[Fortuna]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/15/the-strange-star-that-has-serious-scientists-talking-about-an-alien-megastructure/

Discuss.

[AMann]

I nice example of the media skewing what's said in order to get interest in the story (or maybe they do only hear the moronic drivel they push, which would explain a lot). It's hard to take the media seriously, especially when it comes to what they say scientists say...

What the media says: "strange star has scientists talking about alien megastructure"

What scientists really said: "We have no clue what is going on with that star, so an advanced alien society is just as likely as any other explanation until we get more information."

Big difference.

[AMann]

http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/how-long-would-it-take-to-get-to-the-star-with-alien-megastructures/

[Fortuna]

I nice example of the media skewing what's said in order to get interest in the story (or maybe they do only hear the moronic drivel they push, which would explain a lot). It's hard to take the media seriously, especially when it comes to what they say scientists say...

What the media says: "strange star has scientists talking about alien megastructure"

What scientists really said: "We have no clue what is going on with that star, so an advanced alien society is just as likely as any other explanation until we get more information."

Big difference.

Yes, but the cool thing about it is that legitimate scientists are considering extraterrestrials as a possibility, which is usually a last resort. It still probably isn't Aliens, but it's an exciting situation nonetheless.

[Ghost Spaghetti]

If it really is an alien megastructure, then that would raise two possibilities:

1) The aliens are so advanced that building something like this isn't a huge task on their resources - in which case - what would it possibly be for?

2) The aliens are less advanced and this was a colossal engineering endeavour which must have used much of the resources in their solar system. This raises the question of what could it give the society which couldn't be gathered through less extravagant means?

[Lord Dave]

If it really is an alien megastructure, then that would raise two possibilities:

1) The aliens are so advanced that building something like this isn't a huge task on their resources - in which case - what would it possibly be for?

2) The aliens are less advanced and this was a colossal engineering endeavour which must have used much of the resources in their solar system. This raises the question of what could it give the society which couldn't be gathered through less extravagant means?

Humans do weird shit too.  Might be a "Because we can" moment.

[rooster]

If it really is an alien megastructure, then that would raise two possibilities:

1) The aliens are so advanced that building something like this isn't a huge task on their resources - in which case - what would it possibly be for?

2) The aliens are less advanced and this was a colossal engineering endeavour which must have used much of the resources in their solar system. This raises the question of what could it give the society which couldn't be gathered through less extravagant means?

The article says if it's a Dyson sphere (solar panels encircling the star) it would most likely be to harvest the energy.

So the better question would be, why do they need that much energy?

[Lord Dave]

If it really is an alien megastructure, then that would raise two possibilities:

1) The aliens are so advanced that building something like this isn't a huge task on their resources - in which case - what would it possibly be for?

2) The aliens are less advanced and this was a colossal engineering endeavour which must have used much of the resources in their solar system. This raises the question of what could it give the society which couldn't be gathered through less extravagant means?

The article says if it's a Dyson sphere (solar panels encircling the star) it would most likely be to harvest the energy.

So the better question would be, why do they need that much energy?

Same reason we need more energy now than in 1915.  And if electric cars take off, we'll need more still.

[rooster]

I want to see this civilization that requires so much energy. That many solar panels around a star is ridiculous.

[Rushy]

It's not aliens.

[rooster]

It's not aliens.

Shh, yes it is.

[Lord Dave]

It's not aliens.

Probably not, but one day someone will say that and be wrong.


And that will be a very crappy day for humanity.

[Rushy]

Probably not, but one day someone will say that and be wrong.

No, they won't.

[Fortuna]

It's not aliens.

Probably not, but one day someone will say that and be wrong.


And that will be a very crappy day for humanity.

Why would it be a crappy day? I think finding evidence of aliens for the first time would be a really good day.

[Lord Dave]

Probably not, but one day someone will say that and be wrong.

No, they won't.

So you don't think life exists outside this planet?

It's not aliens.

Probably not, but one day someone will say that and be wrong.


And that will be a very crappy day for humanity.

Why would it be a crappy day? I think finding evidence of aliens for the first time would be a really good day.

Because humanity can't handle itself.  Imagine trying to accept an entirely new, sentient species.

[Rushy]

So you don't think life exists outside this planet?

Planet? Certainly you mean the great disc?

Also, no, I don't.

[Lord Dave]

So you don't think life exists outside this planet?

Planet? Certainly you mean the great disc?

Also, no, I don't.

I hope you're wrong.  But if you aren't, the good news is I'll never know for sure.

[Pongo]

Because humanity can't handle itself.  Imagine trying to accept an entirely new, sentient species.

This is a sci-fi axiom that I've never accepted. The stock market would crash because people would stop trading and all be glued to TVs, but then, a few days later, everyone would go back to work because they need to make money to survive.

I've never understood the logical leap from "Intelligent aliens exist," to "It's time to loot everything and murder everyone!"

[Rushy]

The stock market would crash because people would stop trading and all be glued to TVs

That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works.

[Jura-Glenlivet]

If the Copernican principle is true, that we are not in any way special, then there should be other life, but considering the age of the universe (15 odd billion) set against the apparent projected age (20 Trillion years) and taking in to account the likelihood of life generating intelligence (1 in 10 million) on habitable planets (8-60 billion/galaxy) at the rate that intelligence is likely to develop (?), plus the probability of that intelligence not blowing itself to bits before it gets its act together (practically zero) and the fact that SETI has found very little evidence, add in the unimaginable distances between just anywhere and the fact that said intelligence just might want to curl up by the fire (poison pond/freezing rocks) and read a book rather than gad about the frozen depths of space, I have come to this conclusion.
It’s a little too early for there to be many if any around, if they are there then they are undoubtedly so far away as to be un reachable or contactable, keep looking but leave it to our cyber enhanced progeny (in the unlikely circumstance we don’t destroy ourselves) to go and kill them.