Comments on: If Aliens Were Tuning Into Our Television Frequencies… http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/ Strength in Numbers Thu, 24 May 2012 08:49:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: robur http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-32418 robur Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:08:53 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-32418 Because of the noise generated by the galactic magentic field, no radio or TV signal from Earth can be detected beyond 80-100 light years (depending on direction). I hope that helps. Because of the noise generated by the galactic magentic field, no radio or TV signal from Earth can be detected beyond 80-100 light years (depending on direction).
I hope that helps.

]]> By: Nathan Yau http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31845 Nathan Yau Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:44:48 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31845 shoot for the stars, i say shoot for the stars, i say

]]> By: Keith Ng http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31843 Keith Ng Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:54:29 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31843 Man, that doesn't leave me much time to build a quantum teleportation device, get to Alpha Centauri, set up a radio telescope array, a television and a couch in time to catch the first season of Arrested Development. Man, that doesn’t leave me much time to build a quantum teleportation device, get to Alpha Centauri, set up a radio telescope array, a television and a couch in time to catch the first season of Arrested Development.

]]> By: Chris Pudney http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31819 Chris Pudney Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:53:38 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31819 Which goes a long way to explaining why we've not heard from ETs - we're not worth speaking to... Which goes a long way to explaining why we’ve not heard from ETs – we’re not worth speaking to…

]]> By: ::: Think Macro ::: » Reading blogs #16 http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31818 ::: Think Macro ::: » Reading blogs #16 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:59:05 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31818 [...] “If Aliens Were Tuning Into Our Television Frequencies…” - A fun and graphical trip back in time. [...] [...] “If Aliens Were Tuning Into Our Television Frequencies…” – A fun and graphical trip back in time. [...]

]]> By: jeff weir http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31802 jeff weir Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:42:40 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31802 RWB - a friend of mine has a good theory re this...he says sure, there's heaps of life in the universe, but intelligent life tends to snuff itself out quickly shortly after the stage that they invent complicated things like television. So there's lots of signals flying about the universe, but of relatively short duration, and of rapidly decreasing detectable strength due to the inverse square law. So the chance that we're tuned in and listening right at the same time that someone close by is broadcasting is abount the same probability as the chance that you turn on a TV, flick though all the channels and find quality programming on each and every channel...and no ads whatsoever! RWB – a friend of mine has a good theory re this…he says sure, there’s heaps of life in the universe, but intelligent life tends to snuff itself out quickly shortly after the stage that they invent complicated things like television. So there’s lots of signals flying about the universe, but of relatively short duration, and of rapidly decreasing detectable strength due to the inverse square law.

So the chance that we’re tuned in and listening right at the same time that someone close by is broadcasting is abount the same probability as the chance that you turn on a TV, flick though all the channels and find quality programming on each and every channel…and no ads whatsoever!

]]> By: Hva ser aliens i fjernsynsapparatet sitt? « Dyade-bloggen http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31799 Hva ser aliens i fjernsynsapparatet sitt? « Dyade-bloggen Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:21:44 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31799 [...] ute og hvis de har antenner som tar inn vÃ¥re tv-signaler (to drøye antagelser), hva er det da de ser? PÃ¥ figuren over kan du lese av hvilke tvprogrammer som har nÃ¥dd hvilke [...] [...] ute og hvis de har antenner som tar inn vÃ¥re tv-signaler (to drøye antagelser), hva er det da de ser? PÃ¥ figuren over kan du lese av hvilke tvprogrammer som har nÃ¥dd hvilke [...]

]]> By: Nathan Yau http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31798 Nathan Yau Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:50:36 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31798 I think Britain is starting to infect American television too. We just got Merlin this summer :) I think Britain is starting to infect American television too. We just got Merlin this summer :)

]]> By: Kassie http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31796 Kassie Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:25:49 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31796 And, actually, I believe that we could see the equivalent of the Earth's strongest transmitter (~1 MW) from 1-few hundred light years away with the best radio telescopes in use today. So the physics of the comic are probably correct, even if the likelihood of such nearby listeners may not be. And, actually, I believe that we could see the equivalent of the Earth’s strongest transmitter (~1 MW) from 1-few hundred light years away with the best radio telescopes in use today. So the physics of the comic are probably correct, even if the likelihood of such nearby listeners may not be.

]]> By: Nathan Yau http://flowingdata.com/2009/07/17/if-aliens-were-tuning-into-our-television-frequencies/#comment-31793 Nathan Yau Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:38:48 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=2121#comment-31793 psst, it's a comic :) psst, it’s a comic :)

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