starship-design: Aliens, Why don't we see them?

[TLG.van.der.Linden@tip.nl (Timothy van der Linden)]

Lee,


>At some point in development every star faring race would have to pass
>through a point where they radiated some sort of energy that is distinctly
>not a natural product. Whether it is simply radio, neutrinos, or gravitons
>is simply irrelevant. SOMETHING must be radiated at some point in time that
>would give away their presence. The only alternative is to assume a degree
>of paranoia that I find totally unbelievable.
>
>The argument about our "potential" fusion drives is equally irrelevant. I
>wasn't speaking of anything so primitive. Same goes for timespan, remember
>Zeno's paradox?

I wouldn't know which Paradox of Zeno you have in mind.

>Apply the same line of reasoning to this argument. It doesn't matter how long
>we have been looking, there should be some trace visible in our sky AT EVERY
>SINGLE MOMENT.

Isn't there a lot of controversy about this reasoning?
I'd guess the biggest question is whether a technological lifeform can arise
quick enough to escape death by global catastrophes.

>The Federation of United Planets is pure anthropomorphic garbage. To ascribe
>human values, motives and logic to an alien species is totally unreasonable
>and dangerous to boot.

Ah, human values cannot be ascribed to aliens, but their (technical)
development can be assumed to be similar? Please explain this apparent
discrepancy.

Having a union is not just matter of value, it is a matter of savety and way
of speeding up development by sharing information.

>No, if they are indeed out there, they are either (all) much too far away, too
>few or more likely, both. 

Hmmm, if you use Zeno's paradox (or whatever you mean with that), then I
can't understand the line above.

Timothy