TED Talks: What if ET is out there?

[Katashi_itto]

[stopbush]

1. I don't think we'll ever meet ETs. The distances in space are just too great

to straddle.

Unless someone invents a working warp drive, there's no way to get around the laws of physics and the speed limit imposed by the speed of light.

[Stargazer09]

2. Two-way communication is still possible

If we can find a common language and get on the same radio frequency.

It will be slow, of course, but it's possible.

[longship]

5. Almost certainly the communication will be one way.

The distances are just too great. People who get their shorts in a bunch about sending signals out -- they'll come here and eat us all (Twilight Zone "To Serve Man&quot -- do not apparently understand that the signals have to obey the same physical laws. The distance between star systems is the answer to Fermi's question, "Where is everybody?" The closest star to Sol is four+ light years away. The closest star system with intelligence is likely much further. Sending a signal will undoubtedly take generations, presuming they are close, before they even receive the message and can understand it.

Two way communications is just not practical. It is likely not possible.

As it will be forever. The galaxy is very big and the distance between stars is great.

[Stargazer09]

9. Maybe

If we are fortunate enough to pick up alien transmissions, we currently have the technology necessary to pinpoint the likely source and send a return signal. They may or may not have the same level of technological sophistication, but we can keep trying.

Of course it will take years/decades/generations to have a "conversation." Radio waves are limited to the speed of light, too. But it is possible to make it work out, even if we simply teach our children how to respond to the next transmission.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. "there's no way to get around the laws of physics"

Unless you actually get around them.

[Coyotl]

11. Unless, of course, ET lives on Jupiter or Saturn.

Still a long way out, but plausible. Especially if life on earth come from an older world in our solar system.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. The ending on this was really optomistic.

[fasttense]

6. The assumption that any ET society is more advanced is unfounded

Just because we would be able to pick up a stray signal from another planet does NOT mean that ET society would be more advanced than us. An alien race could pick up one of our stray signals right now, but that does not mean we would be more advanced than they are either.

He lost me there. He needs to explain why for some of his assumptions.

[Plucketeer]

7. I don't think it IS too much of an assumption

Any life forms "out there" could be more or less or AS advanced as we. Since (by our reasoning) it would seem safe to assume that less advanced societies wouldn't be able to make contact, that leaves those that are where we're at (technologically speaking) OR more advanced. On that scale (as advanced or more), we're at the lower end (considering that our "technology" is in it's infancy by relative comparison. That leaves MORE advanced - and any degree thereof - wide open. So I'd bet there's a better chance for more advanced.

[navarth]

8. That grabbed me too

I backed the video up 3 times looking for him to explain why he would say that. He didn't.

He didn't lose me there, I still thoroughly enjoyed the talk. But why would they necessarily be more advanced?

[zebonaut]

10. Well find ET; and Christianity will be Speechless

Religion will suffer a major crisis; but they'll say they knew ET was out there all along; they just neglected to mention it in the bible.....

[tclambert]

12. What if they try to convert us to their crazy religion? And our Christians refuse?

Interstellar religious crusades! Hmm, sounds like a movie idea for the Syfy channel. Couldn't be worse than Sharknado.