Why not let the other intelligent life find us? I mean if we can get so worked up about a "face" on mars, don't you think aliens would explore some strange unnatural phenomenon? We should advertise we are here. Let them figure out how to contact us. Maybe create an ring of shiny orbs that look artifical from distant telescopes. Or carve a symbol into our moon.
It has to be cheaper than listening for them using those expensive radio telescopes.-- bwente, Jul 10 2002 Baked with radio messages http://news.bbc.co....d_265000/265937.stm [DrCurry, Jul 10 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004] The alternative view http://www.halfbake...gnaling_20aliens_21Right idea, for misguided reasons. [8th of 7, Jul 10 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] (?) Echo I & Echo II http://www.centenni...onary/Echo/DI55.htmEcho I – The First Passive Satellite [bwente, Jul 10 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004] Stop signaling aliens! http://www.halfbake...signaling_20aliens![beauxeault] has the exact opposite idea. [phoenix, Jul 11 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] Ad layout for ET's http://www.wedothat...raphics/life_ad.jpg [bwente, Jul 11 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] Echo 1 http://www.space.co...lloon-50-years.htmlhuge space balloon [Voice, Oct 29 2015] echo 2 https://www.nasa.go...e_feature_2124.html [Voice, Oct 29 2015] The irony is, if they're that intelligent, they're probably avoiding this place...-- RayfordSteele, Jul 10 2002 "has to be cheaper" - I take it you didn't take either engineering or economics in school.-- DrCurry, Jul 10 2002 Wasn't there a corporate venture that sent out a whole load of drawings, and letters, and DNA samples, and stuff like that, in a probe that was just sent out to roam.-- [ sctld ], Jul 10 2002 you mean GDR-- po, Jul 10 2002 No less a personage than Professor Steven Hawking has suggested that it might be a really poor move on humanity's part to attempt contact with other intelligent (civilised ?) life forms.I have great respect for Dr HAwking and I am inclined to agree. I think that as far as possible we should keep or collective heads down until such time as we have decent, practicable non-newtonian propulsion systems and the support technology that goes with it, including, regrettably, weapons. Unless of course the Borg come calling (Over here, guys !).-- 8th of 7, Jul 10 2002 As DrCurry has annotated, this is already baked. Extra-terrestrials about 90 light-years from us will, by now, be aware of our presence due to radio signals.
If you mean advertise as in present a good side, that's different, but we have 90 years-worth of stuff to undo.
Finally, given that our planet becomes no more visible than a faint blue dot once you have got to Neptune, scratching something on the surface of the moon would only work from a distance of, say, Mars.-- PeterSilly, Jul 10 2002 instead of carving crop marks/signs in the lunar soil, how about giant mylar sails or ballons? I meant it to be really more of a visual beacon for intelligent life.
"For eight years Echo I orbited the Earth being bombarded by micrometeorites and space dust until finally, its skin gradually leaking gas, Echo I fell back to Earth in 1968. "-- bwente, Jul 10 2002 I think 8th of 7 makes a good point. Let's say you're walking along one day and suddenly you notice a mysterious-looking bug on your arm. Is your first instinct to commune with the bug, share your knowledge, and solve all the bug's problems? If so, you're a better person than I am.-- earl, Jul 10 2002 There are a lot more references to aliens being scary than being friendly... perhpas we don't want them to know we're here until we get some really big planetary guns.-- Aurora, Jul 10 2002 references like... Men in Black, Alien, Independence Day, Starship Troopers? O.K fine, E.T. too..
They all seem to look like bugs, so instead of a planetary gun, just a REALLY big bug Zapper!-- dag, Jul 10 2002 If you set your task you will be guided, if the entities is amused it will assist. (if irritated it will leave ha ha ha-X)-- postseti, Jul 10 2002 Start bombing planets far and wide - see if aliens come out of hiding.-- thumbwax, Jul 10 2002 my side hurts - stop it. please.-- po, Jul 10 2002 //Why not let the other intelligent life find us?// Who says that we are intelligent life though? Everything is relative.-- missfire, Jul 11 2002 I doubt there is enough mylar to build enough artificial satellites large enough to be seen (see link for ad layout). But wouldn't an advanced race have better telescopes than the hubble?
I just hope they don't see it as an ad for takeout.-- bwente, Jul 11 2002 //how about giant mylar sails or ballons? I meant it to be really more of a visual beacon for intelligent life.//
And what's to say that intelligent life elsewhere in the universe has eyes to begin with?
Or, having eyes, what's to say that their eyes aren't capable of seeing different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum?-- ye_river_xiv, Nov 25 2006 artificial comet
we could use anomolous isotopes to create a plasma with all spectra difference from what humans have yet viewed
wider reach than just our communications leakage
I think that radwaste plus a mother element could make technetium as a daughter element; a technetium plasma comet just says we are here loud n clear as Tc has a half life of hours thus a source that endures centuries is visibly artificial; there are longer lived isotopes of technetium though thus a freakish blend of technetium with tritium might work as the two spectra ought to rarely appear together plus tritium has a few years half life-- beanangel, May 18 2008 You know, beanie baby, that is not actually such a stupid idea!
On the other hand, how visible are comets from distant stars? Would we, for example, be able to see a comet around alpha centauri?-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 18 2008 I'm with 8th of 7. Any advanced civilisation will see us the way our politicians see third world countries - there to be exploited and prevented from developing at all costs.
Also, the might be able to tell anyway. They could analyse the spectrum of light coming from Earth and possibly determine it supported life.-- Bad Jim, May 19 2008 I have yet to find Intelligent life so would you get sued for false advertising?-- travbm, Oct 29 2015 random, halfbakery