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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 7766060" data-attributes="member: 19675">A recent missionary excursion to a certain island suggests differently.  By analogy, while their SPECIES may be safe from harm from us, by no means might individuals be similarly immune.  Depending on their nature, ethics, risk aversion- and hypothetical exposure to still other sentient species- they may be loathe to contact us until after we cure ourselves of our fascination with instruments of war.So far, most such communication with cats, dogs and parrots has either been one way or relatively shallow.  Not to much discussion of literature or theoretical physics.Now, imagine if you will, taking the time and effort to make a Transatlantic video call to a random dog and telling it to “Come here, good boy.”  I’m thinking that happens close to never.No, I’m countering your assertion, “If technological communication is possible at all, then it would have already happened.” (Post #55, this thread.)  Your attempt to reframe my line of debate is completely inaccurate.In fact, my point has been technological communication over interstellar distances may be possible, but we probably cannot currently access/understand such transmission because we lack the requisite technology.  Why?  Because, AFAIK, most of our theoreticians doubt FTL communication is possible based on what tech we currently have and what we believe we understand.And the flip side is that communication we CAN currently grasp may not be used by a more advanced species simply because it is insufficient for the task.Imagine, if you will, teaching someone to code in C++ by sending them messages in smoke signals or semaphores.</blockquote>

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