Blog in Space II: Receiving difficulties

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The question of whether we should be announcing ourselves to the Universe may be a moot point to an extent. We've been leaking man-made electromagnetic radiation for quite some time now. So the "cat's out of the bag," any way, right?

Well, not so fast.

Every planet have a vast night sky in which to search for signals. The further away they are from our solar system, the harder it will be for them to pick up a signal; not only will most have to have their finely tuned directional electronic ears pointed right at us, but their equipment will need to be able to receive the frequencies that we are radiating out into space with as well as be free from possible local interference. It is possible the aliens could dismiss, at first, our signals as noise.

The aliens will only have a small window to detect the signal as their planet rotates on its axis (unless they have space based radio telescopes). Interstellar dust could attenuate some, or all, of the signals. And finally, if they pointed their radio telescope to the Earth a couple of hundred years ago they would've not heard anything and may take some time to come back and listen again; or they may discover artificial (unnatural) signals from one or more other star systems and that may be enough to preoccupy them, delaying them from continuing their search, or from their going over previous searched sections of the sky. So even if the cat is out of the bag, we may have time to put it back in.

So, we need an alien race close enough to pick up the signals we've been leaking, with the technology to pick up the signals and to recognize them as non-local artificial signals, and the will to take the time to dedicate equipment for meticulous searches of the vast sky looking for alien signals.

Even if they did find our signals, they would have to then figure out what they are. Radio and television signals are not simple signals - they are signals which are modulated onto carrier signals. They will need a receiver that is capable of distinguishing signals from each other, able to remove the carrier to retrieve the information being sent, and then process it so that it can be used by a speaker, or TV screen. However, the original signals are meant for human ears and eyes, not an aliens', which could further complicate their ability to receive, and perceive, the signals.

If they are able to figure out the signals, and are able to get the information out in audible and/or visual form by adapting it to their own hearing and/or visual range, they would still need to interpret what they are seeing. Being that our culture and theirs will be very alien to each other, it may be profoundly difficult for them to make sense of what they hear or see. They may not perceive music as we do. They may not even be able to hear, communicating instead through scents (like ants), or touch, or light. How would such aliens make sense out of a audio broadcast? Will they have a sense of humor or be able to understand ours? Will they mistaken a TV show as a historical document (like the Thermians in Galaxy Quest)? Will they be offended by what they see either because of cultural differences or because of misinterpretation. It's hard to interpret a truly foreign language, especially the context, thousands of light-years away.

(I have to pause for another humorous aside, this one from Futurama - will they become addicted like Lrrr, the ruler of Omicron Persei 8, to a 1,000 year old TV series and demand the last episode be shown or the Earth is destroyed?)

But it may be enough that they detect the signal, and realize it is artificial - they would be able to figure out where they came from. If the speed of light is the ultimate speed limit, and there are no "tricks" to get around it (warp engines, worm holes), there's not much to worry about - physically (theologically and psychologically we may have something to worry about, as mentioned in earlier posts on alien contact).

Anyway, while the amount of signals we're leaking out into space has increased (cellphones, space probes, GPS, for example), weakly leaking out man-made radiation isn't the same as beaming out a strong focused signal on purpose for aliens to... oh, wait, we've done that. Ooops. it looks like we not only let that cat out, but we sent it running, meowing all the way.

More on that in the next post.

Reference:

"Character bios: Lrrr." Can't get enough Futurama. 6 August 2008. <www.gotfuturama.com/Information/CharacterBios/lrrr.dhtml>.

"Galaxy Quest (1999)." Internet Movie Database. 6 August 2008. <www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/>

Blog In Space I: Introduction

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There is a blog, "Blog In Space" (by PayPerPost.com), which will beam your blog into space because, according to their unsupported (at least as far as I know!) claim, "Aliens Love Blogs Too!"

If aliens did get your blog, they would have to know how to figure how to translate correctly the electronic signal so that they can see and hear your text, images, sound files, and/or video in the proper format (do aliens have the same HTML, CSS, and image standards?). Then they would need to understand your language (including the nuances only known by understanding the cultural context of the language).

But maybe they don't need to understand anything beyond the fact that some fool sentient species is purposely broadcasting their presence into outer space. Someone - or something - may indeed hear you. But it may not a welcomed guest...

More tomorrow.

PhD position at Leiden Observatory on extrasolar planets

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PhD position at Leiden Observatory on extrasolar planets

A 4-year PhD position is available at Leiden Observatory in the field of extrasolar planets. The student will search for and characterise planets transiting cool red dwarf stars. Planet transits have proven to give unique and extraordinary insights into the physical and atmospheric properties of hot, gaseous giant planets. Transits of much smaller, potentially rocky planets (such as the Earth) can be studied towards red dwarf stars. This is possible due to the significantly smaller size of these cool dwarfs compared to stars of solar type. Several planets have recently been discovered around red dwarfs, including a Super-Earth (possibly within the star's habitable zone), and one transiting hot Neptune. Now is the time to specifically target red dwarfs for transits, and utilise the full potential of the transit method. The student will mainly be working on analysis and follow-up of the WFCAM M-dwarf Transit Survey, which has been awarded 200 nights of observing time on the 4m UKIRT telescope to our international team.

