Comments on: Contact: A question of communication https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45599 ER Tue, 06 Oct 2020 05:02:06 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45599 the flagship hoists a set of flags which signify a code which can be looked up in a book. (For example: "Commence Firing".) The receiving ship hoists the same flags, to signify it has received and understood the message, and is ready to execute. The sending ship then strikes (lowers) the signal hoist, signifying "Execute the command" the flagship hoists a set of flags which signify a code which can be looked up in a book. (For example: “Commence Firing”.)

The receiving ship hoists the same flags, to signify it has received and understood the message, and is ready to execute.

The sending ship then strikes (lowers) the signal hoist, signifying “Execute the command”

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45598 podrock Tue, 06 Oct 2020 04:13:05 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45598 I like it. I like it.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45597 RL Tue, 06 Oct 2020 03:25:12 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45597 It shows a little more sophistication than counting, and could serve as a useful touch stone for future communication... The idea <a href="https://math.dartmouth.edu/~carlp/PDF/extraterrestrial.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">has</a> <a href="https://modulouniverse.com/2015/02/16/prime-numbers-and-et/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">history</a>... for instance- If you suspect that the species is visually oriented from the format of the message it sent the use of primes could be a clue for them to decipher pictographs that you transmit... In reality you would use a format as much like the one you received as possible... you could send back a copy of the message you received - that would be a clear signal that you received and are thinking it over... It shows a little more sophistication than counting, and could serve as a useful touch stone for future communication…

The idea has history…

for instance- If you suspect that the species is visually oriented from the format of the message it sent the use of primes could be a clue for them to decipher pictographs that you transmit…

In reality you would use a format as much like the one you received as possible…
you could send back a copy of the message you received – that would be a clear signal that you received and are thinking it over…

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45593 ER Tue, 06 Oct 2020 00:10:52 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45593 I know they have played a great role in the historical development of mathematics, but as far as I can tell they have no engineering applications. And I don't recall them playing any role in calculus, differential equations, linear algebra or numerical analysis. Its conceivable a civilization could have great engineering achievements and simply not give a fig about number theory. No, I would just transmit the the first few real numbers, 1, 2, 3, ... and so on. I can't think of that arising in any natural process. that is, they would be immediately identified as an artifact, not some physical manifestation. I know they have played a great role in the historical development of mathematics, but as far as I can tell they have no engineering applications. And I don’t recall them playing any role in calculus, differential equations, linear algebra or numerical analysis.

Its conceivable a civilization could have great engineering achievements and simply not give a fig about number theory.

No, I would just transmit the the first few real numbers, 1, 2, 3, … and so on. I can’t think of that arising in any natural process. that is, they would be immediately identified as an artifact, not some physical manifestation.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45587 ER Mon, 05 Oct 2020 04:39:42 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45587 Laser is technically feasible, but there is no reason to go looking for laser signals EXCEPT as a SETI active message. But any technical culture capable of building radio telescopes will already have them deployed to search the cosmos for natural signals--species with that tech will be doing routine astronomy surveys at microwave freqs. So even cultures who believe they are alone in the universe will still be listening to the radio. Its the natural place to broadcast and listen. I would suggest the Waterhole, the microwave region of the spectrum between the OH- and H+ radical emission lines. It also coincides in a part of the radio spectrum where 1) Radio astronomers will be listening anyway 2) There is very little natural noise to obscure a signal. 3) Even at our primitive level of tech, we can receive and transmit over galactic distances in the Waterhole. This has been pretty much the SETI strategy since the 1960s. It was true then, it still is true now. However, I have lately come to think that there are very few, if any, Seti-Capable civilizations in the Galaxy right now, and the nearest one is probably too far away for us to hear them, or they us. The distances are too great, the time spans are too long, and there's too many stars. We are just too far apart in both space and time to have a fighting chance of stumbling onto one another. Laser is technically feasible, but there is no reason to go looking for laser signals EXCEPT as a SETI active message. But any technical culture capable of building radio telescopes will already have them deployed to search the cosmos for natural signals–species with that tech will be doing routine astronomy surveys at microwave freqs. So even cultures who believe they are alone in the universe will still be listening to the radio. Its the natural place to broadcast and listen.

