Loose Leaf For Explorations: Introduction To Astronomy
9th Edition
ISBN: 9781260432145
Author: Thomas T Arny, Stephen E Schneider Professor
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Concept explainers
Question
Chapter 18, Problem 6ETQ
To determine
Whether it is a good idea to send out signals in the hope that aliens might detect them or not.
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionStudents have asked these similar questions
Why do we think we would be able to decode a message deliberately sent to us by an alien civilization?
Group of answer choices
The message will probably be in video format, allowing us to watch it even without knowing the alien language.
We can assume that aliens will also have 10 fingers and 10 toes and therefore that they can send a message that relies on this fact.
They undoubtedly have already received our television broadcasts and would therefore be likely to send the message in English.
The aliens presumably know the same laws of mathematics and physics as we do and therefore could develop a simple code based on these laws.
What will happen to society, politics, and daily life when non-conscious but highly intelligent algorithms know us better than we know ourselves?
The Drake equation In 1961 astronomer Frank Drakedeveloped an equation to try to estimate the number ofextraterrestrial civilizations in our galaxy that might be
able to communicate with us via radio transmissions. Nowlargely accepted by the scientific community, the Drakeequation has helped spur efforts by radio astronomers tosearch for extraterrestrial intelligence. Here is the equation:
NC = N # fp # ne # fl# fi# fc # fLOK, it looks a little messy, but here’s what it means:So, how many ETs are out there? That depends; valueschosen for the many factors in the equation depend onever-evolving scientific knowledge and one’s personalguesses. But now, some questions.a) What quantity is calculated by the first product, N # fp?b) What quantity is calculated by the product, N # fp # ne # fl?c) What probability is calculated by the product fl# fi?d) Which of the factors in the formula are conditionalprobabilities? Restate each in a way that makes thecondition clear.
Chapter 18 Solutions
Loose Leaf For Explorations: Introduction To Astronomy
Ch. 18 - Why do astronomers think that the Universe is...Ch. 18 - What is meant by the age of the Universe? How old...Ch. 18 - Prob. 3QFRCh. 18 - What is Olbers paradox?Ch. 18 - Prob. 5QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 6QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 7QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 8QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 9QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 10QFR
Ch. 18 - Prob. 11QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 12QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 13QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 14QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 15QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 16QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 17QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 18QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 19QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 20QFRCh. 18 - Prob. 1TQCh. 18 - Prob. 2TQCh. 18 - Prob. 3TQCh. 18 - Prob. 4TQCh. 18 - Prob. 5TQCh. 18 - Prob. 6TQCh. 18 - Prob. 7TQCh. 18 - Why are there points below the green line (instead...Ch. 18 - Prob. 9TQCh. 18 - Until recently, experimental results for the...Ch. 18 - The temperature of Universe at recombination was...Ch. 18 - Prob. 3PCh. 18 - Prob. 4PCh. 18 - The temperature of the Universe at recombination...Ch. 18 - One second after the Big Bang, the density of the...Ch. 18 - Prob. 7PCh. 18 - Prob. 8PCh. 18 - Prob. 1TYCh. 18 - Prob. 2TYCh. 18 - Prob. 3TYCh. 18 - Which of the following statements about the first...Ch. 18 - Prob. 5TYCh. 18 - Prob. 6TYCh. 18 - Prob. 7TYCh. 18 - Prob. 8TYCh. 18 - Prob. 9TYCh. 18 - Prob. 1EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 2EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 3EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 4EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 5EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 6EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 7EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 8EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 9EQFRCh. 18 - What is meant by the Gaia hypothesis?Ch. 18 - Prob. 11EQFRCh. 18 - Prob. 1ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 2ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 3ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 4ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 5ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 6ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 7ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 8ETQCh. 18 - Prob. 1EPCh. 18 - Prob. 2EPCh. 18 - Prob. 3EPCh. 18 - Prob. 4EPCh. 18 - Prob. 5EPCh. 18 - Prob. 6EPCh. 18 - Prob. 1ETYCh. 18 - Prob. 2ETYCh. 18 - Prob. 3ETYCh. 18 - Prob. 4ETYCh. 18 - Prob. 5ETYCh. 18 - Prob. 6ETYCh. 18 - Prob. 7ETY
