Guest Haz Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Hey there guys! This is my first post (except for my introduction post) and here it goes: I was watching TV once (Discovery Channel I think) and I heard this thing about the radio waves coming from us are already dissapating. Therefore the radio waves being sent by aliens must already have vanished long ago so they won't get caught by SETI or other radio telescopes..... I don't know if this is true as I can't really remember :S Has anyone else heard about this? From your favourite member: Haz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Haz Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Hey there guys! This is my first post (except for my introduction post) and here it goes: I was watching TV once (Discovery Channel I think) and I heard this thing about the radio waves coming from us are already dissapating. Therefore the radio waves being sent by aliens must already have vanished long ago so they won't get caught by SETI or other radio telescopes..... I don't know if this is true as I can't really remember :S Has anyone else heard about this? From your favourite member: Haz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 You're talking about the radio window. Our communications technology has advanced beyond radio - we are beginning to use fibre optics and highly focused microwave beams as a preferential means of mass communication. The "fade out" of radio waves actually refers to them dropping off at the source - the ones we have already broadcast are still out there. There's no real reason to believe another civilisation would even use radio waves (other than the assumption that their progress through the derivation of physical laws would take the same route as ours), never mind use them for a longer or shorter period than us, so I doubt it affects our chances of finding any that significantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 You're talking about the radio window. Our communications technology has advanced beyond radio - we are beginning to use fibre optics and highly focused microwave beams as a preferential means of mass communication. The "fade out" of radio waves actually refers to them dropping off at the source - the ones we have already broadcast are still out there. There's no real reason to believe another civilisation would even use radio waves (other than the assumption that their progress through the derivation of physical laws would take the same route as ours), never mind use them for a longer or shorter period than us, so I doubt it affects our chances of finding any that significantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ophiolite Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 I think he is also talking about the progressive attentuation of signals as they spread out through a larger volume until they are submerged in the background noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ophiolite Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 I think he is also talking about the progressive attentuation of signals as they spread out through a larger volume until they are submerged in the background noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPL.Luke Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 radio telescopes are also used to study stars and such so even if et wasn't there they would have a use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPL.Luke Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 radio telescopes are also used to study stars and such so even if et wasn't there they would have a use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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