Atheists and Agnostics risk infinite loss for no gain

[Kayenneh]

But in 500 years after their last signal, their 100 years of signal are out to a sphere of 600 light years. Now a civilization could lie in any direction from Earth and each could have such a sphere. Seems like we should have had something already.

Now you're just being rude. Boo!

[Bad Wolf]

But in 500 years after their last signal, their 100 years of signal are out to a sphere of 600 light years. Now a civilization could lie in any direction from Earth and each could have such a sphere. Seems like we should have had something already.

What you just said, made no sense.

[Tonus]

But why would we not be getting radio waves?
Most civilizations would be emitting them for at least 100 years.

Assuming they developed simultaneously.

[Brakeman]

If SavedByGraceThruFaith can't explain the Leidenfrost effect, then it is proof of the Finno-Ugric god Ukko, obviously!

[popeyespappy]

In the vacuum of space, radio waves travel at the speed of light. In 100 years, a radio wave would only travel 100 light years, that is a ridiculously tiny distance in the universe. Right now a civilization that matches our own could be transmitting radiowaves in our direction. But what if they are 5 billion light years away, the earth will be gone by then. And thats assuming that the radiowaves are aimed at us and even if they are using radiowaves as a form of communication. Also we have picked up some weird waves from space, look up the WOW signal

But in 500 years after their last signal, their 100 years of signal are out to a sphere of 600 light years. Now a civilization could lie in any direction from Earth and each could have such a sphere. Seems like we should have had something already.

There are about 15000 stars within a hundred light years of earth. Thats about .000015% of the stars in the milky way on the low end of the total estimates. Not very many in the scheme of things.

[TheBeardedDude]

Life on Earth demonstrates that life in the universe is possible. Given that we have explored roughly 0% of it and have observed about 0% of it, it is fair to say we don't know if life does or doesn't exist elsewhere, but we know it's possible. Thus, the only logical conclusion is to look.

[Beta Ray Bill]

But why would we not be getting radio waves?
Most civilizations would be emitting them for at least 100 years.

This should answer Grace's question (assuming she takes the time to read this.)

"While it’s interesting to imagine how far our radio signals have traveled into space, it’s extremely unlikely that an alien will be able to catch the latest episode of ‘I Love Lucy’. This is thanks to the inverse square law. In Layman’s term, it’s a form of signal degradation.

As radio signals leave earth, they propagate out in a wave form. Just like dropping a stone in a lake, the waves diffuse or “spread out” over distance thanks to the exponentially larger area they must encompass. The area can be calculated by multiplying length times width which is why we measure it in square units – square centimeters, square miles, etc. This means that the further away from the source, the more square units of area a signal has to ‘illuminate’.inverse square law

Another way to think of it, is that the strength of a radio signal will be only 1/4 as great once you are twice the distance from the source. At ten times the distance, the strength of the signal would only be one hundredth as great.

Because of this inverse square law, all of our radio signals become indistinguishable from background noise at around a few light-years from earth. For a civilization only a couple hundred light-years away, trying to listen to our broadcasts would be like trying to detect the small ripple from a pebble dropped in the pacific ocean off the coast of California – from Japan."

So there you go, Grace, why we'll never hear a radio signal from space.

Do a little research before you ask a question, please.

[TheBeardedDude]

Someone posted a video in a thread I started about science that deals with "why is the sky black at night" that also hints at part of the problem.

The distances are not fixed from the point of origin and ourselves (or vice versa). Space and time are stretching, so something moving towards us is having to cover that distance, plus the fact that we are also moving further away at the same time. Ergo, the red shift.

[Jackalope]

But why would we not be getting radio waves?
Most civilizations would be emitting them for at least 100 years.

In the vacuum of space, radio waves travel at the speed of light. In 100 years, a radio wave would only travel 100 light years, that is a ridiculously tiny distance in the universe. Right now a civilization that matches our own could be transmitting radiowaves in our direction. But what if they are 5 billion light years away, the earth will be gone by then. And thats assuming that the radiowaves are aimed at us and even if they are using radiowaves as a form of communication. Also we have picked up some weird waves from space, look up the WOW signal

Let's not forget that radio signal power falls off inversely proportional to the square of the distance. I can't be arsed to do the math myself, but the signal loss over a distance of 100 light years is efuckingnormous.

But sure, yeah, we'll just listen in on whatever alien transmissions float by.

The OP is fucking clueless.

ETA: Bill beat me to the punch. Curses!

[Angrboda]

And here I thought the inverse square law had something to do with hep cats.