Is there anybody there?

As we learn more at about our neighbouring planets ecology, current cosmologists are leaning towards the belief that advanced life in space exists. There is an amazing diversity of species on earth from basic microbes to plant and animal life,surviving in varying extreme conditions. Given that life on other planets is created on the same biological principles as on our own planet, it could be feasible that they do.

Hot on the quest is Project Phoenix from The SETI Institute,an anacronym of Search For Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, a project which sets out to detect signals from sun-like stars. Phoenix began in 1993 after the NASA Targeted Search was ended by Congress in 1993. The 28 million channel receiver attempts to tune into narrow band signals - signals from pulsars and quasars will not be picked up as they do not make radio signals that are this narrow. The receivers used are only able to detect constant or slow pulsed signals, however, any fast variation would be lost and far bigger instruments would then have to be built to pick them up.

If we do make contact, who will be the most intelligent in the overall scheme of things and which will assume most importance? This is difficult to assess when you are unable to take an unbiased viewpoint on the situation. It seems likely however that if an alien species should ever contact us it will do so on the assumption that we are less advanced because we have not made first contact. So will this be done in a friendly or menacing manner? Menacing - if the species sees us as a threat, wishes to colonise our planet, or use us for experimental purposes. Friendly - if they wish to help us to develop, seek help from us or are curious in finding out about us.

Alien species could use various methods of communicating with us. It is naive or arrogant of us to assume that they will use a human way of communication. We have no way of knowing what level of intelligence they have developed or how they interact or behave. A radio message would rely on the civilisation sharing the same technical capability as ourselves. If a certain alien species is more developed than us it could be possible that it communicates with us telepathically. The question is if aliens communicated with you would anyone believe you?

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