Sunday, September 25, 2016

Stephen Hawking warns against ‘contacting aliens’

                                                                                           Stephen Hawking

TOPICS

science and technology

human science

"They will be vastly more powerful and may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria," the British physicist warned.

British physicist Stephen Hawking has warned against announcing our presence to any alien civilisations, especially to those more technologically advanced than humans.
Our first contact from an advanced civilisation could be equivalent to when Native Americans first encountered Christopher Columbus and things “didn’t turn out so well”, Hawking said in a new online film.
The film, Stephen Hawking’s Favourite Places, takes viewers to five significant locations across the cosmos, on his spacecraft — the SS Hawking.
In the film, Hawking performs a hypothetical flyby of Gliese 832c, a potentially habitable exoplanet located 16 light years away.
“One day we might receive a signal from a planet like Gliese 832c, but we should be wary of answering back,” he said.
“They will be vastly more powerful and may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria,” Hawking warned.
“As I grow older, I am more convinced than ever that we are not alone. After a lifetime of wondering, I am helping to lead a new global effort to find out,” he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
Not the first warning

It is not the first time Hawking has warned about the prospect of hostile aliens.
Launching the Breakthrough Listen project, which will scan the nearest million stars for signs of life, last year Hawking had suggested that any civilisation reading our messages could be billions of years ahead of humans.
“The Breakthrough Listen project will scan the nearest million stars for signs of life, but I know just the place to start looking,” he said, in the film that appeared on the online platform CuriosityStream.
at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Computers

How to Transfer a YouTube Video to a Sony Walkman
A variety of videos on YouTube have a Creative Commons license, which allows you download, edit and reuse content uploaded by the original creators. Depending on the YouTube video you want to transfer to your Sony Walkman, however, you may need to convert the file to a compatible format. Read more

How to Record From an HD DVR Receiver to a Computer
A digital video recorder is a device that uses a hard drive to record television shows from cable and satellite. Recording from a high-definition DVR onto a computer is similar to recording from a VCR or video camera. Since DVR's don't usually come with software or hardware for directly transferring video files to a computer,  Read more

How to Transfer Analog Video to Hard Drives
If you’re a video buff that enjoys shooting home movies, you may have stacks of DVDs or VHS tapes with clips of cherished memories. Even if you're not into shooting you own movies, you may have a recording of a special event such as a wedding. Analog movies stored on disc or tape generally last a long time if you maintain and care for the media properly. Read more
Instructions for a SanDisk Cruzer Mini
The SanDisk Cruzer Mini USB flash drive provides a convenient way to store and backup data from your laptop or desktop computer, or quickly transfer large files to another PC without having to email them or burn them to a data CD or DVD disk. SanDisk manufactures a range of USB flash drives offering different memory capacities, Read more
How to Copy Files From a Windows Hard Drive to a Mac
Microsoft Windows uses the NT File System (NTFS) format when creating partitions on hard drives. Apple's Mac OS X operating system uses the Hierarchical File System Plus (HFS+) format for its hard drives. Mac OS X is able to read NTFS-formatted hard drives, but it cannot write to them without special third-party software. Read more
How to Transfer RealPlayer Videos to a New Computer
The RealPlayer media player can handle many video and audio file formats, including videos created in its own proprietary RealVideo format. When upgrading to a new computer, you can transfer your RealPlayer videos to the PC via removable media, such as an external hard drive or USB stick. You'll also need to install the desktop version. Read more

Windows Firewall Vs. McAfee Firewall
 Both the Windows Firewall and McAfee Firewall are designed to prevent unauthorized users from accessing your computer through the Internet. All data sent to and from your computer passes through the firewall, and the data is filtered by the firewall to make sure that each packet conforms to the firewall's user-defined rules. 
Read more


