Space News/UFO's Etc...(Discussion/Pics/Vids)

#523
does anyone realize that is still very far away..
40 light yrs = 234,788,544,000,000 Miles
the fastest spacecraft ever was the new horizion that went to pluto(36,000 mph)
so do the math....roughly 744509.5 years.
 
Last edited:
#524
That's assuming first-hand, physical contact. A form of communication at the speed light would only take 80 years to get there and back, though. To that end, I'll be in the backyard waving my flashlight tonight.
 
#527
just think abt whatt alien species would think of us..
the first broadcast(1936 olympics from munich) would be the first message they recieve(assuming they are checking that wave lenght).
roll ahead to today and after seeing the trump/hillary election fiasco would you want to make contact?
hell no...
 
#530
Why Our First Alien Encounter Could Happen Soon
Simon Worral, National Geographic | 20 November 2016

We could discover life on the nearest Earth-like planets within the next ten years.
0223-new-planets-nasa-4.jpg

​

It’s one of the great questions of our age: Are we alone in the universe? A long line of films—from Contact to Close Encounters of the Third Kind to the latest entry, Arrival—have explored whether intelligent life is somewhere out there in the cosmos and wondered what would happen if, or when, we finally come face-to-face with it.

Now, to get the scientific perspective on extraterrestrials, National Geographic has turned to a comedian, albeit one who pursued a Ph.D. in physics. The host of the British TV show It’s Not Rocket Science, Ben Miller has recently published a book called The Aliens Are Coming! The Extraordinary Science Behind Our Search for Life in the Universe.

Speaking from his home in Gloucestershire, England, Miller explains why the TESS project could finally tell us if there is life elsewhere in the universe, how comedy and science connect, and why we will need a new Rosetta Stone to interpret alien messages.

You write in your book that we are living through one of the most extraordinary revolutions in the history of science—the growing belief that we are not alone.

When I was studying at university, we weren’t even sure if there were planets around other stars or whether the solar system might be a one-off. But for the last few decades we have been on this extraordinary voyage where we’ve found thousands of planets around other stars. Strangely, we started looking for planets a long way out because of the technology we had at the time. Now we are starting to look at the stars closest to our own.

Recently, there was an exciting discovery that the very nearest star to us, a red dwarf, has got a planet called Proxima b. Not only that, but the planet is the right distance from that star to have liquid water on its surface. We think liquid water is very important for life. So, right on our doorstep, the conditions might be right for life.

A lot of the new thinking about the possibility of alien life-forms comes not from space but from deep in the ocean. Tell us about extremophiles.

This is an incredible story. Since the early 1960s we’ve been finding these living things, often single cells, in conditions we thought impossible for life to survive. One of the first places they were found was in Yellowstone Park, in hot springs of up to 90 degrees Celsius. That’s altered our thinking on alien life-forms. We have found bacterial life on the inside of nuclear power stations, in the upper atmosphere, and in rocks deep within the Earth. That means there’s more real estate for life out in the galaxy.

It also means we have to rethink where we fit in the spectrum of life. We now believe life on Earth started in hot, volcanic springs at the bottom of the ocean. What I love about that is that it makes you rethink the whole idea of what an extremophile is. When you think about it, we’re the extremophiles, sitting here having a conversation, breathing in oxygen, at absurdly low temperatures compared to how life first stared out. And we’re not even in water! We are an extraordinary, hyper-organized colony of bacteria that started its evolutionary journey in scalding hot, alkaline water in the bottom of some primordial ocean. In other words, one of your ancestors is a rock! [Laughs]

Comedy and space are not words that are usually linked. You have to tell us your favorite space joke.

