Less than that. Hertz only began experimenting with radio waves in 1886, and it was quite a few years before there were transmissions of any real power, let alone any that were deliberately transmitted into space with the right power, directionality, and frequency suitable for interstellar transmission. The radars used by ballistic missile early warning systems are probably our best shot at catching ET's attention, so our detectable signals are probably out to only about 60 light years. And we're getting quieter all the time, because our signals are becoming very directional. After all, it's a waste of power beaming signals anywhere other than toward the receiver. If there are intelligent aliens somewhat close to us, we've probably missed their brief period of noisy radio emissions. It's unlikely we'll detect them. And unless they had some reason to expect our presence, it seems unlikely they would build the apparatus necessary to detect our faint signals.
The Pentagon can't even explain some of these things even including all of the excuses made throughout this thread. They won't even say what shapes they are for "National Security" reasons.
And? The Pentagon kept things like WWII battleplans and captured Axis encryption devices classified until the late 80s.
What's so dangerous about telling people what shapes they are? Do you know the type of things that are classified for national security reasons, some of it so ridiculous like what type of printer ink they use because they don't want the Chinese to have an ink advantage. I'm joking of course, but it's not that far from the truth.
Yes, we know. You think they don't folks to know that they're alien spacecraft. The truth is that the US government keeps all kinds of crazy shit classified, even things that are readily available to the general public from a different government agency than the one that classified the information.
You don't tell everyone what are unimportant things to know, because it by omission let's them know that the unstated things are probably important.
You're a Libertarian, so your default position should be that anything the government does is "stupid and suspicious." And it can be that way without having to resort to aliens being involved.
The basic thrust of Libertarianism is that the government is stupid and corrupt. One of the characters in Atlas Shrugged makes the claim that technological advancement is being held back because of government corruption. How do you know that the things being spotted aren't advanced technology developed by Elon Musk? Maybe he's not talking about it publicly because he doesn't want the government to swoop in and seize his technology. Because that's a thing the government does do. Look at that, I just proposed a scenario that fits into the Libertarian worldview and doesn't require the use of aliens at all. Nor does it require the government to be particularly competent. But, please, continue to argue that it could only be aliens.
1. I don't default that the government is stupid and corrupt, I just think it should be more decentralized and certain alphabet agencies should be eliminated and/or reduced significantly. 2. Red tape and crony capitalism most definitely stands in the way of small businesses and start ups. Obviously technological development is not entirely by government actions, Space X is evidence that it's not. Clearly government subsidies to oil companies gives an unfair advantage over clean energy. I'm on record against the government picking winners and losers in the market place. 3. You're absolutely correct, it's entirely possible that Musk and others (Robert Bigelow for example) are trying to hide their own developments from the government. One would think that one of the alphabet agencies would probably be aware of what private companies are doing even if the US. is the most incompetent government on Earth. Highly unlikely the case. 4. Note that I haven't mentioned aliens for several pages now. Granted, I suspect this phenomena isn't man made, but I'm still on the fence. Can we agree that; okay, most of these things can be explained, but there's still a small percentage that can't be explained by any known physics or technology? These things aren't new either, the modern phenomena started right around the end of WW2. Unless the rumors that the Nazis had super duper magic tech that never fell into the hands of the allies, something's definitely up and I don't think it's us. Maybe it's something that occurs naturally that we simply haven't discovered yet, I'm willing to believe that, but there's still legitimate questions to be asked. Remember when Area 51 was just a myth until the government was forced to admit that it actually exists because too many people had been there and had seen the base? This is the same thing. Something is going on and for decades, they denied it until finally enough people called bullshit. Even if they don't want to reveal national security secrets, they could at least say something. They won't even say what shape they are. Aren't you curious about that? What if they are cigar shaped or even saucer shaped? Does that not raise some questions of how they're able to fly? I know it does for me. That doesn't even have anything to do with aliens. If they are saucer shaped, then how do they create lift, how are they powered, how do the fly without wings, is there some sort of anti-gravity mechanism? These are the questions that need to be answered because it has potential for solving a lot our problems including solving global climate change. Don't you think we deserve to know these things? To hell with national security if it can solve a lot of our problems.
That is the most hopeful of the options - that it is us, and we are testing out new technologies. Considering how much more we spend on defense than anyone else, it's plausible, if not likely. And that would be a very good reason to keep it secret - no, we don't want anyone else to know design specs at all. One suggested form of anti-gravity posited as far back as the 1990s was a rapidly spinning super conducting disk. And there are conferences now among serious researchers on the possiblities. https://futurism.com/nasa-mit-scientists-anti-gravity Do I think that's the answer? Have no idea. But tech advancement is not linear, it's exponential, so I file that one away under 'keep an open mind.'
Area 51 is a great example, but not for the reason you think. They didn't think they were fooling anyone into thinking there was no base there, they were establishing that every single thing about it was top secret and they would confirm or deny nothing about it.
And Bob Lazar didn’t work there, right ? Then when pushed, Chris Melon says he was just a janitor. Our governments are lying to us and some people seem totally fine with it.
Remember when the U-2 plane didn’t exist until it did? Remember when the SR-71 didn’t exist until it did? Remember when the Stealth fighter didn’t exist until it did? The Stealth fighter was the time anything has been revealed to the public and that was what 1991? Nobody got the specs from revealing the Stealth fighter and admitting it except existed. Now you’re really going to tell me we haven’t developed any new planes or whatever since 1991, I think not and I think we deserve to know the truth. Let’s not forget they work for us, we are the government.
I've never really believed Lazar's story, but when I was young and stupid I paid attention because, on some level, I wanted it to be true. But I've long since come to the same conclusion: he's a complete fraud.
No. Not even close. We've developed the ability to destroy an ecosystem. Specifically, ours. The planet will continue to exist. We couldn't even shatter it. And that's singular. What other worlds are we a threat to?
We can destroy all life on this planet - and in theory any planet we can reach. If we decided to devote all our resources to nuking Mars, we could send a thousand MIRV'd missiles there and destroy anything living there, too. Now, with the tech we have. I'd imagine if there was a space faring civilization out there watching us, that type of thing would draw their interest. We've gone from horseback riding to sending a probe out of the solar system in just a tad over 100 years. And have already dropped 1000 nuclear weapons on our own planet.
Destroying a world versus wiping out all life are two entirely different things. We have no technology that can destroy a world, and thank Christ for that.
When people talk about the end of the world they aren't talking about the planetary core exploding. A regular old nuclear holocaust would be fine with that turn of phrase. It's literally the most famous quote about nuclear extinction: I have become death, the destroyer of worlds. Oppenheimer quoting the Bhagavad Gita. But sure, I get it. The Commonwealth education system sucks.
People are stupid and corrupt, and handing them power over you is consenting to being ruled by stupidity and corruption.
Yes, but we have to give the government more power and authorities. For the good of the people. Won’t you think of the children, Albert?
Hierarchial power structures are real, and they sure as fuck aren't limited to governments. I'd rather deal with a democratic government than a megacorp or religion any day of the week. And if you think those institutions are in any way benign, it's because you've lived a life protected to at least some extent by the government you despise. They are literally corrupt by design.
