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Finding Life In Space By Looking For Extraterrestrial Pollution

Posted by Soulskill on from the assuming-the-little-green-men-are-not-too-green dept.

coondoggie writes: If what we know as advanced life exists anywhere other than Earth, then perhaps they are dirtying their atmosphere as much as we are. We could use such pollution components to perhaps more easily spot such planets. That's the basis of new research published this week by researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. They say that if we could spot the fingerprints of certain pollutants under ideal conditions (PDF), it would offer a new approach in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence."

13 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Major disappointment... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Funny

    After all these years of running SETI@Home, we still haven't found any extraterrestial TV signals carrying alien porn. :/

    1. Re:Major disappointment... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well it would probably be all scrambled anyway unless we got one of those pirate boxes to descramble it for us....

      If the signal wasn't scrambled, all those naked blue-colored girls I saw on a TV as a teenager may actually be naked blue-colored girls... from SPACE!

    2. Re:Major disappointment... by Moof123 · · Score: 2

      What is striking to me is that SETI is mostly looking for spikes in the background noise, but our communication standards have rapidly moved away from such signals ourselves. AM, FM, and VSB+C (old analog TV) were all relatively inefficient ways to transmit information, and often had a large center carrier that sticks out like a sore thumb, which makes for a nice way to detect a transmission.

      Most digital transmissions now use various methods that do not need a center carrier, and look very much like amplified noise to outside observers. Our period of transmitting the types of signals that SETI is most looking for only lasted 100 years or so, and most new standards would be very hard or impossible to detect at interplanetary distances. Once can only assume that other cultures smart enough to make radio transmitters would also have similarly short periods during which inefficient methods would be used. Basically it might limit the window of detectability to the brief period between inventing radio, and when Moore's Law makes powerful signal processing very cheap.

  2. Advanced? by KeensMustard · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Would an advanced race actually do something so illogical?

    In what other ways are we assuming alien life is like us?

    1. Re:Advanced? by Le+Marteau · · Score: 2

      Pollution occurs wherever there is life.

      --
      Mod down people who tell people how to mod in their sigs
    2. Re:Advanced? by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's worse than that. Pollution is highly specific to the existence of given technology at a given stage of development. How long, on astronomical time scales, would a given planetary atmosphere contain iodine-131 (half life 8 days) or even coal smoke, before more advanced versions of the same technology, or a different technology entirely, succeeds the one emitting the pollutant?

      Furthermore, we can only detect as pollutants substances that we already know about as side effects of our own civilization. If we were to look at some exoplenet and detect an oxygen atmosphere that has scandium dust in it, or which absorbs slightly more yellow that we think it should, we would have no way of associating this effect with possible intelligence until we experience the same kind of pollution ourselves.

    3. Re:Advanced? by the+gnat · · Score: 2

      Would an advanced race actually do something so illogical?

      By "advanced", I assume the summary meant "technologically advanced". How would any civilization reach a high level of technology without going through industrialization? It's not like anyone enjoys living downwind of a coal plant, but the messier forms of energy production are convenient, cheap, and don't require any advanced materials or science. Try to imagine an alternate history where we emerged from the industrial revolution with effective, sustainable fusion and solar power without ever polluting the planet.

      One of my least-favorite sci-fi tropes is an alien race which is simultaneously technologically adept enough to build starships and aggressive enough to spread through the galaxy meets (much less technologically advanced) humans for the first time and sadly remarks on our lack of environmental consciousness and our propensity for violence. It requires the assumption that exactly none of the circumstances that constrained our development, and none of the evolutionary pressures which drove it, might apply to other species. Yes, we can't be certain that other forms of life aren't so radically different that these rules don't apply - but we have yet to observe such life forms on Earth, at least.

    4. Re:Advanced? by WillKemp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Pollution occurs wherever there is life.

      True. Earth was populated for millions of years by organisms that polluted the atmosphere with oxygen.

  3. Pollution as in atmospheric O2 ... by perpenso · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, pollution as in atmospheric O2, not pollution as in SUV exhaust. Atmospheric O2 is not the Earth's "normal" state, its a byproduct of life.

    If I remember correctly, Earth's original atmosphere was SO2 based and some photosynthetic creature with a sulfur based metabolism started emitting O2 as a waste product ... and so began global climate change 1.0.

  4. Great... by sycodon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Our first encounter with an alien civilization will be the EPA trying to fine them millions of dollars.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    1. Re:Great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No, the EPA won't be bothering them...

      Customs will be after them for importing technology without a license.

      ATF&E will be after them for carrying unlicensed military type weapons.

      Department of Energy will be complaining about the unlicensed reactor they will be running.

      The FCC will be fining them for importing RF equipment and causing interference. Operating an RF transmitter without authorization and listening to 800 MHz and cell frequencies. Depending on the size of the craft, there may be fines for not having the proper lighting.

      The county and city will be imposing fines for violation of zoning ordinances and non-payment of taxes on their space ship because it's "real" property. Local authorities will also demand they get a permit for the crowd that gathers, which will include the provision for handicapped parking, temporary restroom facilities, and fees for overtime payments for cops to direct traffic.

      The FAA will be insisting that they be provided blue prints, design specs, and given access to the ship to verify it's airworthiness. They will insist on the ship being registered, at least experimental, but only if the occupants can prove they built 51% of it themselves. They will also be looking for the pilot's license, medical and log book to make sure the crew is legally able to fly. There may also be fines for flying an improperly equipped aircraft in a controlled airspace and flying VFR in IFR conditions.

      The IRS will come after them for not filing the proper "resident alien" tax returns for a number of years. They may also be due tax credits and Obamacare subsidies, unless they are self employed in which case they will be billed for the fine/tax.

      HHS will want to get them signed up for healthcare but will likely require them to seek immediate medical attention so that they can be vaccinated. If they brought medical staff with them, they will be required to obtain new licenses or cease to practice.

      ICE will issue citations to each alien for being in the country without a passport, visa or work permit issued by a recognized government. They will then start proceedings to deport them to their country of origin, issue them a summons for a court date 6 months in the future and turn them loose to fend for themselves.

    2. Re:Great... by Jesrad · · Score: 2

      And we still wonder why they are keeping quiet ?

      Earth must be labelled as "that planet is full of crazies, steer well clear !" throughout the entire galaxy...

      --
      Maybe we deserve this world ?
  5. idiotic by slashmydots · · Score: 2

    What kind of moron came up with that? Let's see, life was here for like 500 million years, for about 150 we've been ruining the atmosphere, and 100 years from now we'll have solved it. So there's a 0.0000000000000001% chance that we'll find a polluted but populated world.