Until
we establish that we are not a threat to them, they would stay quiet.  They
would not want to jeopardize their ability to observe us by alerting us to
their presence.  They receive all our stuff already anyway.  How will
contacting us help?  It would only reduce their information or make it less
trustworthy.  As long as we don't know about them, our broadcasts are not
controlled propaganda.  As soon as we find out about them, we can limit or
manipulate our broadcasts.  We also may start demanding information back in
return.

This seems obvious if we think of it from the other side.  Suppose we start
receiving signals from a nearby star.  We can monitor their civilization and
they don't know about us.  We would be very concerned about them.  Are they
friendly?  Do they have superior technology?  Do they want to eat us?  We
probably wouldn't want to announce our presence and location to them.  We
would probably want to observe them quietly at first.  It seems clear that
we are a new civilization with our signals going out only a hundred light
years or so.  The time for the return-trip would limit our communications to
civilizations within 50 light years or so.  Any time they delayed listening
to us would reduce that radius to 40 or 30 light-years or further.  Anybody
who could have heard us and responded would have to be relatively close and
therefore even more cautious about responding.

-- 
Harvey Newstrom, CISSP, CISA, CISM, IAM, IBMCP, GSEC
Certified IS Security Pro, Certified IS Auditor, Certified InfoSec Manager,
NSA Certified Assessor, IBM Certified Consultant, SANS Certified GIAC
<HarveyNewstrom.com> <Newstaff.com>