SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the =**.*=*.**.=*.=*=.=*==.===.**=.*=*.===.***=.*=.*=**.=.**.=*.* dept.
If extraterrestrial intelligence exists somewhere in our galaxy, a new MIT study proposes that laser technology on Earth could, in principle, be fashioned into something of a planetary porch light — a beacon strong enough to attract attention from as far as 20,000 light years away.
The research, which author James Clark calls a "feasibility study," appears today in The Astrophysical Journal. The findings suggest that if a high-powered 1- to 2-megawatt laser were focused through a massive 30- to 45-meter telescope and aimed out into space, the combination would produce a beam of infrared radiation strong enough to stand out from the sun's energy.
Such a signal could be detectable by alien astronomers performing a cursory survey of our section of the Milky Way — especially if those astronomers live in nearby systems, such as around Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth, or TRAPPIST-1, a star about 40 light-years away that hosts seven exoplanets, three of which are potentially habitable. If the signal is spotted from either of these nearby systems, the study finds, the same megawatt laser could be used to send a brief message in the form of pulses similar to Morse code.
Also at EarthSky.
Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances (DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aae380) (DX)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:29PM (17 children)
Too late, mate. The Kardashian kind are already here. Or was the Cardassian?
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:36PM (3 children)
What if, 65 million years ago, aliens observed that intelligent dinosaurs capable of building a civilization and exploring space had just evolved, and decided to cut them down before they could?
I wonder if any conspiracy theorists have ever thought of that one. Probably a few have, but it doesn't seem to have gained much traction.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:04PM (2 children)
Probably would have been the energy drinks and alcohol that killed them first.
And Doritos to go with their joint. Lots of Doritos to make 'em have heart attacks.
"Imma gonna build this spaceship i just designed, but first i'll celebrate by swishing my long tail and eating Doritos while i smoke this... hey! Bud and Rockstar too! Alright!"
...
...........
Aaaaaarrrrrrghhhhhh..... a killer rabbit lives in this cave!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Thursday November 08 2018, @10:37PM (1 child)
Killer Rabbits?
Have you been playing Fluffy Horde [youtube.com]?
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 3, Touché) by Gaaark on Friday November 09 2018, @03:33AM
Nope, I've been playing with coconut horses.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by VLM on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:27PM (9 children)
(((Ferengi))) got here first, sorry.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:33PM (6 children)
Anti-semitic scumbag.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by VLM on Thursday November 08 2018, @09:56PM (5 children)
Hey if you see them as Jews, thats on you, not me.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @10:52PM
When you put them in the Nazi ((())) it's extremely clear what you are.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @11:17PM (3 children)
Apparently, it is on you. You used the triple parentheses. If it wasn't the widely acknowledged meaning [wikipedia.org], what were you trying to say?
Do you have so little respect for other humans to think anyone would buy your trollish bullshit?
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/triple-parentheses-echo [knowyourmeme.com]
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2016/jun/12/echoes-beating-the-far-right-two-triple-brackets-at-a-time [theguardian.com]
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Triple_parentheses [rationalwiki.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @02:01AM (2 children)
(((VLM))) was just trying to make you spend time writing that reply.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @02:26AM (1 child)
No worries. I type *really* fast!
And calling out scumbags like VLM is *never* a waste of time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @03:16AM
You have a point, but doesn't that run the risk of empowering (((old-school trolls)))?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:34PM
Take you hitlerian bullshit to Stormfront, asshole!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @09:14PM
I don't watch moronic TV, nor pay much attention to so-called celebrities. I swear first time I heard about effing Kardashians years ago on radio, I thought What the fuck have Cardassians from ST DS9 to do with this bloody subject? Swear to Universe is true.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by stretch611 on Thursday November 08 2018, @10:32PM (1 child)
I wish it was the latter... they are the better looking ones.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @02:35AM
Yup. dem bitches is hawt! [nocookie.net]
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday November 12 2018, @04:53PM
Well, one is a plague of invasive conquering aliens from another world who look like the plastic surgeons attempted to help but completely botched it up in the process. The other is a race from Star Trek.
This sig for rent.