[Buckeye Battle Cry]

“They could be all around us and we’d never know it.”

BINGO! Imagine that recently discovered primitive tribe in South America. A team of Navy Seals could surround them and communicate freely with each other and the natives would never be the wiser for it. Their technology is too primitive to identify the technology of a SEAL team. In a like vein, why and how, are we to suppose that we can detect transmissions of vastly superior extra terrestial technology? They could very well be all around us and not want to be detected. If they want us to know they are out there, they can stoop to our level and bang messages out on hollow logs with long sticks.

[Free Vulcan]

Great analogy. I think sometimes we forget that civilizations that could make faster-than-light propulsion drives could probably also master faster-than-light comms.

[wbill]

Yup. IMHO, we're pretty arrogant for assuming that they'd want to talk to us. For instance, you're aware of the ants in your driveway, but you're not going to sit outside and try to have a conversation with them.

Frankly, though, I think that interstellar space is too vast for much, if any, communication and travel. Just my opinion, though, it's just as valuable as anyone else's.

[notdownwidems]

If they want us to know they are out there, they can stoop to our level and bang messages out on hollow logs with long sticks.

Very good point, and a reason I have always been skeptical of 'UFOs'. Not that I don't think extraterrestrial life exists, just that if they could come here from interstellar space, they would be so vastly superior to us that, if they didn't want us to see them, there would be no 'accidental' sightings such as what we see now. I could be wrong, it's happened before.