UFO?

[WebSlave]

"Actually, I believe that the odds of there being *true* UFOs piloted by aliens is far greater than the odds of that circumstance being completely impossible.

Once you realize that it IS possible, then you have to then admit that anyone, at anytime, could possibly witness such an event.

The most puzzling fact of it all is that even with overwhelming evidence of the validity of many accounts of UFO sightings, the official responses are uniformly demeaning towards the reporter, and apparently designed to reduce or eliminate the incentive for people to report such sightings publicly. Even the slimmest of bonafide evidence that our planet is being visited by alien devices should be of the highest interest from our government, I would think. "

EXACTLY!!!

PROJECT BLUE BOOK!!!

And what about the SETI program to search out extraterrestrial intelligence funded by our own government??

Whatever became of that??

That, and other VERY expensive government funded projects that seemingly are far and above in excessive expenses compared to any practical applications to the citizens who are footing the bill for such projects just don't make any real sense unless the TRUE motives for such expenditures are for unstated and secret goals. Personally, I believe that some advanced technology has been discovered or hinted at by UFOs that requires us to reach a level of advancement that is not yet attainable in order to use such technology. Much along the same lines of an aborigine tribe seeing a television working and trying to duplicate the technology to recreate that device. Quite frankly, we just don't have the tools, knowledge, nor ability to reach that plateau yet and the government is feverishly trying to do so, yet keep the true goals hidden from the public.

The level of expense, which is a fair indication of the level of priority, does give me a bit of concern, however. What is CAUSING the rush?

 

[SamanthaJane13]

Yup-lots of money and little brain power to back it up.

Not saying they're stupid, just saying there are things we just can't DO at this point.

 

[DAND]

I think it is but they just don't want to let the people know what they know.

Government intelligence an oxymoron if there ever was.

 

[ForkedTung]

Better buy some Reese's Pieces just in case...or stock up on cats in case it eats like ALF?

 

[Mooing Tricycle]

Meh. If theyre creating spacecraft, bring it on. Id like to see the furthur exploration of space, or the eventual progress towards such a goal. Darnit, earth aint THAT big anymore!!!

 

[SPJ]

Well, where's the photos?
Hurry up. Let's go. Post them pics.

 

[critical bill]

Well, where's the photos?
Hurry up. Let's go. Post them pics.

Its not a photo you dingle, it's a video. V I D E O.

I purchased a cable through ebay and I haven't received it yet.

I don't know if I even want you viewing my V I D E O anyway. What have you done for me lately?

 

[SPJ]

What have you done for me lately?

I just bumped your thread to the top.

 

[DAND]

Just make sure it's the right video. The last thing we want to see is the full moon of Chuck.

 

[critical bill]

Just make sure it's the right video. The last thing we want to see is the full moon of Chuck.

I get sweat pimples on the moon. Sure you don't want to see it?

 

[critical bill]

I just bumped your thread to the top.

Oh, ok then.

 

[DAND]

I get sweat pimples on the moon. Sure you don't want to see it?

Thanks, butt I'll pass.

 

[critical bill]

Thanks, butt I'll pass.

No problem.

 

[R. Eventide]

And what about the SETI program to search out extraterrestrial intelligence funded by our own government??

Whatever became of that??

Uh, SETI is still alive and well...at least, as long as Arecibo is still running (which is in serious jeopardy right now). But SETI probably isn't what you think. SETI, for the most part, involves scanning the sky for signals in the radio wavelengths that may not be natural in origin. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done since there are all kinds of objects in the sky that emit radio waves: stars, radio pulsars, accreting black holes, collapsing molecular clouds, hydrogen gas, etc.

 

[critical bill]

Say an astronaut farted on the space station and keyed his mic open at the same time, would SETI be able to pick that up?