I would suggest the Waterhole, the microwave region of the spectrum between the OH- and H+ radical emission lines. It also coincides in a part of the radio spectrum where

1) Radio astronomers will be listening anyway
2) There is very little natural noise to obscure a signal.
3) Even at our primitive level of tech, we can receive and transmit over galactic distances in the Waterhole.

This has been pretty much the SETI strategy since the 1960s. It was true then, it still is true now.

However, I have lately come to think that there are very few, if any, Seti-Capable civilizations in the Galaxy right now, and the nearest one is probably too far away for us to hear them, or they us. The distances are too great, the time spans are too long, and there’s too many stars. We are just too far apart in both space and time to have a fighting chance of stumbling onto one another.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45586 RL Mon, 05 Oct 2020 03:51:06 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45586 Sort of a 'Please hold' signal to keep them looking as a longer response was drawn up.... The format of the signal would likely dictate the format of the response... Were you thinking radio waves? Or my personal favorite- Laser Communication? Or something more exotic? If LIGO detects a gravity wave signal of artificial origin, or Super-Kamiokande detects communication pulses of neutrinos then we can just listen- we don't have the technology to respond in kind, or even precisely identify the exact origin of the signal. Sort of a ‘Please hold’ signal to keep them looking as a longer response was drawn up….

The format of the signal would likely dictate the format of the response…

Were you thinking radio waves? Or my personal favorite- Laser Communication? Or something more exotic?

If LIGO detects a gravity wave signal of artificial origin, or Super-Kamiokande detects communication pulses of neutrinos then we can just listen- we don’t have the technology to respond in kind, or even precisely identify the exact origin of the signal.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45585 ER Mon, 05 Oct 2020 03:34:07 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45585 At first I thought it might be dangerous, signalling our existence to a potentially hostile species. After all, their signal could be disguised to conceal their real nature. But after thinking about it, I figure I'll probably be dead long before our reply is received. so it will make no difference to me. Does that sound selfish? Maybe so, but its how we're responding to global warming and the Covid epidemic--milk it for all its worth now and let the future handle the consequences... At first I thought it might be dangerous, signalling our existence to a potentially hostile species. After all, their signal could be disguised to conceal their real nature. But after thinking about it, I figure I’ll probably be dead long before our reply is received. so it will make no difference to me.

Does that sound selfish? Maybe so, but its how we’re responding to global warming and the Covid epidemic–milk it for all its worth now and let the future handle the consequences…

]]> By: Vitruvius https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45549 Vitruvius Fri, 02 Oct 2020 23:42:07 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45549 Let's see your approach to each one! Let’s see your approach to each one!

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2020/09/15/contact-a-question-of-communication/#comment-45413 ER Wed, 16 Sep 2020 15:39:58 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=84026#comment-45413 <strong>Hail:</strong> "Here we are! Is anybody out there? If you hear me please respond." <strong>Warning:</strong> "Danger, stay away, no trespassing, git offen ma propty." <strong>Monument:</strong> "We are the Krell. This is our legacy. Here is a list of all our accomplishments and shortcomings." <strong>Eavesdrop:</strong> "...and that's today's stock market results...Now stay tuned for the Space Weather Report". <strong>Direct Communication:</strong> "We know you're there and who you are. We need to talk." <strong>Non-communication:</strong> Industrial by-product noise, military activity (hostile or not), navigational beacons, planetary defense and traffic control radars. I could go on. Hail: “Here we are! Is anybody out there? If you hear me please respond.”

Warning: “Danger, stay away, no trespassing, git offen ma propty.”

Monument: “We are the Krell. This is our legacy. Here is a list of all our accomplishments and shortcomings.”

Eavesdrop: “…and that’s today’s stock market results…Now stay tuned for the Space Weather Report”.

Direct Communication: “We know you’re there and who you are. We need to talk.”

Non-communication: Industrial by-product noise, military activity (hostile or not), navigational beacons, planetary defense and traffic control radars.

I could go on.

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