Leaving a mark in the galaxy for other civilizations

[Anonymous No.4514369]

Obviously we've already left a few marks (Voyager golden record, Pioneer plaque, etc etc) But that might not be enough, they might never be found. What would be the most surefire way to make sure we can some how leave a mark so some other civilization could find evidence and be sure that there are (or have been) others out there.

I'm thinking we need to start thinking of ways to make von neuman probes, or perhaps just send a bunch of cheap probes at all 100 of the nearest stars.

maybe the most effective way would be somehow changing or ending a stars life. If we saw a star suddenly disappear (with out going supernova etc) we would know something would be up.

What would be the best way to leave a mark?

[Anonymous No.4514395]

We could construct massive planet sized objects with shapes that are obviously artificial to orbit our star, and attract the attention of any sufficiently advanced astronomers in the nearby parts of our galaxy.

We could also construct massive beacons or signal devices, to broadcast our presence out in such a thorough variety of ways that we can be sure that if someone is nearby they'll probably catch one of our signals.

But you're right, the best way is probably sending self-replicating probes guided by AI to all nearby stars. If they find life, their goal is complete. If not, they find the resources to construct ten more of itself with the same mission, and they all go on to other stars. Before no time we've searched the entire galaxy. At which point we send more probes to other galaxies to search them too. etc. until we've touched the entire universe.

[Anonymous No.4514404]

We send a bunch of probes to the nearest 100 stars, each loaded with a 100 megaton nuclear payload. Once they reach the planet they detonate, letting whoever's living there know that we actually exist in this universe.

[Anonymous No.4514408]

>>4514404

[Anonymous No.4514415]

>>4514404
>>4514408
Likelier than you think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event

[Anonymous No.4514418]

>>4514415
Tunguska was kinda ambiguous. You need to make sure it's salted with a huge amount of cobalt (making tons of fallout that's obviously artificial, plus all those lovely gamma rays), plus you give it some kinda active guidance so that it seeks out and directly impacts the biggest city it can find.

[Anonymous No.4514422]

>>4514418

I was in full agreement until I read the city part.

[Anonymous No.4514426]

>>4514418
Nice one. But make sure there's a part of it that breaks away and orbits the planet, broadcasting this message over every radio frequency to the stunned survivors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbaTur4A1OU

[Anonymous No.4514427]

>>4514422
What, producing huge amounts of radioactive fallout is OK with you then?

[Anonymous No.4514436]

We can send billions of tiny monoliths in every direction from earth to outer space with high velocity. Each containing information about our civilization, and the position of Earth in the galaxy and solar system. Most of the monoliths will land to empty planets but there is a chance that a few will reach planets with life.

[Anonymous No.4514446]

>>4514418
That might be a little offensive. How about instead we send some nanobots to construct a massive pyramid with beautiful art work that will be both intriguing and undeniably artificial.

It could be done far away from a city, then the nanobots will construct conspicuous paths that will connect with trade routes, leading curious people to investigate.

Inside the structure would be puzzles, that when a species with sufficient intelligence would figure out how to unlock, would reveal some kind of TV or hologram projector with some demonstrations of how to use a computer we've left there with all our knowledge and shit on it. Of course, with some kind of key that will allow any intelligent species to decipher our language.

[Anonymous No.4514454]

>>4514436
The probes should be AI guided, so they'll recognize intelligent races if they find them, and construct the monoliths or whatever we use to communicate our message once they get there.

They could also observe the race for a while to try and figure out how they communicate, so it can just communicate with them directly.

Or if there is life but not intelligent life, we could have the probes leave a sentinel behind to watch over the life there, so if it ever evolves into something intelligent it will be there to communicate. Alternately, we could program it to interact with any life it finds, to try and nudge it towards intelligence. But that kind of interference might be unethical so we'd have to think about it.

[Anonymous No.4514490]

>>4514436
The sunlight takes 8 minutes to reach earth which travels at 300,000 km/s,
The space shuttle which is the fastest transport in the world travels at 8 km/s once it's in orbit.
So the monolith would take 300000 minutes to reach the sun.
300,000 minutes = 5000 hours = 208 days
so it would take centuries for a positive possibility to happen if every monolith doesn't get fucked on the way

[Anonymous No.4514511]

>>4514490
Oh and here's the relative size and distances of the planets. 208 days just to reach the sun

[Anonymous No.4514535]

draw a giant penis on the moon to show how much you love sucking alien dicks.

[Anonymous No.4514544]

>>4514511
is there a way to launch things faster to outerspace ?
i mean the shuttle was 2236 fucking tons, i'm talking about a 1 ton maximum monolith
because even if it can get to 16 km/s instead of 8 km/s, it will take 100 days to reach instead of 200 days

[Anonymous No.4514553]

>>4514544

Even so, at those velocities time doesn't matter. Taking 10 million years to reach a star or 500 million years to reach a star has minimal difference. Odds are, with enough monoliths and careful planning of reaching stars with potential habitability planets you would hit an intelligent civ with at least a coupe at some point in time.

[Anonymous No.4514573]

>>4514395

Someone read Physics of The Future by Dr. Michio Kaku... (at least I think...)

[Anonymous No.4514583]

>>4514573
Nope.

[Anonymous No.4514623]

>>4514369
>I'm thinking we need to start thinking of ways to make von neuman probes, or perhaps just send a bunch of cheap probes at all 100 of the nearest stars
That's not exactly the kind of message we want to send. When you need to leave a note for someone and you have no pen, you don't typically smear a message onto their desk with your shit.

I'd say that some kind of beacon that emits light in frequencies that no natural substance would would be a good idea. Maybe if we could choose a few substances that give frequencies of prime numbers relative to themselves, filter out all the others, and then launch it with solar panels to orbit the sun and fire beams towards the nearest other stars? That might not work though, I have no idea how much the sun's light diffracts over that kind of distance.

[Anonymous No.4514686]

Why would we announce ourselves to the universe? Why would they? There is an element of danger in signaling your location to an unknown intelligent entity. They must acknowledge that as well as we. One theory for the Fermi paradox argues that they choose not to interact with us, which to me is the most plausible explanation if there are indeed advanced civilizations out there.

[Anonymous No.4514701]

>>4514426
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU2ftCitvyQ

[Anonymous No.4515758]

>>4514686

People that say this are so incredible dense..

You really think races that have evolved to the level of being able to pick up radio signals in space would just wait until they pick up something, then command a fleet of ships and travel 500 million years to some random planet and blow it up?

You think races that have the ability to travel in space haven't evolved past a "war" mentality?

You really think that would be worth the effort and time and resources?

You think star wars battles are viable?

Ok. OK.

Let's pretend it is.

It would still take thousands and millions of years for our signals to even reach other intelligence's.

That is one of the least probable pieces of the Fermi paradox.

I think it's even more likely a galactic society is waiting for us to reach a certain level before contacting us.

[Anonymous No.4515829]

We could cause the sun to go supernova...

Any intelligent species would be able to determine it was artificially induced

[Anonymous No.4515891]

>>4515758

I don't think anyone is suggesting, "fleets of ships," "war," or "star wars battles."

Rather than an enemy that you would declare war on, life capable of leaving it's planet of origin (i.e. us) could be seen as a potentially dangerous infection. There's a million different ways we might be "sterilized" that don't involve a "fleet of ships," which would be silly. One relativistic mass weapon ought to do it, for example.

[Anonymous No.4516814]

>>4515891
Alright, let's say a relativistic mass weapon is fired.

Oh damn, the travel time is a few million years, by then they've already left the home world, and colonized multiple other planets and star systems.


You see?

Space combat just isn't really feasible over long distances.