For this project we seek excellent and enthusiastic candidates, who are highly interested in observational astronomy. The astronomy department at Leiden is internationally oriented and hosts about 40 graduate students of several nationalities. Further information about the department can be found at www.strw.leidenuniv.nl.

Applicants should contact Dr. Snellen at the address below for further information. Applicants should have, or soon obtain, a masters degree in astronomy or in physics with a strong astronomy component. Complete applications, including curriculum vitae (with a list of courses and grades), two letters of reference, and a letter explaining your interest in the project, should be sent by the 8st of September 2008 to:

Dr. Ignas Snellen,
Sterrewacht Leiden, PO Box 9512, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
email: snellen@strw.leidenuniv.nl;
tel: +31 71 527 5838;
fax: +31 71 527 5819
http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~snellen

Posted with permission from Dr. Snellen

NASA TV

There's a great widget for watching NASA TV at www.widgetbox.com/widget/nasa-tv.

You can also go to www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/.

Alternate/Parallel Universes in the Multiverse

© DigitalBlasphemy.com

One of the hot topics in astrophysics is the idea of multiple universes - that our universe is just one bubble in a collection of other universe bubbles, all making up the multiverse or the meta-universe (some multiverse hypotheses discuss multiple universes as membranes/sheets, others as discs). While the main focus of this blog is the speculation of alien realities that may (or may not) exist in our universe, no discussion of alien realities would be complete without visiting the subject of alternate or parallel universes.

But before we venture too far into alternative/parallel universe conjectures, I would first like to examine the intersection of the subject of parallel universes with that of alien contact. While the idea of alien contact is plausible in our universe, it may be rather implausible between two universes.

Some hypotheses, like the Many Worlds Interpretation (MWI), or quantum multiverse, state that different universes arise "merely" from the random fluctuations that happen on a quantum level. Chance and true randomness exists, and creates multiple universes. Einstein did not much like the idea, did not like what the math, what the theories were suggesting. He could not believe that God plays with dice.

In a random event, there are more than one possible result. In the MWI, for each random event, each possible result occurs: one occurs in our universe, and the others occur in newly created parallel universes. Thus, those universes have the same physical laws as our universe, just with some small change in a quantum level random event. If aliens were somehow able to travel from one of those parallel universes, they would enter a space time continuum that would function the same as it did in their home universe. Though MWI states that no communication between the universes would be possible, thus no travel, Although there could be quantum interferences between them, though I doubt much could be communicated that way.

Other hypotheses predict changes in physical laws for each universe. This would have major consequences for any alien explorer from another universe. If parallel universe A's gravitational constant, for instance, is stronger than universe B's, then everything in universe A would come to existence, work toward equilibriums, and evolve within this stronger gravity. And since gravity is part of the space-time continuum, the very fabric of space, if aliens from universe A somehow finds a way to physically pop into universe B, they would find themselves in a new space-time continuum - one with weaker gravity. Their bodies, their evolution, their spacecraft and the materials within it were all grew, lived, and evolved in and/or was designed for stronger gravity.

This would affect them at both the atomic level and the macro level. It would affect every particle of their beings, and every particle of their ships. Some very small changes to physical laws could have very large changes for the physical structures (both living and inorganic). It would be very dangerous, even lethal, to pop into a parallel universe without checking the conditions; the aliens would need to send over a M.A.L.P. (Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe - yes, I'm a Stargate fan, though I doubt that would surprise anyone). Though it raises the question that even if they were able to send over something like a M.A.L.P. first, could they truly trust the readings they get back since they are using sensors that would be affected in unknown ways by the unknown differences between the universe being investigated and the home universe?

It would be best to find a means of communicating without actually physically setting foot in another universe. One possible way of communicating may actually be via gravity - some hypothesize that gravity may leak out of universes and or otherwise be felt by other universes. If so, that may be the most logical way to carry on a inter-universal communication. Wouldn't that be wild - to communicate with a sentient species in another universe?

Maybe the safest way too - if it turns out the other sentient race are war mongering conquerors, we would have little to worry about (as long as each universe is incompatible to life from the other); though I wonder, could they eventually figure out how to use a gravity wave weapon, but what would it profit them to do so? Of course we've seen on our own planet some people just can not tolerate anyone different from themselves, and that is reason enough for them to murder.

This topic will, of course, be discussed in more detail future posts.

What is a smile to an Alien?

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We hear how a person has a great smile, how their smile just lights up a room. So when we meet an alien, and want to put them at ease, do we smile?

