Old Alien Junk Lying About the Solar System, Waiting for Us to Find It

[saundby]

Ran across an interesting paper in Ars Astronautica, available online:

On the likelihood of non-terrestrial artifacts in the Solar System (PDF)

Here's a snippet:

We have obviously not yet discovered any technology of extraterrestrial origin, but how sure can we be that the Solar System contains none of these artifacts? In this paper we develop a probabilistic approach to this question. Certain regions of space have been searched sufficiently to discover such technology, if it exists, but much of the Solar System remains unexplored. It is completely possible that extraterrestrial technology could be
actively observing us without our knowledge, while it is also possible that
defunct extraterrestrial technology exists on planetary surfaces or interplanetary space.

So, is the alien space junk just waiting out there for us to find it? I'm willing to build the rockets to go see...

 

[ShapeShifter]

The problem with old space-junk is that once you uncover it, the junk initiates a chain-reaction which results in the ignition of Jupiter, and that just causes all sorts of problems with my sleep-cycle. :rofl:

 

[Jame]

That's why we need to find the stuff. Just to mess with people.

 

[Andrew M]

This is the best player handout I have seen in a while!

All it needs is the barely legible scrawlings of a lunatic genius who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

"No funding was used for this research." or so they say!

 

[dean]

"No funding was used for this research." or so they say!

Likely because no agency was willing or foolish enough to grant them funding, not because they didn't try to get it!

 

[Andrew M]

Likely because no agency was willing or foolish enough to grant them funding, not because they didn't try to get it!

To be fair on them, the disclaimer is likely there, because some colleagues in NASA published a similarly speculative paper, which got reported in the mainstream press. They got some stick, because people thought that they had been squandering space-race money.

 

[FreeTrav]

So, is the alien space junk just waiting out there for us to find it? I'm willing to build the rockets to go see...

/me can't imagine why anyone would anticipate finding a shallow-draft boat with bamboo sails of non-Terrestrial construction...

 

[saundby]

Well, that would be the perfect way to conceal your work if you were an alien, wouldn't it?

Along with other primitive implements. Folsom points made by aliens from local stone, piles of stone as buildings in place of towering glass and metal spires, etc. Sell all to the locals once you're done and ready to go back home. "Pyramid in fine condition, perfect for religious or funerary purposes, owner relocation, motivated seller!"