Why do we search for life?

I wouldn't hold your breath for another 500 years or so for any signs of intelligent life scrolling their initials on your Commodore 64's computer screen. But if you're still around then and fortunate enough to personally recieve any so-called intelligent messages from ET and you're able to decipher them, then an update would be greatly appreciated. However, I wouldn't bet on any ETs landing in your backyard to say 'hello' either unless their cell phone's battery needed a charge. That would be 'significant'.

Novacane

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

locked

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

What about the 'WOW' Signal picked up in 1977 by the now defunct Ohio State radio telescope as a possible ET deep space radio signal from the Saggitarius region of our galaxy? If you think it was or wasn't a possible radio signal from ET, convince us? I'll keep an open mind on this one.

Novacane

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

locked

 

I would agree that if there are many intelligent civilisations in our galaxy that most of them will be using another method other than radio.

But, it is important to keep trying with each method that comes availible to us AS we get it.

If the Permi Paradox is true when it says it is possible for intelligent races to be common, but shortlived (like us maybe), maybe most of them would be using radio, so even if remote, it's worth searching because we will get better at it.

 

Easy to do. Just go to Yahoo Search and type in The 'WOW' Signal. You'll get plenty info and details describing that event that happened in 1977 and what the scientific community thinks about it, even up to this day.

Novacane

 

locked

 

deleted

 

Well I'm not an expert on SETI. But from what I understand they get signals all the time and have some experiments to see if they are genuine and not a satellite or interferrance. But do they actually know for sure?

 

The 'WOW Signal that the Ohio State Radio Telescope picked up in 1977 had just about all if not 'all' possible interferences and artificial sources 'ruled out'. Over 90% of the scientific community has concluded the the 'WOW' Signal was strong enough (very strong) and had the right profile and signature characteristics to have been sent from deep space and possibly from and unknown or even more remotely possible, an ET source even though the scientific community is still divided today on the actual source where it originated from. The 'WOW' Signal bore signal characteristics that were similiar to a possible 'beacon' of sorts, if that's what you want to call it. However, the 'WOW' Signal after thousands of attempts were made to scan the same area of the sky and direction it came from (Saggitarius region), was never picked up again. That is to say that it may possible the same signal may return again someday and the cycle starts again. The bottom line is that the 'WOW' Signal 'could have' been the 'first' true radio signal from an ET source that earth picked up and actually tried to decipher it as the same. All other radio signals earth radio telescopes that have picked up 'todate' have 'just about' all but been ruled out as an actual ET signal. However, the search goes on. If you know something we don't about ET, then we look forward to your commentary about it.

Novacane

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
All very interesting. I have a link about how alien life forms might be getting information out there. Click below.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/generalscience/faster_than_c_000719.html

Aliens may be able to improve and use what we are just know experimenting with.

 

Well I read something about the Wow! signal before. I don't remember the specifics but it was something about the fact that the same point gets double checked automatically by the telescope seconds/minutes later and nothing was found.

It wasn't double checked because of the signal, everywhere it pointed gets doubled checked by another instrument as it meets where the telescope was seconds earlier. That pretty much suggests interferrance or a satellite, unless the same signal would've popped up twice.

 

There have been several books written on the 'WOW Signal. I suggest you go to Yahoo Search and read the many sites devoted just to the description and scientific research that went into the evaluation of the 'WOW' Signal and how it is percieved back in 1977 and even today. Unless you read all of the information and data that was gathered about the 'WOW' Signal, then you really can't understand it's dynamics until you do. The 'WOW' Signal was scrutinized and subjected to just about every artificial source/noise test known to try and discount it as a 'true' radio signal originating from deep space. 'Most' if not in 'all' cases and tests, the 'WOW' Signal passed the test. However, because it was never picked up again, it remains an inigma even today. In other words, the 'WOW' Signal 'could have' and still 'can be' considered a 'true' radio signal originating from deep space unless you or science can prove otherwise.

Novacane

 

I know. As I haven't read extensively about it, I can't form an opinion either way. But I just wonder how many 'false alarms' by SETI were actually false alarms?

 

Any suspicious radio signals that are interesting the SETI program picks up is first subjected to tests for signal strength, signal profile and signal dynamics to rule out any artificial noise/sources (cars/satellites & etc.) that may have created it. Second, the signal is pinpointed again (if possible), not once, not twice, but many times over a specific time frame (days/weeks/months) inorder to confirm it's true location. Then once it passes those two important tests, then it becomes a candidate for more extensive evaluation and tests. Even though there have been interesting radio signals recieved by the SETI program, none have passed all of the tests and thus are or have been ruled (so far) out as a true radio signal originating from deep space by ET. Only the 'WOW' Signal picked up in 1977 has come the 'closest' (I reiterate the word 'closest') to being considered a radio signal (Beacon maybe?) originating from deep space. Right now, all other radio signals picked up are just 'pretenders' compared to the 'WOW' Signal.

Novacane

 

locked

 

The best example I can give you about the sensitivity of a radio telescope's ability to pick up a radio signal from deep space is the following:

Detection of narrowband signals is far more reasonable then recieving or detecting broadband signals (AM, FM radio and television picture & sound). Example would be a TV picture having 5 MHz of bandwidth and 5 MWatts of power 'could not' be detected beyond our solar system even with a radio telescope with 100 times the sensitivity of the 305 meter diameter Arecibo radio telescope. As I mentioned previously, detection of narrowband signals are far more reasonable out to thousands of light years from the sun depending on the telescopes transmitting power and recieving antenna size. The arecibo radio telescope has the potential of recieving narrowband radio signals that originate thousands of light years away from the sun.

If you a SETI enthusiast and want to build your own radio telescope then a well designed 12 foot antenna home-built / amateur radio telescope with the appropriate transmitting power of the transmitter in the terawatt range could pickup narrowband radio signals from 1 to 100 lightyears distance.

As you can see the size of the antenna and power of the transmitter is the 'key' for deep space narrowband radio signal detection. Bigger is better.

Back to the original question; 'Have we found anything out to 120 light years of earth that is an interesting radio signal that look like good candidates? Right now SETI is evaluating 150 radio signals that look promising. But if you want to check a 'recent' one out that has more promise than some of the others, then check this website out:

ewscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6341

Or if you have trouble with this link, then go to Yahoo Search and find:

'SETI Radio Signals Detected'

and go to # 2 item: New Scientist Breaking news - Mysterious Signals From Light Years Away

I hope you find this info helpful in your search for ET.