Friday, December 21, 2007

Boffins Say E.T. Too Bored By Our Messages To Phone Home

Previous messages beamed into deep space via radio-telescope by scientists have tried to demonstrate our intelligence by sending coded math problems, a bit of chemistry, physics and biology, some data on what we look like and even where we've come from. This may not, however, be good enough for their superior brains. Dutil and Dumas argue that if any alien does decode a message containing essentially trivial data, "after reading it, they will be none the wiser about us humans and our achievements."


Conversely, instead of waiting for prime numbers, we should be actively searching for art.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

But just let them try and decode old reruns of "I Love Lucy." If anything will force ET to contact us, it may be the ultimate metaphysical question: What motivates that batty redhead?

"Oh, Rick-e-e-e-e-e!..."

(ET to self: These earthlings are truly profound. We must contact them at once....)

Mac said...

Just think: in a few years they'll be watching "reality" shows. That should shut them up in a hurry.

Anonymous said...

Boffin? Aren't they related to penguins? Or is it pelicanists?