Comments on: Cosmic Rays: By-Product of Distant Alien Warfare?

By: openmind

openmind — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 06:23:39 +0000

all of you, please read this article
http://www.scribd.com/doc/36987016/The-Coming-Celestial-Convergence

it might help

By: jimoutofthebox

jimoutofthebox — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:29:35 +0000

Why do the high energy cosmic rays have to come from weapons. Could we be detecting energy from some type of advanced rocket?

By: Reality

Reality — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 18:26:29 +0000

Or maybe we have once again overestimated what we know of the universe around us.
Most models of what causes a gamma ray burst were developed prior to understanding that gamma ray bursts occur in each and every thunderstorm on this planet.
Science has always been slow to admit when wrong.

But let’s not let that stop us from acting as if theory is fact.

By: amphiox

amphiox — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:25:09 +0000

One drawback of weaponizing GRB’s though, is the fact that there are always two beams going in opposite directions. Aiming down line-of-sight might be tricky (imagine using artillery in warfare if the laws of physics dictated that you had to always fire a second shell backwards, every time).

I suppose it might be good for two front wars….

By: amphiox

amphiox — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:21:22 +0000

I am presuming that it would take less energy to manipulate a natural GRB into “firing” at a time and direction of one’s choosing than it would take to generate and focus that level of energy from “scratch”.

But then we shouldn’t necessarily assume that such energy outlays would only have application as weapons and nothing else. One could conceive of a KIII using GRB’s as part of an intergalactic SETI program to search for other KIII’s in distant galaxies, or a KIV using them as internal communication beacons….

By: Josh K

Josh K — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 06:30:13 +0000

“I’m a big fan of TMQ’s views on football, science, politics and cheerleaders, but I think he’s talking thru his… err… very wrong on this subject. ”

If you’re a big fan of TMQ, perhaps you’ve noticed that his column is rife with satire and humor? The chances that these bursts really are muzzle flashes from distant alien doomsday weapons is far greater than the chances that TMQ is being serious.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:57:59 +0000

“Wouldn’t it be wonderfully ironic if ”

-An ESPN correspondent came up with the correct answer before the egg-heads even considered it !?!

By: Brian Too

Brian Too — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:51:53 +0000

One can only speculate upon the capabilities of a Kardashev Type III or IV civilization.

However doesn’t it seem improbable that the number of GRB’s detected would be associated with a conflict? Especially considering that the GRB’s are directional and more-or-less all-sky events? How many are we not detecting because they aren’t pointed at us?

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:38:02 +0000

Reminds me of the “Dawn War” from Alastair Reynolds’s Revelation Space trilogy.

By: Buck Bokai

Buck Bokai — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 06:18:37 +0000

Fantastic article, but it would not be wonderfully ironic if the Vela satellites made first contact. If they’re contacting the gamma ray weapon holders, that’ll be extermination time for homo sapiens. Wonderfully brutal.

By: Yo

Yo — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 05:13:03 +0000

“10. Aberosh1819 Says:
I don’t think that word means what you think it means…”

Exactly what came to my mind too. Nice.

Though since we are talking about aliens with GRB tech-weapons… They should remember.

“Never get involved with a Sicilian when death is on the line!”

By: PavePusher

PavePusher — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:34:57 +0000

“inconceivable”?

Someone hasn’t read their Niven or Baxter….

By: TMQ watch: September 14, 2010. « Whipped Cream Difficulties

TMQ watch: September 14, 2010. « Whipped Cream Difficulties — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:33:15 +0000

[...] Easterbrook has, for some inexplicable reason, been hammering on the idea that gamma ray bursts are actually the signature of cosmic doomsday weapons belonging to advanced civilizations. TMQ cites a Discover article that “presents slight support for the TMQ conjecture, or at least, fails to falsify the idea”. From the article (actually, a blog entry): “This is a fun notion to mull over, but unlikely nevertheless. It’s inconceivable that any civiliza…” [...]