Advantages & Disadvantages of Sophos Anti-Virus
Designed primarily for use in enterprise settings, Sophos Anti-Virus is a complete suite of protection software. It goes beyond just protecting computers from viruses to also add anti-malware, Internet protection and email protection. The package is designed to work as an endpoint protection tool, enabling system administrators to control the protection. Read more
Alternative Anti-virus Programs to McAfee
If you're a McAfee AntiVirus user looking to make a switch to a new utility, the multitude of options can seem daunting. There are several well-reviewed and well-known utilities that can take over the functions of McAfee with minimal difficulty. Read more
The Purposes of AT&T U-verse USB Ports
Technological advances offer an increasing variety of home entertainment systems, and consumers enjoy seamless availability of multimedia services almost anywhere in the home. Many major broadband service providers bundle products, including music and video on demand, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony and high-definition TV. Read more
How Do I Transfer Movies from a DVR Recorder to DVD?
 Television and video recordings stored in your digital video recorder (DVR) are instantly accessible for TV viewing, but cannot be copied easily to DVD without additional equipment. You can transfer unencrypted standard definition television and video recordings to disc by connecting the DVR to a DVD recorder using good-quality analog video and audio cables. Read more

Internet

A Comparison of Dial-Up, DSL, Cable & Mobile Broadband
 Most likely, you have several broadband options in your area. If you live in an urban or highly populated area, you likely have more varied options than if you live in a rural or remote area. Nonetheless, technology has created additional broadband options and improved on existing ones. Read more

The Alternative to DSL in Areas Where DSL is Not Available
Internet connections via digital subscriber lines, or DSL, is not available in all locations. With DSL, an Internet subscriber must live within a certain distance of the DSL provider to receive service. Read more
How to Recover iPhone Contacts
Your iPhone's contact list can include detailed notes, phone numbers and email addresses and might represent years of careful assembly. Should your iPhone become damaged or inadvertently reset to factory condition, you can recover your contacts. The iPhone's primary methods of storage and recovery are through iTunes and iCloud. Read more
How to Sync Google Contacts & Groups to Your iPhone
Syncing Google contacts and groups to your iPhone allows you to keep your phone and your computer continually updated with important contact information. Manually entering contact information can be a daunting task, especially if you have hundreds of contacts, so performing this process automatically using Google Sync is beneficial. Read more
The Best Way to Import Outlook Contacts Into an iPhone
 If you already have your contact list saved in your Outlook account, you can centralize your information by importing your Outlook contacts to your iPhone.Even if you don't install the Outlook app for iPhone, other iPhone apps can use your Outlook contacts list if you allow them to.Importing your Outlook contacts is a simple process performed via the Settings app in iOS7.
Read more



How to Get Bookmarks From a Mac Laptop to an iPhone
The iPhone may be compatible with Windows, but it is inherently designed to sync seamlessly with a Mac. When you sync your iPhone to your Mac, you have the option to import music, videos, iCal calendars, Address Book contacts, Mail accounts, Notes, photos, Safari bookmarks and even a MobileMe account, if you have one. The easiest way to get your bookmarks from your Mac to your iPhone is to sync through iTunes. Read more

How to Merge a Calendar on an iPhone With a Computer
An iPhone is great if you want to add appointments and events to your calendar on the move, but if you need them on your computer, or need to add events to your iPhone from your computer, you will need to merge your calendars. This is an easy process that takes a matter of seconds and you can do it as regularly as you need to. Read more


iPhone Calendar Features
The iPhone is smartphone, or a phone with Internet and media capabilities, that is produced by Apple. Introduced to the public at the start of 2007, the iPhone has gone through four generations as of 2011. The calendar is one of the iPhones many apps, or applications, which comes standard with the device. Read more


