[Frank_Discussion]

"...Similar to the warp-drive signature of the Star Trek Universe.

Discouraging fact, on another hand, is that even if ET do exist, what is a chance that our one century of technological advance out of billions years of the Universe existence brings us on the level where anybody is interested to meaningfully communicate; in any other way that we communicate with frogs by dissecting them?"

I agree with your sentiment, but I think you may have missed one of my points. If we "backward humans" have happened upon faster-than-light communication, then maybe the requirements for galactic community aren't so stringent, regardless of not having an natural IQ of 300 or being an extremely old species.

[RadioAstronomer]

Discouraging fact, on another hand, is that even if ET do exist, what is a chance that our one century of technological advance out of billions years of the Universe existence brings us on the level where anybody is interested to meaningfully communicate; in any other way that we communicate with frogs by dissecting them?"

If we do find that extremely narrowband signal heralding the fact we aren't the only intelligence in this vast universe, I think it would further our understanding of our relationship with this universe. With C being the fundamental limit (speed) of communication, "talking" with another race would be quite impracticable. Not much of a conversation if you have to wait 3000 years for a reply to your hello. Still we would know as a species that we were not the only organisms contemplating the existence of the universe. Finding another intelligent race would definitely redefine our place in the universe.

[LRS]

We may find that we humans are not the real "backward ones" in the universe...

I have often considered if people would clasify the Egyptians who built the pyramids as being unintelligent. Sure, they may not have developed nuclear power, but I would speculate that if one was to take a 5 year old out of the Nile Delta, circa 2400 BC, and wisk them into the present, they would be able to develope as much computer skills as the average present day person has. Point being, there may actually be a great deal of intelligent life "out there". They just might not have taken the same roads that we have taken, and never have developed space and SETI programs. I don't dismiss more advanced civilistions than ours existing, but given how all the pratfalls that can take a civilsation "backwards", our current level may not be reached as often as some dreamers imagine...

[SkyRat]

I agree with your sentiment, but I think you may have missed one of my points. If we "backward humans" have happened upon faster-than-light communication,

We did? o_O ? Why did nobody tell me. Is it time to sell my AT&T shares?

[DAnconia55]

There is also the possibility that we are more advanced than others we will come into contact with.

This is bolstered by our position in the cooler, older outer arms of the Milky Way.