By: Vashra

Vashra — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:29:33 +0000

“Wouldn’t it be wonderfully ironic if the Vela satellites, designed to detect nuclear tests, discovered GRBs, and a detector like IceCube, designed to detect neutrinos from astrophysical events, initiated First Contact?”

Yeah….because what we really need is First Contact with a species that can and will use GRBs as a weapon.

I’m thinking that’s more properly called LAST Contact lol.

By: Yatz

Yatz — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:11:51 +0000

I’m a big fan of TMQ’s views on football, science, politics and cheerleaders, but I think he’s talking thru his… err… very wrong on this subject. While it’s not inconcivable that a highly developed civilization will develop the means to produce this galactic-scale armagedon weapon, the idea that it will be developed – and used! – by millions of civilizations (this has probably been going on for 3 billions years, right?) – well, that’s just ludicrious.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:05:29 +0000

Curses on you, Tassadar!
I took Overmind/Zerg and the points.

By: Fetish

Fetish — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:20:54 +0000

My favorite theory is from the book Manifold: Space (or Time?) by Stephen Baxter – GRB’s are natural, but aliens engaged in advanced interstellar war can cause them directly.

By: Raynor

Raynor — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:17:07 +0000

This is Jimmy. I thought you died in the Battle of Aiur, Tassadar. I’d bet my britches you’re a fake.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:28:52 +0000

I don’t think the ETs with galaxy-destroying energy weapons are the ones we should be searching for and attempting to contact, do you? This is why scientists should never be allowed to make policy decisions whether it’s space exploration or climate change. Just gather your data like good little nerds and let the people with common sense run things.

By: mcgatman

mcgatman — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:49:44 +0000

To do this a civilization would have to be evolved into beings of pure energy, as far beyond us as we are beyond the amoeba

By: Aberosh1819

Aberosh1819 — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:24:15 +0000

” It’s inconceivable that any civilization could generate artificially the colossal energies associated with GRBs.”

I don’t think that word means what you think it means…

By: Queen of Blades

Queen of Blades — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:21:07 +0000

Auir is mine Tassadar, and soon not even Shakuras will be safe!

Cordially,

Kerrigan

By: Professor Fontleroy

Professor Fontleroy — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:12:17 +0000

Surely if Ice Cube were to initiate First Contact, this would lead to an intergalactic “East-Coast/West-Coast” rap turf war that will inevitably end in a drive by on Planet Earth as a whole.

I don’t like where this is going. Remember Tupac.

By: NZ

NZ — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:34:02 +0000

TMQ!

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:26:36 +0000

Zerg lol is that real or it from toy story

By: Belly Chick

Belly Chick — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:14:53 +0000

I’m with Chris Winter. It is colossally idiotic to state that anything about an unknown, distant civilization is inconceivable. However, anytime someone writes something is inconceivable, the reader should infer that the author is rather closed minded.

By: Tassadar

Tassadar — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:50:38 +0000

These GRBs are actually the result of my Protoss civilization engaging in eternal warfare against our arch-nemesis the Overmind and its Zerg.

EN TARO ADUN!

By: Chris Winter

Chris Winter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:18:12 +0000

Interesting article. I would take issue with one statement:

It’s inconceivable that any civilization could generate artificially the colossal energies associated with GRBs.

I think you underestimate the potential of accumulators and narrow pulse widths. Consider a high-powered laser like the National Ignition Facility. This will produce beams of immense power, but only in brief pulses lasting nanoseconds.

I’m not saying I think GRBs may be the result of battles among BEMs. I don’t; I think they are completely natural. But I also don’t think we today can truly understand the limits of far-future engineering.

Oh, yes — the NIF. Find some information here: https://lasers.llnl.gov/

By: Rhacodactylus

Rhacodactylus — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:48:05 +0000

Paging Dr Occam . . . Dr Occam?

By: Nemesis

Nemesis — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:41:07 +0000

“Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station! “