should we talk to aliens, or just listen out for them...

[RedHerring]

You should realise that we have been broadcasting our presence to the universe for about a hundred years now.

Assuming that radio waves travel as fast as light. Knowing that the Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light years across. Knowing that our sun is about 26,000 light years from the centre of the galaxy. Knowing that our solar system is on the outer edges of the galaxy, I don't think our radio waves have travelled very far yet, relatively speaking. We've got about 99,900 years for our radio waves to travel to the other side of the galaxy. Granted, they'll have been going in every direction anyway. I rather doubt that they've reached another galaxy yet.

 

[tim west]

We've got about 99,900 years for our radio waves to travel to the other side of the galaxy. Granted, they'll have been going in every direction anyway. I rather doubt that they've reached another galaxy yet.

Bet they'll still be running repeats then

 

[ColJack]

. no matter how deep into space you go you only have to contend with the same pressure difference...

That is something no one, or at least in our life time will ever know.

ok so maybe in a nebula there is pressure, but as the actual black bits of space are a total vacuum then the pressure difference can only reduce if you go into a slightly pressurised area..

I'm not talking about landing on other planets or flying into the atmospheres of gas giants here... just the actual void of space..

 

[Nige F]

.
Ok the signal would be very weak by the time it reached the next nearest star to us but, there may well be intelligent life out there, able to decode them.

Who The Feck would want to decode friggin` WOGAN