[extropy-chat] FW: The Drake Equation and Spatial Proximity

[spike]

> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of The Avantguardian
> Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] FW: The Drake Equation and Spatial Proximity
> 
> --- spike <spike66 at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> > Forwarded for Amara Angelica:
> <http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_thursday_060720.html>
> >
> http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_thursday_060720.html
> > have
> > interesting discussions. I don't understand why it's
> > a paradox if we've only
> > explored a miniscule portion of the search space...


> I don't consider it a paradox either, Amara. To
> summarize my thoughts on the matter:
> 
> 1. SETI has been in formal operation for approximately
> 50 years... Stuart LaForge


If intelligent life in the cosmos were communicating, they would likely use
lasers as opposed to radiating the signals spherically.  With typical lasers
we already have, the signals could be beamed with several thousand fold less
power than trying to radiate the signal.  Secondly, the signal energy
requirement is proportional to the frequency of the carrier.  So good chance
the signals would be very low frequency and would be sent only to those
stars which the smart stars already knew someone was there listening.  The
cosmic neighborhood does not yet know we have evolved electromagnetic ears,
so they would not be beaming us signals, so the fact that we have seen no
signals is not paradoxical.

To find out if someone is listening, I expect an intelligent civilization
would send out a very low information content message that only says "we are
here."  Sagan's notion of a base-one list of the first few prime numbers is
one I find compelling.  So I would propose we scan the very low frequencies
for signals, and in the mean time send out a base-one message of the first
six primes.

spike