Active SETI? - no thanks
TV and Radio signals from Earth have now traveled about 60 Light years. Luckily, even if the TV/Radio signals were intercepted by aliens, the signals would be very weak and jumbled together. It does give away our position to any aliens that are within the 60 light year range. There are over 2000 stars within a 60 light year radius and by 2050 our TV/Radio signals will have traveled 100 light years and reached approximately 170000 stars.
The most famous directional attempt to contact alien species is the Arecibo message. However, this won't arrive for over 20,000 years.
This handy table can be found on the wiki page for active SETI and shows when we might expect aliens to notice us. Of course they would still have to get here...
I personally take the stance that active SETI is completely reckless and anyone doing this is a danger to the entire human race. If anything, we should be trying to mask our presence in the universe. Whatever alien intelligence we come across may well be hostile (e.g. a berserker probe). The technology that they possess is also likely to be far more advanced than that of our own. Our solar system has been about for billions of years and our galaxy for much longer. There has been plenty of time for alien intelligence to grow exponentially beyond anything we can imagine - especially if Kurzweil's predictions are anything to go by.
Finally, if I simply can't win the argument that Active SETI is a tremendous gamble then active SETI should be done from a neutral location, not our home planet...
The most famous directional attempt to contact alien species is the Arecibo message. However, this won't arrive for over 20,000 years.
This handy table can be found on the wiki page for active SETI and shows when we might expect aliens to notice us. Of course they would still have to get here...
| Name | Designation | Constellation | Date sent | Arrival date | Message |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gliese 581 | HIP 74995 | Libra | October 9, 2008 | 2029 | A Message From Earth |
| Polaris | HIP 11767 | Ursa Minor | February 4, 2008 | 2439 | Across the Universe |
| Gliese 581 | HIP 74995 | Libra | August 28, 2009 | 2030 | Hello From Earth |
| HIP 4872 | Cassiopeia | July 6, 2003 | April 2036 | Cosmic Call 2 | |
| HD 245409 | Orion | July 6, 2003 | August 2040 | Cosmic Call 2 | |
| 55 Cnc | HD 75732 | Cancer | July 6, 2003 | May 2044 | Cosmic Call 2 |
| HD 10307 | Andromeda | July 6, 2003 | September 2044 | Cosmic Call 2 | |
| 47 UMa | HD 95128 | Ursa Major | September 3, 2001 | July 2047 | Teen Age Message |
| 47 UMa | HD 95128 | Ursa Major | July 6, 2003 | May 2049 | Cosmic Call 2 |
| Gl 777 | HD 190360 | Cygnus | July 1, 1999 | April 2051 | Cosmic Call 1 |
| 15 Sge | HD 190406 | Sagitta | June 30, 1999 | February 2057 | Cosmic Call 1 |
| HD 76151 | Hydra | September 4, 2001 | May 2057 | Teen Age Message | |
| 37 Gem | HD 50692 | Gemini | September 3, 2001 | December 2057 | Teen Age Message |
| HD 193664 | Draco | September 4, 2001 | January 2059 | Teen Age Message | |
| HD 126053 | Virgo | September 3, 2001 | January 2059 | Teen Age Message | |
| HD 178428 | Sagitta | June 30, 1999 | October 2067 | Cosmic Call 1 | |
| 16 Cyg A | HD 186408 | Cygnus | May 24, 1999 | November 2069 | Cosmic Call 1 |
| HD 197076 | Delphinus | August 29, 2001 | February 2070 | Teen Age Message | |
| Messier 13 | NGC 6205 | Hercules | November 16, 1974 | approx. 25974 | Arecibo Message |
I personally take the stance that active SETI is completely reckless and anyone doing this is a danger to the entire human race. If anything, we should be trying to mask our presence in the universe. Whatever alien intelligence we come across may well be hostile (e.g. a berserker probe). The technology that they possess is also likely to be far more advanced than that of our own. Our solar system has been about for billions of years and our galaxy for much longer. There has been plenty of time for alien intelligence to grow exponentially beyond anything we can imagine - especially if Kurzweil's predictions are anything to go by.
Finally, if I simply can't win the argument that Active SETI is a tremendous gamble then active SETI should be done from a neutral location, not our home planet...