Is there anybody out there? [Book review]

The Daily Camera ^ | 16November 2003 | David Grinspoon (Clay Evans, reviewer)

[PatrickHenry]

[edwin hubble]

"Seems like the Drake Equation should have another multiplier quantifying the fraction of civilizations that send out "artifacts", the number of said "artifacts" and the probability of their detection."

I see that covered by this Drake variable (my reply #18):

fc = The fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space.

[PatrickHenry]

P L A C E M A R K E R for a dying thread.

[RadioAstronomer]

OK, this brings up a question I've been pondering: Let's say an alien species exploded a 1 megaton (for instance) nuclear weapon in space within their solar system, as a "Hello World" signal. How far away could we be and still detect it, with our technology?

We would not even notice it I dont think. Most of the damage from a nudet is due to there being an atmosphere in the first place. The brief increase in gamma and other incidental emmisions would most likely be drowned out by the star.

[RadioAstronomer]

But no use of the EM spectrum for communications. We'd never know they exist.

I agree completely.