Reply #55: Unlikely they come to raid [View All]

[Spike89]

As been pointed out, we really don't seem to have anything worth taking that isn't easier to get elsewhere. Likewise, we are certainly a small planet in a relatively sparse and out-of-the-way area. That said, we are currently throwing off some pretty intriguing signals--radio for nearly 100 years, seriously powered stuff for about 75 years, and tuned-for-space signals for a couple decades. That could make aliens curious.
The real danger from aliens isn't them doing something hostile. It is the havoc they most certainly would bring to our culture. For instance, say they came, gave us (or even accidentally pointed us to) extreme longevity--could we adjust to it before we drown in overpopulation? Maybe they come with proof that Jesus was a space traveler with a wicked sense of humor?
Some fascinating stuff, but really, the numbers are a lot less positive than the hype for the documentary let on. First, life billions of light years away is totally irelevent...they won't get our signals for billions of years. The real sphere of interest is only about 75 light years. For them to be lured here by the early signals, the current sphere is only about 35 light years. The level of technology that would allow us to contact any aliens is also highly overestimated. It is not that they just need to be advanced enough...they can't be too advanced. I can't decode smoke signals--more importantly, I wouldn't even be aware that they were signals. Radio may not be what "grown-ups" use to talk to each other.