Interstellar Espionage: While We're Watching Mars, Could Someone be Watching Us?

Space.Com ^ | Jan 22, 04 | Seth Shostak

[Fitzcarraldo]

Seems to me an advanced civilation would find this universe (one of zillions in the multiverse) passe. Maybe we are slapping ourselves on the back to think we are the object of scrutiny.

[finnman69]

Some of these alien spies have been caught engaging in off limits activity.

[b9]

fascinating concept.
thanks for posting

[longtermmemmory]

earth: mostly harmless

[Redcloak]

They want to steal our supply of tin foil.

[theDentist]

earth: mostly harmless, except to themselves.

[ElkGroveDan]

I check under my bed for them every night.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

They're after our precious bodily fluid.

[Crazieman]

I prefer the theory that we are the first, and everyone will refer to us as "The Ancients".

=)

[buffyt]

I have been thinking kind of the same thing. What if there is life out there and we upset them by going to Mars and they are way advanced compared to us..... Just a thought on a cold January gray skied evening....

[Spruce]

First message received from aliens after they listen to the Voyager recordings...

"Send more Chuck Berry"

[Billthedrill]

Well, a probe implies a certain finite state of technology too - they may be not advanced enough to build one or too advanced to need it. They may just come here themselved if their technology supports that. They may be walking among us right now, looking similar but not, somehow, quite right. How else would you explain Algore or Dennis Kucinich?

[erasmus605]

Ah, hold on, I need to get my hat!

[BenLurkin]

Watching? That's not all:

[BenLurkin]

What's worse, they're looking for a place to put their own fluids.

[b9]

Seems to me an advanced civilation would find this universe (one of zillions in the multiverse) passe. Maybe we are slapping ourselves on the back to think we are the object of scrutiny.

Well personally, I think we're pretty thpecial.
Starman did, too. (just ask Jeff Bridges)
Remember what he found "fascinating" about our thpecies?
You're at your best when things are at their worst.

[pabianice]

[ambrose]

Imagine if an alien civilization needed to colonize a new planet. In order to do so, they had to wipe out the existing population. But according to alien rules, they couldn't colonize a planet with advanced beings. Then imagine they were going to base this decision on the television programs, such as Survivor, Springer, Jackass, etc., that are beamed back to them.

[spodefly]

If the probe weighs 10 pounds, the minimum energy necessary to rocket it to target and then slow it down on arrival is roughly 5,000 trillion joules.

Why can't he just say 5 quintillion like normal people?