Tom is right. As I heard Greg Bear put it at a conference once, he thinks we should not advertise our existence until we are certain we're not part of a competitive interstellar political environment.
I'd go even more basic than that: we're still puny humans who would be as easy to harvest as chimps pulling termites out of a nest. HIDE!
In this respect, I think NASA's Voyager records were a catastrophic mistake. Go take a look at the set of images at the Smithsonian sometime. It's quite clear that the records do the following:
1. Tell them in excruciating detail where we can be found
2. Give them enough biochemistry to tell them whether or not we taste good
3. Enough anatomy to know where to cut for the juciest steaks and to know how many humans it takes to make enough burgers for a 37th of Blortigon Holiday Cookout.
4. Tells them enough about our current state of technological development [sic] to know that we'd be conquerable in no more than 12.3 micro-blorts.
In short, Voyager is a big shiny sign saying, "MEAT HERE! TASTY PRIMITIVE QUADRAPED MEAT RIGHT HERE! MMMM, BLORTICLE-LICKIN' MEAT!"
Space/Science » in reply to Aren't we broadcasting anyway?
Stay hidden -- Voyager record a big mistake
The whole thread (49 posts)
- SETI’s Dilemma: Break the Great Silence?
- Arrogance & Hubris
- Lu-ceeeeeeeeeee!
- Of Course!! Because...
- Ask Native Americans. (n/t)
- Aren't we broadcasting anyway?