Dr Frank Drake, the founder of Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), 50-years ago told a meeting at the Royal Society earlier this week that the phasing out of analogue transmissions from television, radio and radar was making our planet electronically invisible from outer space.
Analogue signals used to spread out millions of miles into outer space, even reaching some distant stars, digital transmissions are much weaker and therefore are less easy to detect by extra-terrestrial life forms.
He said the earth used to be surrounded by a 50 light year wide shell of radiation, with old-style television transmissions generating around one million watts. But he said with satellites aiming much of their transmissions towards earth now virtually no radiation was escaping into outer space.
He explained: "Now the actual amount of radiation escaping is about two watts, not much more than you get from a cell phone. If this continues into the future, very soon our world will become undetectable."
This may not be a bad thing if our neighbours include the Borg. On the other spare a thought for the disappointed aliens who will no longer be able to tune into Coronation Street... On the other hand...
15 comments:
No great loss for the ETs. They probably stopped listening to our senseless gibberish years ago.
I wonder what they make of our broadcasts. Not a lot I would imagine!
That is interesting. I didn't realise that. I reckon, as Claudia (known as The Goddess Claudia to me) says, they may be glad to see us switched off. Or just maybe they will be so annoyed at losing the plot of Coronation Street and Eastenders, not to mention Dr Who, they'll be heading our way to buy the box sets of DVDs?
If they do, Andrew, it would kill my hope that somehow, someone, from somewhere, sometimes will appear and enlighten our muddle brain.
I meant: if they come for that reason...
If "it, she, he, them" come to stop our senseless chatter, I would truly appreciate the visit. Sometimes, I'm so tired to speak, and speak, and say nothing!!!!! Cheers!:)
Ah Claudia.. You are a Goddess remember. You must be if The Good Dr Scott says so. It is YOUR job to "appear and enlighten our muddled brains". Get to work, and good wishes.
No more broadcasts might be just enough to get them to come and investigate.
Alien visitation and a boost to teh economy. A win/win situation, Dr Scott!
But Claudia you are quite right. It would be utterly dismaying if they did come for that reason
You are quite right Alien!
It might just cause them to pay a visit Susan
Does that mean no more close encounters of the 3rd kind? If so, how sad!!!!
Ah well.. no more visitors to out of the way shacks!
Well maybe now the aliens can't see all that c**p they might show themselves properly when they visit next ;-)
Who knows!
And a good thing it is. Imagine right-minded aliens coming over and seeing what we have become. Better if they stay away, I guess.
At least they wont get Press TV or Top Grea so that's a blessing for the aliens!
Appreciated post.
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