How many ears has Capt. Kirk got? The answer is three: the left ear, the right ear, and the final front ear. [Laughs] Actually, the link between comedy and space is pretty strong. Science is a skeptical pursuit, and so is comedy. There’s a fantastic tradition of combining science and comedy, from Douglas Adams to Monty Python. Think of Eric Idle’s songs about the universe and evolution. On my TV show, we have always done sketches on global warming. A man’s looking out the window, it’s raining, and he says to his wife, “Look at that! It’s dripping out there. So much for global warming, eh?” [Laughs]

Stephen Hawking believes we should not attempt to contact alien civilizations. What’s his thinking? And do you agree?

His position is a little harder to interpret than that. He’s a great supporter of the Breakthrough Listen project, this idea that we should put proper funding into searching the nearest million stars to see if there are signs of life. His point, generally speaking, is that when two civilizations come into contact, the civilization that’s not so technologically advanced doesn’t come off too well. His example is that it didn’t work out too well for North American Indians when they met Western settlers. I don’t agree [with his position on contacting alien civilizations]. I can’t say there’s not a risk. But what we stand to gain far outweighs the risk.

If we receive a message from outer space, we may not be able to understand it. How can Egyptian hieroglyphics help us with that conundrum?

We owe the deciphering of the hieroglyphs to Napoleon, who decided to annex Egypt and took with him some of the brightest philosophers and scientists of the age. But the hieroglyphs were an incredibly difficult thing to crack. What did a picture of a bee mean? Did that mean a bee, or the concept of being stung, or did it stand for a phonetic sound?

The breakthrough came when Napoleonic troops were dismantling an old fort at the port of Rosetta and found this stone with three different inscriptions. One was in hieroglyphs, another in ancient Greek, and the other in an intermediate form of Egyptian writing. It became known as the Rosetta Stone and was one of the ways we managed to crack Egyptian hieroglyphs.

We won’t have a Rosetta Stone when we receive our alien message, so it will be a very hard thing to translate. People have come up with clever ideas about how you might create a Rosetta Stone, how you might compose a message to send to an alien which contained something within it the aliens would also have within their culture, like mathematics or the ratio of the electron to the proton.

One thing we’ve learned is that the more information and language you have, the more chance you have of decoding it. The problem with sending just a short message, such as those attached to the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft, is that there’s very little information in them. That’s why some experts, like Seth Shostak, the head of SETI, have come up with the idea of sending the Internet. The Internet is the most honest reflection of who we are as a species. Cats licking lollipops, a hundred recipes for American pancakes, the whole thing! [Laughs] We are not these superintelligent beings we’ve tried to present ourselves as in previous messages.

In 2017, NASA will launch the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). What is it—and what’s its mission?

We’re finally looking at the planets nearest to us. To begin with, we weren’t really sure any stars had planets. So we put up the Kepler space telescope and focused it on a very dense portion of the star field in a region of our own galaxy a long way away. The amazing thing about Kepler was that it found most of the stars have planets!

TESS, which will launch in 2017, will be looking at the very nearest stars. It may even be possible to look at the light coming from the atmosphere of those stars and tell what gases are in those atmospheres. When you look at Earth and see all this oxygen, you’d think there’s something strange going on. Oxygen is an incredibly reactive gas. What’s that doing in mass quantities in an atmosphere? It will be those kinds of signals that we’ll look for when we look at the atmospheres of other planets.

You know what the last question has to be: Are the aliens really coming?

Within the next ten years we’ll know whether the nearest Earth-like planets to us have got life on them. That has enormous implications for us as a species. Once we find life out there, you have to think that other intelligent life-forms and civilizations exist as well.

At the moment we are in this extraordinary position that our planet may be the only thing in the entire universe with life. So we would be taking a closer step to one of two extraordinary results: that we are the only life-form in the universe or that we are not alone. Either will be species defining. It will change the whole way we view ourselves: religion, politics, our individual psyches, everything.

One of these two possibilities has to be true. It’s just us—or we are not alone.

