Astronomers may have found giant alien 'megastructures' orbiting star near the Milky

[stevebowers]

Anders' Halloween take on the Fermi paradox and megastructure signalling;
http://aleph.se/andart2/humor/halloween-...-question/

[Bugg]

Heh, so is Halloween celebrated by transapients now?


This is purely anecdotal, but I read an interview with a SETI representative where he mentioned detecting a "repeating signal" when they trained their Allen array in the star's direction. Sadly the comment was later rescinded. Probably just a journalistic blunder, but who knows? The SETI study should be out in a few weeks, so if we're lucky the comment was a breach of information embargo on the study results, and not just a journalist looking for clicks.

[stevebowers]

This megastructure is approximately the same distance away as the Black Acropolis is in OA; I would not expect the Black Acropolis to be transmitting radio signals or anything else detectable, so I don't really expect much from this SETI initiative.

Failing to detect any signals does not mean this is not an artificial structure.

[Bear]

There are a whole lot of "repeating signals" out there that have nothing to do with any kind of intelligence. Pulsars, Magnetars, masses in tight orbit around neutron stars or black holes, etc. All produce electromagnetic radiation in a repeating pattern. The "rescinded" thing is really only about his mistake in using the word "signal" to refer to them in front of a journalist, because a journalist doesn't know any better than thinking the word "signal" implies "intentional communication from some other civilization."

[chris0033547]

It appears that there is no evidence of alien signals coming from "Tabby's Star":

http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/press...ic-8462852

[ Or maybe these are just the remains of a former xenociv...

http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/49afd86e67383 ]

[radtech497]

It appears that there is no evidence of alien signals coming from "Tabby's Star":

http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/press...ic-8462852

[ Or maybe these are just the remains of a former xenociv...

http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/49afd86e67383 ]

What their paper tells us is that any civilization at KIC 8462852 does not use Arecibo-class radio transmitters to broadcast their morning traffic and weather reports. The limits of the search were very high and the target is very far away; if the target civilization has technology similar to RL Earth in 2015 CE, it could not be detected by the ATA, or even the telescopes used by Project Phoenix, unless they were beaming a directional signal in our direction. And, ego aside, why should they do such a thing?

Radtech497

[stevebowers]

I think that one scenario that still inspires some hope and effort at SETI is the concept of the Galactic Internet
http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=28408
Civilisations could send long, detailed messages to each other, including recipes for technology, encoded minds, news and idle chit-chat. Any megastructure we discover might be a transmission node for such a system. Nevertheless we might not expect to intercept any messages from such a distant node, unless we were very lucky or they deliberately target us.

[radtech497]

I think that one scenario that still inspires some hope and effort at SETI is the concept of the Galactic Internet
http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=28408
Civilisations could send long, detailed messages to each other, including recipes for technology, encoded minds, news and idle chit-chat. Any megastructure we discover might be a transmission node for such a system. Nevertheless we might not expect to intercept any messages from such a distant node, unless we were very lucky or they deliberately target us.

Even if the Galactic Internet concept is valid, statistics from the RL internet suggests that less than half of the total population of technologically capable civilizations would have access (Earth in 2015 CE being one of the unconnected masses).

Radtech497

[Bear]

I bet half the encoded mind-states would be artificially created for erotic entertainment purposes. And what's the Interstellar equivalent of a Lolcat?

Of course, that's if we're lucky. If we're unlucky, 4chan will find us first.....

[Dark]

http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=34837
This star has been gradually dimming for the last 100 years. Hmm... a damn good hint for the Dyson swarm construction! Very interesting.