What is a smile? It's bearing the teeth. If you think about it, it can be a hostile action. A smile is a bit like a dog growling and baring its fangs to threaten (without the growling and drool). Ah, but the eyes tell the story. As well as the rest of the face. Is the face scrunched up? Are the eyes glaring? The nostrils flaring? But there are cold smiles as well - that sickly sweet insincere smile, or, worst, the calm, eerie smile that can send shivers down your spine. Humans of all cultures can identify, on average, what is a happy face, a disgusted face, a mad face, and so on. Our ability to read faces crosses cultural and racial boundaries. But we are talking humans. What about non-humans?

Will aliens have the same range of emotions, or with the same intensity? Will they communicate emotion more with voice tonal differences, or with light, rather than by physical appearance? What if their faces have fewer muscles than ours, limiting their ability to communicate via facial changes? For them, a happy face could be one that is frowning. And a smile can be threatening.

Even simple gestures can be misread. Even here on Earth: the Japanese hand gesture for "come here" looks too much like a "scat, go away" gesture for Americans. How much more can gestures be misread by aliens (and vice versa)?

Those involved in first contact will need to pay attention to details, and think fast on their feet yet also be patient, and not easily insulted. But that is asking a lot of such a person. I think first contact is best done by learning all you can before hand - eavesdrop on their broadcasts, learn their language, their culture as much as possible via probes and listening devices. Even then, there will be pitfalls.

But if we travel out into space, we may meet new races of sentient beings without the benefit of learning some basics about their language and culture - we may be meeting them for the first time. First contact is probably dangerous, difficult business. It would be great if we had mentors, other alien race(s) who would help us as we spread our wings further and further away from our home nest, the Earth. Otherwise, I hope the aliens we meet for the very first time are also cautious, and willing to not take offense to mistakes, and to especially resist taking personal any offense. If first contact can be difficult on Earth between sentient beings of the same species, just how much more difficult will it be with another race of sentient beings?

Abductions

© DigitalBlasphemy.com

The History Channel last night (23 July 2008) had a program titled "New UFO Revelations: The Gray's Agenda." One speculation was that the aliens where here to produce alien-human hybrids.

Now why would aliens traverse interstellar distances to produce a hybrid with us? For fun and profit? Boredom? Because they can? On a dare?

One possible reason mentioned by some is maybe they need us to save their own species - they can no longer reproduce for some reason. Let's ponder on that for a moment.

The aliens would need DNA, and DNA that was similar enough to human DNA to make a hybrid possible. And they would need to overcome the problem that most Earth mammal hybrids have - infertility (think mule). That would be counter-productive. And if they were able to overcome the problem (making the alien-human "mule" consistently fertile) then why couldn't they overcome the problem of their own infertility to begin with?

How would a hybrid save their species? The hybrid would be a new species. So why bother at all? If it is perpetuate their culture, I'm sure there would be people on Earth who would volunteer to travel to their planet to live. Ah, but those volunteers would bring their own culture embedded with them. The aliens would need some one who is essentially a blank slate - a new born. However, every species has sets of instincts, and maybe pure human instincts would not mesh well with the alien planet and culture. Thus, the need for a hybrid.

Also, the chance that the alien planet would be a close enough match to Earth for an Earth baby to thrive in are low, especially for the small Grays (the ones that are said to be between 3 to 4 foot tall). The Earth baby would find itself in a societal environment long designed for small creatures. The gravity of the planet may be much greater (a possible reason why the small Grays are small to begin with), too great for a normal human to thrive (or even survive) in for any length of time. Thus, another need for a hybrid.

But if the aliens have the technology to traverse the stars and the knowledge, technique, and technology to create hybrids, that they would have trouble solving their own infertility seems odd. Or at the very least injecting a few select specific human genes into their own genome which would only require sampling some genetic material (a mouth swab would do).

There is, however, another reason for an alien-human hybrid, if such things exist, that I think needs to be considered. Lengthy exploration of a planet that is even moderately hostile environmentally would be difficult for the aliens. If the Earth's atmospheric pressure and gravity is very low compared to theirs, has more radiation reaching the surface, the Sun's spectral class different, the temperature much cooler/warmer it could be difficult for an alien to stay long on the Earth's surface without artificial/supplementary medical/biological aids to help them. Plus, there is the concern about viruses and bacteria - some think that an alien wouldn't be susceptible to our bugs since our bugs are adapted to try to get through our immune systems and thus an alien's immune system would have no trouble recognizing Earth bugs as foreign bodies and attack. Nice assumption, but their immune system evolved on their planet and may miss an Earth bug (maybe see it as inert). Anyway, a hybrid, one brought up in the alien's culture, with alien instincts as well as human protective instincts (like our instinctive fear of a snake's hiss), might make the best alien scientists to explore and research Earth. They would have additional protection against Earth's "bugs," some native instinctive reaction to give them further protection, and can better survive and interact in Earth's environmental conditions.

© Animation Factory

By the way, for those who are wondering what a Gray (or Grey) is, it is one of several species of aliens reported by people. According to Jerome Clark in his 1998 book The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial, Grays are most commonly reported in the U.S. (75% of all alien sightings) with Europe and England reporting Grys 20% and 12% of the time, respectively.