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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>-----Original Message-----<br>From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of BillK via extropy-chat<br>...<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>> _______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>>...One problem with interstellar communication is time delay - even at the speed of light.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Another problem is knowing what level your possible audience is at and how to communicate with them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>No point in sending nanotech lessons to primitive races.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>For more advanced races (like humans) you run into ethical problems because giving advanced tech to them is like giving guns to children to play with. It would probably destroy them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Another problem is broadcasting your existence to even more advanced races may not be a wise move.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I think advanced races probably think it safer to let other races develop at their own speed. :)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BillK<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>Ja to all, but something still puzzles me: the apparently universal lack of exceptions. We are a species that intentionally blasted a signal into space at the quietest frequency in the galaxy, with no known recipients, without regard to the potential damage or benefit it would cause.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>IN 1974, we sent them this:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><img width=225 height=686 style='width:2.3437in;height:7.1458in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D80471.2BCE3720"><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>At the time it was sent, there was much debate over whether aliens would understand the message. But it is perfectly clear to me what it means, because I am such hipster (or rather I was (in 1974 (when the message was sent.)))<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>Immediately when I see that, it is clear that we are telling the ETI how cool we are because of our hipster video games. We show them in white up top that we have Brick Out, then below that in green is Digital Battleship, then below that is a picture of a flute, so they know we also have high-brow analog devices along with our video games, and in blue we have sideways oceans (depending on how you look at them) and best of all, we have Space Invaders. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>Ordinarily in that game, the human is below, firing at the aliens coming down from above, but since they are the Space Invaders, then from their revolting point of view, they are the purple guy down there standing in the puddle of spilled milk (or playing Brick Out) and we are up above (in red) threatening that if they get any big ideas about invading, we whack them with that gnarly yellow shillelagh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>Did anyone have any other interpretations of the message?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>