How to Add Contacts to Calendar on Android
The Android smartphone is designed to integrate with your Google account to keep your personal information synchronized between the phone and Google's online applications like GMail and Google Calendar. Each of the Google apps on your phone can access this information, allowing you to link certain information, such as calendar entries. Read more
How to Use Google Calendar in a Website
Google's web-based Calendar application enables users to keep track of meetings, appointments and events. Each user can set up and manage multiple calendars, which can be made private or public as required and can be accessed from any web browser as well as a number of portable devices. Any public calendar can be embedded in another website.  Read more
Consistency of Speed With DSL Vs. Cable
Cable and DSL are two of the primary contenders for your broadband Internet budget. Depending on your area, Internet access providers, called ISPs, may offer you a choice between either service. One aspect to take into consideration when faced with a decision on one or the other is the consistency of speed. There are several factors affecting speed in either service type. Read more

Travel

Luxe thrills in Lonavala’s hills
In the monsoons, everyone in the city has to make a Lonavala trip. But there’s got to be a better way to escape the horridly jam-packed Bhushi Dam madness. In fact, what about a luxe way to enjoy the outdoors in this superb weather? We’ve done the homework and here are two great adventure resorts with a bevy of activities that will make that trip worthwhile. Read more


Out of Anaikatti: Bug side story
“Come quickly,” whispered my husband, looking very excited. I followed him, wondering what got this usually phlegmatic man so worked up. It was a dragonfly. So what, you may ask. Yes, you’ve probably seen dragonflies before but not like this one: all red, purple and pink. As it danced over a dark pink rose, it was difficult to tell where the rose began and where the dragonfly ended. Read more


A trekker’s guide to the Himalayas
My sole climbing feat before I set out on a high-altitude trek of 14,000 feet in the Himalayas this year was climbing a 50-feet-tall water tank in Puducherry. And that too nine years ago. I often recollected, with an odd mix of amusement and shame, how my knees got wobblier as I ascended the rusty rungs of the tank’s metal ladder, thanks to bouts of intense acrophobia… That is why, when folks at home greeted my brave decision to scale the Himalayas with stares of disbelief, it did not seem out of place. Read more
The other side of the Himalayas
Ninety per cent of visitors to the Indian Himalayas keep visiting the same 10 per cent of places, over and over again. Pilgrimages aside, the hill stations and treks attract those looking out for genuine Himalayan adventure. But these folks are restricted by the lack of awareness on where to go, safety concerns and lack of options provided by tour organisers. Read more

For the love of country
Ljubljana’s central square in twilight is a thing of beauty. Fairy lights strung between buildings look like stars against a pinkish-blue sky. A jet plane, its initial trajectory hidden by the façade of a red Franciscan church, cuts across the horizon, leaving behind a faint trail. Adults ride past on bicycles, as kids run around excitedly. Tourists stop by food stalls serving crepes and mulled wine. Read more


Taking a ride on the wild side
I inhaled the clear and cold desert air and couldn’t help marvel at the amazing convenience of modern travel. At 5 a.m., I was in humid Chennai, and here I was, five hours later, in the middle of Kutch. A direct flight to Ahmedabad and a two-hour drive from the airport was all it took. Read more


A window to the North East
It is incredible that even seven decades after independence, it is hard to find a travel guide dedicated to the North East. Largely neglected by citing geographical remoteness and political turbulence, tourism in the North East has not really lived up to its potential. Enumerating travel possibilities to the belt, travel enthusiast Rohan K. Abraham held a session in New Delhi’s Kunzum Café. Read more
A walk in the woods
Summer was at its worst when, one morning, I realised that I was probably one of the few left behind in blazing Delhi. After some quiet fuming, out came the route map of Himachal Pradesh, followed by a quick search for a suitable weekend getaway in the hills and a text to my good friend Moushumi, asking her to join me if possible. It was a tall order, considering that she lived in Bangalore. Read more
Salsa by the beach
Weekends are hardly ever boring in Chennai any more. This time around, it’s the Latin Festival Madras. Five days, two cities and three venues of fun and dance starts today. Organised by Arun Srinivasan, founder and director of Salsa Madras, this is the third edition of the festival.

