Model predicts we're the only advanced civilization in the observable universe

Re:Model predicts we're the only advanced civilization in th... by millstone on Monday June 25, 2018 @02:46AM (#17390382)

The fundamental forces are a starting point, but it's not right to assign special significance to EM. The great majority of mass in the universe does not feel electromagnetism. It's dark matter.

Humanity's expertise in electromagnetism is driven by our biologically EM-sensitive eyes, our physical size, the energy levels that permit classical chemistry, and the timeframe in which we live our lives.

Perhaps aliens exist with much larger physical forms, communicating with neutrinos over vast distances and larger time scales. Humanity would be completely blind to these signals.

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Re:Model predicts we're the only advanced civilization in th... by gus_massa on Monday June 25, 2018 @09:17AM (#17392135)

EM is much easier, any moron wit a HAM radio can broadcast to the whole Earth, and a similar upgraded version that is still small and cheap can be used for interplanetary communication. So I'd guess EM for usual communications, but the idea of something weird like neutrinos for special purposes is nice.

I don't know the size of the current neutrino transmitter/receivers, but IIRC the size is about a big building. Even the initial EM device where smaller.

About dark matter, the current understanding is that it is diffuse and there are no "dark star" or "dark planets", but I always prefer to wait 10-50 (100?) years to call it definitive.

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