"Strange" SETI@Home Signal.

[Grumlen]

Oh yeah, Killer-Rabbit, there is a huge flaw in the analogy that you chose to use. Water is something that life on earth developed FROM, whereas Integrals are something that have been DERIVED from lower math functions. I think the "math w/o Integrals" bit would be better equated with "life w/o multiple cells."

And MB, I tend to phrase things generally. As I pointed out when Killer-Rabbit chose to jump all over my analogy to language, I mentioned that there are exceptions. Still, theres also the possibility of an alternating base system. I agree that math is the most likely thing that we would have in common with an alien race, but I still don't think that we can expect it to work. I still, however, concede that point to you as far as Earth is concerned.

[KaneTheMediocre]

Imperator Severn wrote (View Post):
Furthermore, why would people be watching the hydrogen frequency? Seems a bit noisy to me. I'd transmit in the clearest possible range.


Lets say you have two planets (A and B). Planet A has an evolved species thats attempting to contact other planets with life. Planet B however is unknown. Planet A has no idea of what Planet B's technology is like, they may be far beyond them or they may just barely be able to recieve a signal. To have the highest odds of finding Planet B, Planet A would want to assume that the inhabitants are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.

Now, say you are a civilization that is just starting to look out into the stars. Sure, you'd be monitoring all the frequencies you use. But Planet A would have a hell of a time figuring out what those are. So where would B start? Well, why not with mapping the most abundant element in the universe: Hydrogen. So Planet A figures that if Planet B is anywhere near space exploration, they are most likely going to be monitoring hydrogen's frequency. So A sends out a simple repeating signal and hopes somewhere out there, B is monitoring it.

(Note: Apart from looking for extraterrestrial intelligence, SETI@Home is also working on mapping the hydrogen in the universe...and digital watches are a pretty neat idea)

However it should be noted that we are not planet A or B. We are planet C. Planet C is located somewhere between planet A and planet B. Planet A and B are in regular communication and have decided to create a hyperspace bypass at planet C so that intelligent entities from point A can quickly move to point B and intelligent entities from point B can quickly move to point A. Intelligent entities on planet C have no idea why intelligent entities on planet A are so keen to get to planet B, and intelligent entities on planet B are so keen to get to planet A; after all, they still think that digital watches are a neat idea. And so Planet C must be demolished to make room. Lets hope disney doesnt fuck it up too badly.