We look for Alien life scanning radiowaves. but was splitting the atom an advert to Aliens in our Universe?

Question

We use SEtI to scan the electromagnetic spectrum for radio waves! but wahat is the a possibilty that other lifeforms may have invented the radio? Now assuming that the rate of technological, spiritual, and cultural advancements differ wildly between humans here on Earth. Could this mean other lifeforms simply skipped that need for Radio (especially if they communicate telepathically, or as a collective hive mind). Lets say they these lifeforms are billions of year more advanced- surely the atomic exlposion would signal to any alien civilization- that the kids have found the weapons cupboard! Surely this would have been felt across the whole Universe, and alerted any lifeform out there to our technological advancement? Surely we are not ready to be cosmic grown ups if we still kill eachother over what we believe happens to us when we die!

Answer 1

Splitting the atom hasn't had any effect on our ability to be detected by other beings in the cosmos.  Radio is the logical choice because it is the range of frequencies which are best at penetrating interstellar gas and dust.  It is also possible to generate extremely powerful radio waves with minimal expense.  

Also, radio is a common range of frequencies for observing things in the universe.  So it seems likely that any technology with radio capability would make that their first choice for interstellar communication.  It's the most practical, no matter how alien a species may be.  They have to work with the same physics that we do.

You're right, though.  There may be many evolutionary paths which lead to intelligence and technology but bypass radio or depend on it very little.  So our attitude toward that is that since we are very unlikely to discover them, we don't even worry about whether they might exist or not.  We're more interested in the ones who are more similar to us.

Answer 2

How are aliens supposed to detect atomic explosions at interstellar distances?

Answer 3

i say that there is intellegent life in this galaxy. many more in the universe.

however, they are still waiting for intellegent life to form on our planet, before making contact.

Answer 4

have you ever thought that their to advanced for that stuff

Answer 5

Google/youtube: "Project Bluebeam"

"Aliens" just in time for 2012.

Answer 6

Sorry but any hope of detecting a nuclear explosion on Earth is drowned out by the fact that the sun is so near by, it is the equivalent of trying to detect a pebble falling into the ocean in the middle of a storm.

You are correct on the idea that Aliens might not communicate using radio waves though.

Answer 7

i am sure that is exactly what they thought----- Uh-Oh,,,the kids have found the matches.......i believe that they don't want us in space because they realize what a destructive and violent species we have become.

Answer 8

I could give u a very long answer but I won't.

The speed of light is very fast, but on the cosmic scale, very slow, i.e space is very empty and the stars are very far apart.

The current estimate in our galaxy is that out of 100billion stars, maybe as little as 10 civilisations capable of radio astronomy, or maybe we are alone.

The exact figure is unknown but the best estimates (see Drake equation)  indicate somewhere between 0 and 10.

Answer 9

Among SETI scientists, there are those who think that radio searches are culturally biased toward the science of the 1950s and 1960s.  Just as our communications technology is rapidly becoming photonic, they imagine that other civilizations also communicate with visual or near-infrared photons.  There are such searches in progress.

The nuclear activity of mankind is a tiny blip against the nuclear activity of our Sun, and its unlikely to result in a signal that would be recognizable at interstellar distances.