Perhaps, yes. But that would involve getting to their planet, which could take a while. Assuming that they didn't leave easily detectable space garbage of course, but even then we'd be wanting to get closer.
And anyway, in another few million years how much will remain as proof of the existence of dinosaurs? Not a whole lot, probably. So in theory, a short time (relative to the age of the universe) after a civilisation dies off there could be little or no evidence left that they ever existed!
There's apparently a gang doing the same thing here in Ireland. Carted off a number of ATMs, but apparently they haven't quite managed to get any of them open yet:-P
"The line was long and slow, and he became increasingly irritated as his lunch hour dribbled away."
So now, instead of waiting on a teller, we wait in a long line of people trying to get to the ATM with the person at the front repeatedly putting in his card while all the time muttering under his breath "I'm sure I had money in here!"
Slashdot Mirror
For a "long, long time", yes, but in a hundred million years? Supposedly not.
:-P
But who's to say that they'll have the same fascination with the circular bit of cheese in the sky that we do?
"however odds are against it"
In a near-infinite universe, I would think that the odds are very much against us being the only sentient species in any time or place.
Perhaps, yes. But that would involve getting to their planet, which could take a while. Assuming that they didn't leave easily detectable space garbage of course, but even then we'd be wanting to get closer.
And anyway, in another few million years how much will remain as proof of the existence of dinosaurs? Not a whole lot, probably. So in theory, a short time (relative to the age of the universe) after a civilisation dies off there could be little or no evidence left that they ever existed!
Independance Day :-|
"First", or possibly more likely "after everything else has died off".
There's apparently a gang doing the same thing here in Ireland. Carted off a number of ATMs, but apparently they haven't quite managed to get any of them open yet :-P
"The line was long and slow, and he became increasingly irritated as his lunch hour dribbled away."
So now, instead of waiting on a teller, we wait in a long line of people trying to get to the ATM with the person at the front repeatedly putting in his card while all the time muttering under his breath "I'm sure I had money in here!"
Well, technically most works of art aren't naturally-occuring phenomena either.
"How can you copyright a piece of rock?? It's the earth, man!" :-\
-> "How can you copyright a silicon chip?? It's only sand, man!"
Then again, he did get enough chances; in one of his lives he was bound to have had the time to do it...
*points to Moore's Law He seems to have done a pretty good job of it!
Well, it'll report back findings at some stage in the distant future in an unrecognisable form :-P