Suppose we do detect a signal from a civilization 2000 light years away, what next?

Answer 1

ok, given the way we usually treat anything different:

1. First, we panic.

2. Next half our religious leaders identify them with some devil from some holy book, while the other half declare them to be messengers from god

3. Next our politicians begin blaming them for everything under the sun to distract you from the poor job of governing that they're doing.

4. Hundreds of tele-evangelists and half baked "experts" start whipping Joe Public into a frenzy of fear.

5. NASA and every other space research facility sees this as an opportunity to lobby for more funds for space research.

6. The world's major armies with significant funding and airforces begin diverting funds into a "space defence program".

7. Eventually we end up launching some military attack against them before they've had the chance to even say hello properly.

No wonder the universe seems so quiet and devoid of life. They're probably all hiding from us.

Answer 2

Well, since radio signals travel at the speed of light, it took the signal 2000 years to get here, so to answer, it would take another 2000 years. Probably the best bet would be for us to just listen for more signals, try to interpret them, and learn as much as we could about the civilization they are coming from. We could maybe design a space probe and send it in the direction of the planet the signal came from, but the Voyager probes were launched in the 70's and still haven't left the outer reaches of the solar system. So it could take as much as 100, 000 years to reach a star 2000 light years away, until we develop the ability to travel at light speed, and even then it would take 2000 years for us to get there.

Answer 3

so, if there is a civilization 2000 years... no light years away... hmmm, which means if we could travel in light speed, we HAVE to spend 2000 years to travel from here to there.

so, i just wonder what kind of signal we will pick up from them? how long the signal travelled from their civilization to us. it might take 100 years, 200 years... or more than 2000 years? then i'll wonder do the civilization still exist now?

if we want to ANSWER their call, what kind of signal we can send them? again, how long it'll take to get to them? again, by the time they recieve our signal, we probably extinct.

so what we can do next? well, just to know we r not alone in this universe is enough. and make sure mankind won't destroyed by wars, nukes, bioweapon, racism, polution, disasters... before we can have enough technology to send them an sms or an e-mail. otherwise,

i don't think other civilization would want to befriend with ugly, selfish, violent earthlings.

Answer 4

Two things. Start work on decoding it. Secondly set up an automatic system to transmit a non-stop signal informing them of every aspect of our history,culture, biology and everything else about planet Earth. Questions and answers are no good when you've got to wait 4000 years for a reply. A continuous, unsolicited stream of data would mean that whatever questions they've got, if they wait long enough they'll be answered.

Answer 5

Boy, talk about your long distance relationships!

Not much to do but read it and be amazed that we're not alone. Chances are, someone there will start picking up some of our noise in the next 1900 years or so (early radio) if they're listening.

Beyond that, you could print out the message and put it up on your walls?

Answer 6

Start working on decoding it. We will have plenty of time before they get here or we get there. Sending messages back and forth would be worthless. Seeing as how it would take over 2k years to be recieved.

Answer 7

Get prepared to send a reply then a ambassador.

Answer 8

i whould like to create a wormhole between Earth and that civiliasion to get the instant iformation about them

Answer 9

~If it's a smoke signal, call the fire department because when the flames get here, it'll be a doozy.

Answer 10

FIRST We MUST somehow bring them Democracy...(duh?)

first things first...