The Physics of Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations

http://www.mkaku.org/ ^ | unk | Michio Kaku

[RightWhale]

Rare Earth

Definitely went against the grain when it was published. However, it makes a lot of sense. A lot more than most wishful thinking that is going on in this area.

[RadioAstronomer]

Would take centuries to span even the nearest stars. Not an efficient use of energy. Hmmm... Unless they can hibernate completely. I just don't see it though. But heck, I am just as likely to be wrong as right with this subject.

[Virginia-American]

I highly recommend Hogan's Code of the Lifemaker

[RadioAstronomer]

Thanks :-)

[Thumper1960]

Once I heard the theory that "we" are the science project of a 'middle-school student' in some cosmic classroom. Like a teeming colony of bacteria, we've advanced to where we are today.

In the student's locker is a very big can of Lysol.

Said student will get a "C".

[new cruelty]

neat.

[Ogmios]

Nice!!

Here's mine!!

http://www.elitedeals.com/elitedeals/telescope.html

Tell it what I want to see, and it goes there, pretty cool stuff!!

[StriperSniper]

Just skimmed this and checked out Dr. Kaku's site, looks like lots of good reading!

Thanks for bringing it to my attention with this post.

[Ogmios]

I think that it will be more like an F, I don't have much faith in the Human species as a whole, if taken individually, he might get an A, but taken as a species, big old F for failure, but there is still time.

And who knows, maybe he'll go for extra credit...

[JoeSchem]

It seems to me the whole energy-consumption argument is as out of whack as Marx's Labor Theory of Value. According to this argument, ENIAC (the first vacuum tube computer, with 64 K [yes, kilobytes] of memory) is greater evidence of an advanced technology than a Pentium III laptop, because it used more energy.

[irv]

1. We are not alone. There is no way.

• What if they think they're alone?
• What if the only thing they want in a new planet is a place free of that annoying H2O, so they didn't stick around after they got here?
• What if they do have such high energy needs that, when they saw we were here, they concluded that using our world would destroy us, so they went away?
• What if they want to make contact with us, but the paperwork isn't going to be back from Galactic Central for another 380,000 years?

[helper]

And so would I, but I am have a hard time seeing kids brought up within the last 30 years. Some of them can't even change a flat tire.

A few years ago, at my daughter's birthday party, I had a treasure hunt that involved using a compass. Only one out of about 25 even knew how to use it. Sad.

[aruanan]

Nope, the probability runs differently. Our planet revolves around a relatively new star. We've had three billion years to develop to our present state, with most of the real progress in just the last 4,000 years.

No, this is, indeed, how probability works. The age of our star has nothing to do with it. Besides, given evolutionary history, the easiest part would be going from post-biogenesis to the present. The absolutely gigantic probability roadblock lies in life arising through abiogenesis--this is where the situations on various and sundry planets is most similar and the probabilities the most stringent and forbidding. We probably are all there is--based solely upon an abiogenetic, probabilistic view of life. Poor Carl was deluded.

[Michael Barnes]

re #147

Awesome...How do you like it?

[Michael Barnes]

re #148

Most welcome...

[Michael Barnes]

I almost saw your point. But The Eniac didn't use energy as effiecintly as we do today. We do more today per electron than what the Eniac based technology could ever hope for.

[Ogmios]

I took out some homeschoolers on a Geocaching expedition a couple of weeks ago. GPS hunting, anyway, I also took a Compass, and taught them how to use it as well. If the satelites go out, you're SOL without knowing how to use a compass.

I like Heinleins old saying.

From the notebook of Lazarus Long.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

I can't do half of them, but I'm working on it!!

[Ogmios]

It's a great telescope, doesn't see as far as yours is going to, but I don't have to point it...;)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[BiffWondercat]

All the ideas Ii see "on the board" still are talking 23+ years round trip to the nearest stars.

Then again with nano/bio tech, that may be 'easily feasible' in a few short decades.