--------------------

Image added to liven the article. - Ilan
 
#531
12 Of The Most Mind-Blowing Scientific Theories Ever Conceived
Wes Walcott, Goliath | April 5th, 2016

Simulation-Theory-1050x375.jpg

​

As much as we might like to think that our collective knowledge has unlocked most of the mysteries of the universe, we’ve really only got a hold on a tiny fraction of the knowledge required to fully understand it all—and it’s a weak hold at best. But every once in a while a new theory comes along that completely upends everything we thought we knew and sends us down a new path that just might hold the key to all our unanswered questions. These theories often express ideas that are just too abstract or staggering to be accepted by the larger scientific community at the time, but, over the years, as more discoveries are made and certain pieces fall into place, sometimes even the wildest theories have been proven to be right all along.

While none of the hypothesis we present to you here have ever been conclusively verified, they haven’t been totally dismissed yet either. So why not decide for yourself which of these mind-blowing scientific theories you think has the most potential to pan out.

12. The Ekpyrotic Universe Theory

Providing an alternative to the widely accepted Big Bang theory, the ekpyrotic universe theory suggests that, unlike the Big Bang which supposedly began from a singularity, our universe is actually two universes that smashed into each other. It’s thought that this collision had the effect of “resetting” our universe and, after that point it started expanding just like in the Big Bang. However, instead of infinitely expanding forever, the theory asserts that one day the universe will begin to contract, inevitably leading to what some astrophysicists refer to as the Big Crunch. Then, all the speed and energy involved in the Big Crunch then creates another monumental collision, which results in the universe being reset again so the cycle can repeat itself for all eternity.

11. The Existence of White Holes

Everyone knows about black holes and how their immense gravity sucks in everything around them, including light. But what about white holes? Theoretically, they’re the exact opposite of a black hole and instead of sucking in matter they spit it out. But scientists have never observed one (likely because they would only exist in extremely hypothetical situations), so it’s unclear if a white hole would function like the tail end of a black hole, a wormhole, or something else entirely. If a white hole really were spewing out matter that was sucked into a black hole, that matter would have to avoid merging with the singularity and somehow be preserved. Currently, we don’t really know exactly what happens to matter that gets sucked into a black hole because all the black holes we’ve observed have an event horizon that prevents us from seeing them directly. The only reason why we can infer the locations of black holes in our universe is because we notice the gravitational effects they have on the objects around them. Which means that if we ever hope to prove the existence of white holes in the future we may need to reconfigure our understanding of the laws of physics—which would certainly be a tall order.

10. The Fermi Paradox

Originally put forth by physicists Enrico Fermi and Michael H. Hart, the Fermi Paradox contests that if the Drake Equation is correct and there are actually millions of intelligent life to be found in our very own Milky Way galaxy, then it makes sense that we should have picked up some sort of signal from at least one of them by now. This argument has been referred to as the Great Silence.

A number of interesting theories have risen over the years that provide an explanation for this Great Silence, among them, perhaps the most interesting and imaginative one suggests that we’re all living out our lives in a Matrix-like computer simulation.

9. The Simulation Theory

This theory supposes that we all might be living in a computer simulation created by an alien race in some distant galaxy. While it may sound like an idea dreamed up by someone who has watched too many sci-fi movies, there are actually prominent scientists and physicists who not only think the Simulation Theory is possible, they’re working on experiments to prove it. In particular, a team of German physicists are trying to create their own programmed simulation of our universe.

Surprisingly, a recent string theory discovery made by theoretical physicist S. James Gate lends further credibility to this theory. Basically, Gate found what is essentially computer code buried deep within the equations we use to describe our universe. And it’s not just any code, it’s an extremely unusual self-dual linear binary error-correcting block code. So it would seem that error correcting 1s and 0s are embedded in the quantum core of our universe. “Wake up Neo. . . The Matrix has you.”