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- How does the stability of technological civilizations affect the probability that humanity can communicate with them?arrow_forwardWhy is traveling between the stars (by creatures like us) difficult?arrow_forwardIn this experiment, as a form of sheltering-at-home fantasy, we adopt a science=fiction scenario. It’s the year 2520 and you are an astronaut working for a private entity simply called The Company. The CEO of The Company is the 8th clone of Elon Musk. Elon 9 has provided you with a small interstellar spacecraft about a million times faster than anything we can conceive of today. It is your job to check out the potential habitability of a few relatively near potentially habitable planets to see if human colonies can be established there to mine materials for the latest version of the Tesla automobile. But there is a problem. Shortly before your launch, a solar-system-wide pandemic ground human economy to a standstill. So Elon 9 had to cut corners. The only device he could afford for you to measure gravity acceleration on the subject planets is a pendulum with a length of 100 cm. After landing, you will determine the gravitational acceleration at the surface of…arrow_forward
- I'm having trouble understanding this. Suppose we have a spaceship about the size of a typical ocean cruise ship today, which means it has a mass of about 130 million kilograms, and we want to accelerate the ship to a speed of 12 % of the speed of light. Suppose you want to generate the energy to get it to cruising speed using matter-antimatter annihilation. How much antimatter would you need to produce and take on the ship? Express your answer using two significant figures.arrow_forwardTutorial A radio broadcast left Earth in 1923. How far in light years has it traveled? If there is, on average, 1 star system per 400 cubic light years, how many star systems has this broadcast reached? Assume that the fraction of these star systems that have planets is 0.50 and that, in a given planetary system, the average number of planets that have orbited in the habitable zone for 4 billion years is 0.40. How many possible planets with life could have heard this signal? Part 1 of 3 To figure out how many light years a signal has traveled we need to know how long since the signal left Earth. If the signal left in 1923, distance in light years = time since broadcast left Earth. d = tnow - broadcast d = 97 97 light years Part 2 of 3 Since the radio signal travels in all directions, it expanded as a sphere with a radius equal to the distance it has traveled so far. To determine the number of star systems this signal has reached, we need to determine the volume of that sphere. V, = Vb…arrow_forwardTutorial A radio broadcast left Earth in 1925. How far in light years has it traveled? If there is, on average, 1 star system per 400 cubic light years, how many star systems has this broadcast reached? Assume that the fraction of these star systems that have planets is 0.30 and that, in a given planetary system, the average number of planets that have orbited in the habitable zone for 4 billion years is 0.85. How many possible planets with life could have heard this signal? Part 1 of 3 To figure out how many light years a signal has traveled we need to know how long since the signal left Earth. If the signal left in 1925, distance in light years = time since broadcast left Earth. d = tnow - tbroadcast d = light years Submit Skip (you cannot come back)arrow_forward
- Which of the following appears to be a necessary ingredient for the development of life, intelligence, and civilization? Carbon atoms. An earth-like atmosphere and ocean. A sun-like star. Time. All of these.arrow_forwardOne of the fads of the future might be “century hopping,” where occupants of high-speed spaceships would depart from Earth for several years and return centuries later. What are the present-day obstacles to such a practice?arrow_forwardMost of the stars we can see with the unaided eye in our night sky are hundreds or even thousands of lightyears away from Earth. (The very closest ones are only a few dozen lightyears away, but most are much further.) The vast majority of stars in our galaxy are many tens of thousands of lightyears away. IF intelligent life existed on planets orbiting some of these stars – and that’s a huge IF! – comment on the likelihood and practicality of (a) visiting, (b) communicating with, or (c) verifying the existence of those life forms. Describe how you might go about approaching EACH of these three tasks, or if you think they are even possible. (One or two sentences for each part would be appropriate.)arrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
- Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage LearningStars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399944Author:Michael A. SeedsPublisher:Cengage Learning
- AstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStaxAn Introduction to Physical SciencePhysicsISBN:9781305079137Author:James Shipman, Jerry D. Wilson, Charles A. Higgins, Omar TorresPublisher:Cengage Learning
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399920
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399944
Author:Michael A. Seeds
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:9781938168284
Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher:OpenStax
An Introduction to Physical Science
Physics
ISBN:9781305079137
Author:James Shipman, Jerry D. Wilson, Charles A. Higgins, Omar Torres
Publisher:Cengage Learning
General Relativity: The Curvature of Spacetime; Author: Professor Dave Explains;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7V3koyL7Mc;License: Standard YouTube License, CC-BY