Would this be audible? http://tinyurl.com/3y7dag

 

[WebSlave]

Uh, SETI is still alive and well...at least, as long as Arecibo is still running (which is in serious jeopardy right now). But SETI probably isn't what you think. SETI, for the most part, involves scanning the sky for signals in the radio wavelengths that may not be natural in origin. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done since there are all kinds of objects in the sky that emit radio waves: stars, radio pulsars, accreting black holes, collapsing molecular clouds, hydrogen gas, etc.

The problem with that methodology is that a more highly advanced technology may not even be using radio waves of any sort. It could be the equivalent of aborigines trying to determine if there is intelligent life across the ocean by banging rocks together hoping for a like reply to prove there is someone there.

Then, of course, there is the other possibility that perhaps Earth is not the kind of place that anyone in an advanced alien civilization would want to contact. Much like rats living in the deep sewers of New York denying the existence of humans because they are never seen down there.

Human kind's opinion of itself as the pinnacle of creation just may not be all that universal in scope and agreement....

 

[ForkedTung]

If you really think about it, do we really want to meet them?
We consider ourselves the most "intelligent" being on the planet. We also forget that we are without a doubt the top predator too, there isn't a creature alive that we haven't killed many different ways and for many different reasons ( we are after all the top predator of ourselves as well, If T-Rex's were around I'm sure we would have them on the menu as well). Sometimes we kill just to kill! Look at any food chain, the top predator is almost always what we think of as intelligent. That's because you need to be able to outsmart your prey. That being said the chances are that ET is gonna be not only one smart mother, but a more than capable killing machine as well, we can only hope they're vegans by the time they get here! Just don't tell'em we taste like chicken...

 

[R. Eventide]

Very true, Webslave. Then again, radio emissions aren't hard to produce or receive for a post-industrial-revolution society. If a highly-advanced civilization wanted to see if anyone else were out there, you don't send out a signal that requires highly-advanced technology to receive. You send out the most basic method of communication across such distances as possible. Radio waves travel at the speed of light and they aren't easily absorbed by interstellar dust, so they're pretty good to use.

EDIT: Also, any post-industrial civilization will probably be producing radio emission, so if any civilization reached the industrial revolution, their signals will reach us eventually.

The real reason I explained SETI at all, though, was because it seemed like other people thought it was some big government cover-up about finding alien civilizations.

 

[WebSlave]

Very true, Webslave. Then again, radio emissions aren't hard to produce or receive for a post-industrial-revolution society. If a highly-advanced civilization wanted to see if anyone else were out there, you don't send out a signal that requires highly-advanced technology to receive. You send out the most basic method of communication across such distances as possible. Radio waves travel at the speed of light and they aren't easily absorbed by interstellar dust, so they're pretty good to use.

EDIT: Also, any post-industrial civilization will probably be producing radio emission, so if any civilization reached the industrial revolution, their signals will reach us eventually.

The real reason I explained SETI at all, though, was because it seemed like other people thought it was some big government cover-up about finding alien civilizations.

Quite honestly, would you really expect the government to publicize bonafide evidence of alien civilizations that it found? I can debate conspiracies with the best of them, and quite frankly, the entire topic has far too many loose ends, and the government's official stance too illogical to NOT generate thoughts of a coverup in place.

Probably one of the rudest awakenings a person has in their lifetime is when they come to the realization that their government has absolutely no qualms whatsoever about bald face lying to the public. Even about things that are obvious and blatant lies, because there are absolutely no repercussions involved when they do so. I would even go so far as to state that if you believed the exact opposite about what the government says about UFOs (among a lot of other things) you would probably be a whole lot closer to the actual truth.

 

[SamanthaJane13]

Thank you, R. Eventide.

I haven't heard anything about SETI in years.

Several years ago, there was a program that allowed you to use your computer's idle time to help analyze the signals that SETI picked up. It utilized a screen-saver type program.

People all over the world were helping.

I belonged to the group for a few years, till my old win 98 computer crashed and I couldn't find the program again when my 'puter was back up, so yeah-I know what SETI does.