On Friday, September 23, at Surf Turf, Covelong Point Social Surf School, Kovalam, brunch with the instructors will be followed by a bachata session with Australian dancers Mitch and Ellicia. Party through the evening on the beach, and have an introductory surfing lesson before heading for the launch party at Drizzle Bar and Restaurant at Neelankarai. Read more


Between the Sun and the Sea
At Port Canaveral, you get to see a constant procession of boats and ships that pass through. The sight matches what we often see on the silver screen. Mega cruise ships set sail for exotic destinations from here. Submarines surface to visit the navy port for repairs and upkeep. Cargo vessels loaded with goods and river boats come and go. Fishing boats bring the daily catch ashore.  Read more

Up close and personal with Hamlet
In all probability, not many of us have seen a stage enactment of Hamlet. So how would it feel, to not just watch a live performance of this famous play, but at the very location in which Shakespeare set it: the Kronborg Castle in Denmark? It’s pretty mind-blowing. Take my word for it.  Read more

Exploring the city of superlatives
It’s a bit of a ‘top of the world’ experience. After all, it is a view from the observation deck on the 125th floor of the tallest building in the world. That is, if you have not gone further up to the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa. The air at this level is rarefied, literally, as entry into the observatory also comes with special lounge access and a dedicated elevator which takes you through flash images of the world’s most iconic landmarks as it takes you up. Read more
The way of the runner
The furious ringing of cowbells... It’s the sound the French town of Chamonix is awash with as runners of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) race towards the finish line. A sound that fills Ashok Daniel’s ears, two weeks after he became the youngest Indian to finish Europe’s most gruelling race that covers three countries and 10 alpine summits.
Read more



Delhi among top 50 global destinations
Delhi is among the top 50 global destinations when it comes to the number of international visitors, says a recent survey. Ranked at 48, the Capital witnesses a footfall of 2.58 million international visitors a year, who spend about $1.5 billion, excluding airfare. The findings are a part of the sixth annual Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index released on Thursday. Read more



International News

Stephen Hawking warns against ‘contacting aliens’
British physicist Stephen Hawking has warned against announcing our presence to any alien civilisations, especially to those more technologically advanced than humans. Our first contact from an advanced civilisation could be equivalent to when Native Americans first encountered Christopher Columbus and things “didn’t turn out so well”, Hawking said in a new online film. Read more
World with India against terror, Pakistan isolated: Akbaruddin
Pakistan’s months-long efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue at the United Nations (U.N.) have not found any resonance with nations at the world body that are focussed on combating the growing scourge of terrorism, a top Indian diplomat has said.India’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Syed Akbaruddin said that what was finding resonance among the international community is the terror threat that India is facing and not what Mr. Sharif focussed on his speech — the issue of Kashmir. Read more
We have faith in our Army, says PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the perpetrators of the Uri terror attack would be punished and the Army did not speak but exhibited its valour. “I pay tributes to our 18 soldiers who lost their lives in the Uri attack. This cowardly act was enough to shake the country. It has not only left the people mourning but has also infuriated them. The loss of our soldiers is a national loss, and therefore I would like to reiterate that the guilty would be punished,” he said in his Mann Ki Baat radio programme. Read more
Jayalalithaa getting better: Hospital
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is responding well to the treatment and “there is no question of taking the Honourable Chief Minister abroad for treatment, as there is no necessity at all for this,” said Subbiah Viswanathan, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Apollo Hospitals on Sunday. At a press conference, he said Ms. Jayalalithaa “continues to get better. She will be discharged in a few days and will soon resume her normal duties. Necessary medications were being administered as required.”  Read more
Army deployed in rain-affected areas of Hyderabad
The Army was pressed into service on Saturday in rescue and support operations in the rain-affected areas of the greater Hyderabad region. Army officials met senior Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC0 officers in the early of Saturday and procured maps and information related to the present ground situation in the city. Eight task force teams of the Army were deployed in Malkajgiri, Alwal, Hakeempet and Nizampet. Read more

