Not so, if targeting

Space/Science » in reply to Any signal from a stellar system will be a "penlight" compared to the central star itself.

phil — 8/16/2004 1:55:03 AM (archived)

You're an advanced civ. You take your multi-gigawatt laser and you beam a signal of nanosecond pulses towards star 1 for 10 seconds. The signal outshines YOUR star by over 10exp4. Then the next star in your list and so on. You target several hundred and then repeat on the 1st after a couple hours and so on. Day and night. It doesn't matter.

A few tens of these stations and you're signalling every F,GK and many early M stars within several hundred LY. Every day, every few Earth hours a target gets an unmistakably "intelligent" signal. Looks far brighter than your star. Easily detected by optical wideband scopes at the target...IF they have detectors capable of seeing nanosecond pulses.

The whole thread (18 posts)

Window for detecting intelligent life on Earth is closing - Tom Brosz - 8/11/2004 1:32:23 AM
- We may be looking at the wrong place, that is, outward rather than inward... - Marvi - 8/13/2004 11:47:07 PM
- re: Maybe we aren't hearing anyone because we live in a dangerous neighborhood. - Scott Evil - 8/13/2004 7:45:21 PM
- Impossible to detect such a small signal anyway. - David F Mayer - 8/12/2004 5:27:46 AM
  - Single photon detectors are common lab equipment - ZG - 8/12/2004 7:44:48 AM
    - You don't get it. - David F Mayer - 8/12/2004 5:47:50 PM
      - In other words... - Tom Brosz - 8/13/2004 2:35:09 AM
        
        I think I'm starting to get it - ZB - 8/13/2004 5:14:48 AM
        
        Any signal from a stellar system will be a "penlight" compared to the central star itself. - David F Mayer - 8/15/2004 3:39:31 AM
        
        Not so, if targeting - phil - 8/16/2004 1:55:03 AM
        
        That is BEAMING. I said that a spherical wave front can not be detected. - David F Mayer - 8/17/2004 12:31:36 AM
        
        Better not blink. - Tom Brosz - 8/16/2004 3:26:35 PM
- very misleading - phil - 8/11/2004 3:13:53 PM
  - I think I will start a new thread on here about this, see above - R.L. - 8/15/2004 6:15:42 AM
  - re: very misleading - Tom Brosz - 8/11/2004 4:53:26 PM
    - I agree - p - 8/12/2004 1:20:15 AM
      - What do you call a guy with no arm and legs who sits in a hole? (n/t) - ZC - 8/12/2004 7:37:27 AM
        
        HOW BOUT 'Muddy Stubby'? (n/t) - R.L. - 8/15/2004 7:20:25 AM

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