Scientists: "Aliens might not have radio"

QMI AGENCY

Toronto SUN

A new theory has stargazers thinking maybe we haven't found signs of extra-terrestrial life yet because we're going about it the wrong way. Right now, a scientific project known as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is leading the way in the search for life beyond Earth.

Their method is to scan outer space for radio transmissions, new or old. They've been doing it for 50 years, and so far, it hasn't really worked out.Physicists interviewed in the Economist say that's not necessarily because there are no aliens. But maybe aliens just don't use radio technology, they propose,

Paul Davies, a physicist at Arizona State University, pointed out thatradio-communications are likely to be a short-lived technology, even on Earth, where people are increasingly using fibre optics to communicate.Instead, Dick Carrigan, a retired particle physicist, suggested looking for other signs, like evidence of tampering with the energy output or pollution.The basic idea is to think outside the box and not focus on modern Earth technologies, which could easily become obsolete.Instead of looking for the earliest signs of industrialization, then, perhaps the thing to do is to let the imagination run riot and ask what technology might do to a solar system if it had tens or hundreds of thousands of years to work its magic,” reads the Economist article, Signs of Life.

8 most common UFO shapes

Posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009
By Erik Van Datiken

A mother ship resembling a giant football, a whirling coin-shaped disk that flashes across the sky, a diamond-shaped craft with a brilliant, mirror-like surface…

These are among the most common UFO shapes, according to veteran UFO researcher Brad Steiger, author of Mysteries of Time and Space.

Here are detailed descriptions based on Steiger’s analysis of several thousand sightings over the past 40 years:

8. BLINDING LIGHT. Typically spotted at night, this UFO doesn’t have a definite shape - it’s simply a dazzling orange light. “But it moves methodically, as if guided by some form of alien intelligence.”

7. DIAMOND-SHAPED. This craft resembles the top half of a diamond mounted on a flat surface. Its exterior is polished and as dazzling as a mirror in bright sunlight. The UFO usually is about 18 feet across and 8 to 10 feet high. It has no portholes or windows.

6. EGG-SHAPED. This massive vehicle, thought to be a “mother ship” - has been reported to be up to 200 feet in length. It has an oval shape like an egg, with no visible portholes or windows, and glows slightly in the dark.

5. TOP-SHAPED. Reminiscent of a child’s toy top, this craft is fat in the middle and tapered above and below. It’s covered in multicolored lights. Powerful jets around its midsection move the UFO in any direction. “Round portholes often ring the vehicle. The body is often said to be grayish, like a shark’s skin.”

4. COIN-LIKE DISK. Shaped like a giant 50-cent piece, this UFO is the type most often reported by military and airline pilots flying at 20,000 to 40,000 feet. Eyewitnesses say the flat edger of the disk often is ringed with red or green lights. The spaceship is incredibly fast, zipping along at speeds of more than 2,500 MPH. “The craft has been estimated at 15 to 20 feet in diameter and 2 to 3 feet high.”

3. FOOTBALL-SHAPED. This craft has a thick black body that tapers off at either end. Smaller UFOs have reportedly been seen entering and leaving a bay on its lower surface - so it’s also often called a “mother ship.” Reports have placed the craft’s size at up to 80 feet long and 20 feet high.

2. CONICAL DISK. This UFO resembles a Chinese peasant’s large straw hat. It has a flat bottom. The craft is generally reported as being about 20 feet in diameter and 10 to 12 feet high at the peak, with no exterior lights.

1. THE CLASSIC FLYING SAUCER. This is the most common UFO of all; it’s been reported around the world for more than four decades, according to Steiger. “The craft has a metallic saucer-like body ranging in diameter from 10 to 15 feet. An exhaust port on the bottom emits a yellow light that dances like a flame upon takeoff. Bright lights rim the saucer and a clear circular dome is often seen on the saucer portion.”