HOW to HIDE from ALIENS (Assuming their trying to find us)

 

 

Maybe it takes a big ego to assume that aliens are spending their days looking for us much like many earthlings are looking for them. (SETI comes to mind)Or maybe we’re are doing that psychological practice of projection –believing that not only are they looking for us, they’re using the same processes as we are. It kind of assumes that aliens aren’t so alien as they think like a human. Well, could be true. 

 

So, if it is true, what can we do about it? We can hide from the aliens – using lasers we can conceal ourselves from an alien attack. How you ask? Talk to Professor David Kipping & grad student Alex Teachey of Columbia University because they have a most unique idea. 

 

Published in the Royal Astronomer Society Journal – monthly notices, is a plan that Earth could use lasers to conceal itself from alien attack. (Of course that means if they are coming to give us technology, they won’t see us either!) 

 

First understand the point of the exercise – because we use (in Keppleretc.) transiting planets, planets crossing in front of their host star leaving a tell-tale dot against the background of that host star. (See photo above.) 

 

So here is the thought process these two gentlemen went through. They first considered the process as described and that they might want to “hide” Earth’s transit from who-ever is watching.

 

Next  they thought about it and realized that they could ‘mimic’ such a transit since lasers are simply narrow directed beams. 

 

Finally – once considering that, the consideration became using that laser system a little differently – to remove a transit instead of display one.

 

Emitting uninterrupted for approximately 10 hours once a year, a 30 MWlaserwould be all that was required to eliminate the transit signal. Sure there is an energy use, but it is comparable to that used by the ISS in a year. Of course if you want to be ‘invisible’ at all wavelengths, you need a chromatic cloak. Using a large array of tune-able lasers, this option requires a total power of 250 MW. AND – I believe if we were to do this, this option allows for the aliens not being ‘dumb’.

 

On a separate note – something rather interesting; it has been considered that aliens might try to signal us via building a mega structure so that an artificial transit would be produced. (Most are rather predictable and vary little from each other!)

 

I wish both sides – us & them, happy hunting!