8. The Universe is a Hologram

Rather than an elaborate computer simulation, this theory suggests that the universe we see is nothing more than a hologram generated by the universe itself. The idea is that when we look up at the night sky, the distant stars and galaxies we see are really more like an image projected on a wall. This holographic principle could provide the explanation as to why the universe appears flimsy when broken down to the most basic of energy scales. Keep in mind that a holographic image is produced when you cover an object with the light from a laser and then a second laser jumps off the the reflective surface of the first later. Another light source then illuminates the image to produce the holograph. It’s thought that if variations in gravitational waves is caused by different patterns of light, then it would simulate this holographic image creation process. And if this theory is ever proven correct, it would mean we need to alter a lot of our perceptions of what we think we know about the universe.

7. Black Holes Can Give Birth to Entirely New Universes

With their mysterious nature and ominous light devouring capacity, it’s not surprising that black holes are often looked upon as the dark reapers of the universe. But this theory suggests that a black hole might actually be the mother of our universe. The idea is, when matter gets pulled into a black hole, the intense gravity compresses it to a single point so dense that it gets spit back out and forms an entirely new universe from that very same matter. So it would follow that a universe with a lot of black holes would essentially be a nursery for baby universes. Though it’s very difficult to pinpoint the exact locations of black holes in our universe, due to them being rendered invisible by their event horizon, some astronomers think the reason for this could be because we’re merely the product of another universe’s black hole—a concept that falls in line with theories that propose we are living in a multiverse.

6. The Many Worlds Theory

Speaking of the multiverse, the many worlds theory has a slightly different explanation for the existence of countless other universes. Using quantum mechanics, it affirms the objective reality of space but infers that matter cannot be condensed to the point of singularity. So rather than having new universes spontaneously popping out of black holes, the many worlds theory proposes that every time we make a decision, a new universe is born. So basically every time you have to make a choice, whether it’s paper or plastic, coffee or tea, debit or credit, you’re essentially creating a new universe where you made the opposite choice. Each decision you make is then played out in full until it comes time for you to make another decision, by which another universe would branch out from. If this does in fact occur, that would mean there are a seemingly infinite number of universes out there for every decision every person has ever made.

5. The Heat Death of the Universe

This theory follows from the second law of thermodynamics and proposes that if the universe was infinite, it should also be infinitely old. In other words, if a star is seen to be one million light years away, it could only be there if the universe was at least one million years old (assuming the speed of light is constant). Therefore, in an infinitely old universe, heat death would suggest that eventually the entire universe will have the same uniform temperature, at which point the universe will remain stagnant. However, this idea would only make sense if the speed at which the universe is expanding has always remained constant. An aspect that other ideas, like cosmic inflation, would be in direct conflict with.

4. Observing Dark Energy is an Act of Murder

Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss once stated that every time we look at dark energy, we’re killing the universe. According to astrophysicists, dark energy makes up an estimated 70 percent of all the energy in the entire universe and holds the secrets to many of the unexplainable peculiarities we see in deep space.

Krauss suggests that the Big Bang was initiated when some unusual high energy with gravity repellent properties decayed into zero-energy; and it was the process of going from a false vacuum to an ordinary vacuum that resulted in the creation of our universe. In quantum mechanics there’s something called the quantum Zeno effect which states that if an unstable object is regularly observed, it will never decay. From this, Krauss’s argument follows that if dark energy is continuously observed, we are keeping it unstable and reducing the universe’s lifespan by forcing it back to that state when it was a false vacuum. But with so many of the mysteries of our universe pointing to dark energy as the key to understanding them, you can bet your bottom dollar that astronomers and physicists aren’t going to stop studying it anytime soon. Let’s just hope those effects are negligible.

3. The Panspermia Theory

Panspermia is a Greek word that translates literally as “seeds everywhere.” The panspermia theory states that the “seeds” of life are present throughout the universe and can be propagated through interstellar space or even intergalactic space through natural means. A growing number of people are even subscribing to the hypothesis that life on Earth may have begun from the “seeds” carried to our planet by meteorites and comets originating from the vast reaches of the cosmos.