Uri attack could be a ‘reaction’ to situation in Kashmir, says Sharif
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said the Uri terror attack could a “reaction” to the situation in Kashmir and criticised India for blaming Pakistan “without any evidence.” “The Uri attack can be the reaction of the atrocities in Kashmir, as the close relatives and near and dear ones of those killed and blinded over the last two months were hurt and outraged,” Mr. Sharif told reporters in London. 
Read more

25 Facts About Barack Obama
As the final remaining year of the Obama administration is well underway, the legacy that President Barack Obama will forge in history remains hotly contested.Conservatives argue Obama is the “worst president ever” while liberals have claimedhe has “done more good for this country than any president before him.” Read more
Nod likely for Bhagirathi hydel projects

After constant persuasion from the Uttarakhand government, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has agreed to “consider” the State’s request and “permit the 10 hydro electric projects (HEPs) of less than 25MW capacity of a total combined capacity of 82.3 MW which were approved prior to the date of notification” in the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) in the hill State’s Uttarkashi region. Read more


India, France conclude Rafale deal
India and France on Friday concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets to cost the nation Euro 7.87 billion. The signing was concluded at Hyderabad house in the presence of Defence minister Manohar Parrikar along with his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian. Read more

One militant was killed in an encounter and two infiltration bids were foiled on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kashmir Valley on Thursday. An Army spokesman said two bids were foiled in as many places in Naugam sector of Kupwara district. Two counter-infiltration operations continue in Uri in Baramulla and Naugam in Kupwara. Read more



The Army on Thursday foiled two infiltrations in north Kashmir's Nowgam Sector in Kupwara district, more than 90 km away from Srinagar. “Even as counter-infiltration operations continue in Uri and Nowgam sectors, two more infiltrations were successfully foiled by the Army at two different places in Nowgam sector,” an Army spokesman said. Read more



Defence and police forces in Maharashtra went on high alert on Thursday after reports of sighting of suspicious men near a naval base in Uran, and suspicious activities in nearby Karanja.

A defence spokesperson said the Navy was in a state of high alert in Mumbai and adjoining areas after suspicious activities were reported by some schoolchildren in Karanja. Read more

As the United States presidential election draws near, television’s stars did not hold back on their opinions at Sunday’s Emmy awards, some taking jabs at Republican nominee Donald Trump while others voiced support for Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton. Read more





What does a didgeridoo, tablas and opera music have in common? Not much. But these sounds reverberated through the iconic Sydney Opera House on September 18 as Indian and Australian artistes came together to perform. Read more





Russia’s ruling United Russia party on Sunday cruised to an easy victory in the parliamentary polls that could pave the way for President Vladimir Putin to glide to a fourth term in 2018 elections, partial results showed. Read more 
                                                                                                                      



 Baloch leader Brahumdagh Bugti has initiated the move to seek political asylum in India, a spokesperson of the Baloch Republican Party told The Hindu over phone from Geneva. Mr. Bugti’s decision to seek asylum in India follows a meeting of his party Baloch Republican Party (BRP), where the decision to shift to India was examined and cleared. Read more




 With Kashmir high on his agenda Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in New York on Sunday to lead the Pakistani delegation to the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly where he would enunciate Islamabad’s position on key global and regional issues before one of the largest gatherings of leaders from around the world.
Read more




  Amid reports that African-Americans are less enthusiastic about voting for Hillary Clinton than they were for him, President Barack Obama told a gathering of community leaders that his legacy will be at stake in the November election. Read more






Business

Tourism meet sees pacts worth Rs.15,000 cr.
Five states -- Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh – signed 86 MoUs worth close to Rs.15,000 crore during the recently concluded Incredible India Investors’ Summit. Read more
The looming crisis in airport capacity
For the last one-and-a-half years, India has been the fastest growing air traffic market in the world. In July, domestic air travel in India grew 26.2 per cent with China being the second-fastest growing domestic market (10.2 per cent traffic growth), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Read more

