Point to ponder...

[arib]

So, I'm participating in Seti@Home, an attempt to search for signs of extraterrestrial intelligent life.

Assuming we find an alien culture, they're likely to be tens of light years away.

What then? Really, really long distance postcards? To what end?

Just something to think about, I guess.

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Who knows? But the simple fact of proof of intelligent alien life would affect our understanding of ourselves and the universe in major ways.

During the Cold War, one of the appeals of SETI was the idea that if an alien race existed, it implied we could survive as well.

Your question reminds me of the (probably apocryphal) story of when Michael Farady demonstrated electromagnetic induction to the Queen. She asked what use it would be, and he either replied, "Of what use is a newborn baby?" or "I do not know, but within ten years I know that you shall be regulating and taxing it."

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Just to know. That would be enought for me.

[qweeeejk.livejournal.com]

Alien porn spam, of course.