[engineer_22]

That's fascinating!

In the thread of this thought, to search for intelligent life off-planet sort of misses the point, doesn't it? Here we have an intelligent species with a common ancestor, which we may assume to be easier to communicate with than an extra-terrestrial being. And we have hardly begun to attempt to communicate with our earthly neighbor in a meaningful way, but we have projects probing the cosmos for signals from space.

[proamdev123]

Following that thought even further, if dolphins or whales were as intelligent as humans would they even be capable of developing the ability to make instruments that can transmit electromagnetic signals?

Given the limitations of their physical bodies, would they even be capable of developing any sophisticated instruments at all?

Point being, intelligence may not be the limiting factor for extraterrestrial communication at all.

[smallkitten]

Why would you assume that sophisticated instruments are required for extraterrestrial communication?

[proamdev123]

I’m not quite sure what you’re asking. We were talking about searching for signs of extraterrestrial life by looking for electromagnetic signals that they may have sent through space.

Are you asking why I’d assume that they don’t have the biological ability to send electromagnetic communication signals?

If that’s not what you’re asking, I don’t understand how else they’d send signals through space without sophisticated instruments capable of transmitting powerful signals.

Please clarify.