Yahoo users close accounts amid fears
Many Yahoo users rushed on Friday to close their accounts and change passwords as experts warned that the fallout from one of the largest cyber breaches in history could spill beyond the internet company’s services. Read more


Huawei to manufacture smartphones in India
Chinese smartphone Huawei on Friday announced that it will start to manufacture smartphones in India from next month, in partnership with Flex. "Starting from first week of October 2016, the Flex manufacturing plant in Chennai will manufacture one of the Honor smartphones models," the company said. Read more


Daimler to introduce heavy duty truck soon
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) Pvt Ltd., will roll out Bharat Benz-branded medium-duty sub-9 tonne truck from its Oragadam plant near Chennai next year and plans to enter markets such as Peru, Chile and Mexico. The project titled Titan would be the third product from the stable and would be in 6-9 tonnes category, said Marc Llistosella, head of Daimler Truck Asia at a round table with Asian journalists. Read more
Will meet April 1 target for GST rollout: Meghwal

Stressing that the new indirect tax regime is a major tool for improving ease of doing business, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal today said the government will be able to implement Goods and Services Tax (GST) from April 1, next year. Read more




Commuters to be spared from tolls on small roads

The Centre has notified the scrapping of toll tax collections on small road stretches and bridges developed at a cost of less than Rs.100 crore. Analysts, however, expect only marginal relief for commuters as such road stretches are few and far between. Read more




Le Pro3 smartphone with world’s first Snapdragon 821 launched


Chinese technology conglomerate LeEco on Thursday launched its new flagship “superphone” Le Pro3 which is world’s first device to sport Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset which works 10 per cent faster than its predecessor. Le Pro3 has four variants: 4GB+32GB, 6GB+64GB, 4GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB. Read more



Sport

Murali Vijay: 'Happy to be playing cricket again'
Murali Vijay, after finishing as India’s top-scorer in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand here, expressed his happiness in playing cricket for India again. In West Indies, Vijay was ruled out of the second and third Test after he sustained a thumb injury. In the fourth Test, rain prevented the opener from taking further part in the series. Read more

De Villiers doubtful for Australia series
AB de Villiers could miss the One-Day International series against Australia after the South Africa captain was given "an extended period of rehabilitation" to recover from an elbow injury. The prolific batsman has been sidelined since damaging his left elbow playing in the Caribbean Premier League and will not feature in Sunday's one-off ODI against Ireland in Benoni. Read more

Under-fire Rooney hits back at 'rubbish' criticism
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has hit back at criticism of his recent form, claiming a lot of comments aimed his way are "rubbish".United faced scrutiny after losing three straight matches before ending the run in a 3-1 EFL Cup win at Northampton Town on Wednesday. Read more



McIlroy plays down Tiger impact
Rory McIlroy cannot see how Tiger Woods' presence can negatively impact the United States at the Ryder Cup.Just over a week out from the event, Lee Westwood said Woods – a USA vice-captain – could have an "adverse effect" on the team. Read more



Available for captaincy: Abhinav
Among runs these days and hungry for more, Abhinav Mukund appears to have been around for long but is still only 26. He has been the Tamil Nadu Ranji captain for the last two seasons. While the last season was disappointing — the State team’s home matches being ruined by rain was among the causes — Abhinav did lead Tamil Nadu to the final in 2015.  Read more


India’s path-breaking conquests on foreign soil
The sub-continental batsmen had to cope with swing, seam or bounce. The bowlers, spinners in particular, were often up against it in cold, blustery weather. Adapting to the conditions meant making big mental adjustments and subtle technical changes. Winning Tests away from home represented the biggest challenge for India. More so in the initial and middle phase of its Test journey where exposure to foreign conditions was limited and the attack was heavily reliant on spin. Read more