DailyDirt: Aliens Aren't Coming To Visit Anytime Soon, But...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Thu, Oct 22nd 2015 5:00pm — Michael Ho

The search for aliens has been pretty fruitless so far, but that doesn't mean we should give up on it. Sure, there's little evidence that points to us ever finding aliens beyond our solar system -- and no way that we'll ever interact with distant aliens given the vastness of space and that darn speed of light limitation. However, if we can find some sign that we're not alone, that would be quite a remarkable discovery that could inspire us to greater goals, knowing that someone else is out there to impress or something? Or it would just be cool to be able to build a Dyson sphere of our own.

KIC 8462852 is the name of a star system that has unusual features -- with explanations saying that it's a star surrounded by a strange field of debris, to more outlandish suggestions that an alien megastructure (perhaps a partial Dyson sphere) exists. A Dyson sphere (or a Dyson swarm) is a massive technological construction that would allow an extremely advanced civilization to harness an enormous amount of energy from a star. This is far from conclusive evidence for aliens, but it would certainly be a significant discovery if all the more mundane explanations don't pan out. [url]
Instead of looking for messages from aliens, some folks are looking for evidence of ancient ruins in space. Interstellar archaeologists might find aliens on the Kardashev Scale with unnatural amounts of pollution or other anomalous space objects that might be detected. [url]
Abiogenesis must have happened at least once here on Earth, right? If we could find some evidence that it's happened here more than once, though, that might improve the odds of life existing elsewhere in the universe. [url]

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Filed Under: aliens, dyson sphere, extraterrestrial life

11 Comments

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Sam, 22 Oct 2015 @ 7:45pm

Is abiogenesis happening on earth a foregone conclusion? What about panspermia?
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Oct 2015 @ 8:47pm

If aliens ever visit Earth. Their technology will be so advanced that their scouting drones will be the size of a fly. The drone would probably look like a fly too.

That's if they're friendly. If they're not friendly, they will probably knock out all our satellites and bombard us using laser beams from orbit in their motherships.

Either way, we probably won't see them.
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Pixelation, 22 Oct 2015 @ 9:26pm

Just gotta know...
Do you use a Dyson ball to clean a Dyson sphere?
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JoeCool (profile), 22 Oct 2015 @ 10:36pm

Hilarious
The articles on KIC 8462852 were a riot. The scientist said something like "the LAST thing we want to say is 'aliens'," so what do the headlines all say? "Scientists claim to have found alien constructs!"

Good old media... :)
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Glenn, 23 Oct 2015 @ 2:22am

Having spent time here, I wouldn't want to visit Earth either if I didn't have to.
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- Klaus, 23 Oct 2015 @ 4:03am
  
  Re:
  Haha! Some people argue that aliens don't exist becuase if they did we'd have seen them by now. I argue back that why on earth would anyone expect them to want to visit planet earth?
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  - JoeCool (profile), 23 Oct 2015 @ 10:27am
    
    Re: Re:
    Because it's the only place in the universe to get a decent Philly Cheese Steak. :)
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2015 @ 4:37am

If I was an alien I would avoid planets where the inhabitants are locked in perpetual war unless of course I wanted a slave species.
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- JoeCool (profile), 23 Oct 2015 @ 10:29am
  
  Re:
  No, those would be the WORST slaves. You want a "pacified" world with one government where everyone is an obedient cog in the machine. THOSE make the best slaves.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2015 @ 5:08am

"inspire us to greater goals"

Hahahaha - good one!
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- Anonymous Coward, 24 Oct 2015 @ 11:02am
  
  Re:
  I'm sure there're plenty of people who would want to meet interesting and stimulating beings of an ancient alien culture... and kill them.
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