The recent discovery of various extremophiles (organisms that can survive in extreme environments we previously thought were incapable of supporting life) here on Earth has contributed a great deal of credibility to this theory. It’s now known that life as we know it can survive in environments of extreme heat, extreme cold, intense radiation and lack of oxygen. All conditions an organism might experience while stowing away on an interstellar comet or meteor.

2. The Singularity

Ray Kurzweil is a prominent futurist who wholeheartedly believes that in the coming decades humanity will experience what he refers to as a technological singularity by which we will learn to transcend biology itself and all the limitations (including death) associated with it. Kurzweil reasons that truly intelligent civilizations (which he believes humanity to be) are destined to evolve into super-intelligent, possibly machine-based beings whose computational powers grow exponentially.

The idea is that once we hit this so-called “singularity” our technology will be so advanced that we’ll be making revolutionary new breakthroughs on practically a daily basis. We’ll be able to harness the power of our own sun in order to accomplish amazing interstellar feats once only dreamed of in science fiction. In this world, things like cyber brains, dyson spheres and teleportation devices aren’t just possible, they’re practically inevitable.

Of course, this theory has plenty of skeptics, including Noam Chomsky, who believes it to be nothing more than a science fiction enthusiast’s dream. While others simply believe we humans will carelessly destroy ourselves before ever reaching the singularity.

1. Retroactive Precognition

In 2011, Dr. Daryl J. Bem of Cornell University published a highly contentious paper titled “Feeling the Future: Experimental Evidence for Anomalous Retroactive Influences on Cognition and Affect.” The paper describes a series of experiments conducted by Bem in an effort to discover precognition (knowledge of future events). Working on the assumption that there are, what he refers to as, “anomalous processes of information or energy transfer that are currently unexplained in terms of known physical or biological mechanisms,” the evidence Bem gathered led him to conclude that future events could indeed affect a person’s cognition in the present.

In one study, Bem rounded up 1,000 college students and tested each of their ability to correctly intuit random information. Another study involved a reverse memory test in which participants were asked to categorize random words that they later had to commit to memory. Astonishingly, the results from this test showed that students were more likely to recall words in the present if they made a point of memorizing them in the future.
 
#534
SpaceX to fly two space tourists around the moon in 2018
Matt McFarland, CNN Tech | 27 February 2017

Two thrill seekers are paying SpaceX to make a trip around the moon next year.

170227174326-spacex-moon-780x439.jpg

​

(CNN Tech) SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced Monday afternoon that the space tourists had already placed a significant deposit for the trip. The travelers will undergo fitness tests and begin training later this year.

"Like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration," SpaceX said in a blog post.

For takeoff, SpaceX will use the same launch pad near Cape Canaveral, Florida, that was used for the Apollo programs missions. No humans have traveled past low Earth orbit since the final Apollo mission in 1972. (Low-earth orbit is essentially the first rung on the ladder in being to space. It's also where some satellites that circle the Earth reside.)

The company doesn't expect this to be a one-time mission. SpaceX said that other people have expressed strong interest in making the trip. The names of the first two travelers have not been released. They are likely paying millions for the adventure.

For comparison, space tourists have previously paid the Russia government upwards of $20 million for a trip to the International Space Station. NASA has paid the Russians $80 million a seat to send astronauts to the space station. SpaceX has not revealed the price of the roughly week-long trip.

SpaceX is putting forward an aggressive timeline for the mission, which will rely on a rocket and spacecraft that have not flown yet. The Falcon Heavy rocket is expected to make a test flight this summer. And the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which will hold the two tourists, will complete a demo mission later this year.

"Next year is going to be a big year for carrying people to the space station and hopefully beyond," Musk said in a conference call with reporters.
 
#535
"The Matrix has us Ilan", I believe there is a little bit of truth on each theory, I do definitely believe singularity is most feasible reality for reasons too long to state in one post, but excellent article.
ilan said:
Yes, but great food for thought! My gray matter needs all the feeding it can get :)
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Menu