20.5 light years seems very far if we want to go there and drop a "hi" Still, maybe we should consider sending a signal of some kind. Hopefully there's some kind of intelligent living beings there that can reply to us
I'm just wondering, is there any chance that the information has been exaggerated or so? Scientific findings these days are really blown up by journalists sometimes.
But then if they're developed enough then we should have received something right? Maybe it's better to be alone in the universe after all. Personally I would prefer so :|
I think the title being used by the press is too misleading.
what they are actually saying is they found what is likely a rocky planet similar to Earth. As to size and composition, its going to be difficult to confirm. We have problems confirming what Pluto is made of and what is in its atmosphere. Would be ridiculous if they can do so for a planet that is 20 light years away! But one must admit the revelations from the conclusions based on the evidence seen so far is intriguing.
Alsol, the planet is circling a red dwarf, probably not getting enough heat to sustain life as we know it...
The Boldly Go Where No Meade Has Gone Before Captain, RSS Enterprise NCC1701R United Federation of the Planets
the planet is circling a red dwarf, probably not getting enough heat to sustain life as we know it...
Hmm... I don't think that is quite important, cus even for red dwarfs, they have their own habitable zone, just that it is nearer to the parent star. Whether or not Gl 581 b,c can sustain life really depends on their atmosphere composition and its orbital to spin angular momenta ratio.
annechan wrote:Oh thanks for providing us the link
But then if they're developed enough then we should have received something right? Maybe it's better to be alone in the universe after all. Personally I would prefer so :|
They might also have sent something back but are we able to receive it?
In current context, there are so many types of wireless transmission, NONE cross-compatible. eg: GSM and CDMA requires different decoding, FM and AM radios, TV and satellite, bluetooth, wifi, etc...
We might even be looking and receiving the signals but just have no idea that it's there. Same applied on the alien end
yanyewkay wrote:
NONE cross-compatible. eg: GSM and CDMA requires different decoding, FM and AM radios, TV and satellite, bluetooth, wifi, etc...
Most systems mentioned above travel very short distance, so can't reach space
Space or satellite comm x'mit in powerful microwave. The problem is coding method like E^2PRML, etc and modulation like PCM, etc which the alien whether more adv or otherwise may not match ours. The other thing is the signal path, just like a beam of light, did we hit the correct target. So, at the end may be NO comm with them.
Still, maybe we should consider sending a signal of some kind. Hopefully there's some kind of intelligent living beings there that can reply to us 
"The universe is composed mainly of hydrogen and ignorance." 
