Hi Peter,

I could give the same argument for new technologies that never make it
in general use. For example : GaAs instead of Si for microchips.
For 4 decades now, GaAs was the chip manufacturing technology
of the future. It still is, and probably always will be.
Why ? Because GaAs technology is always more expensive than Si,
and the only advantage (speed) is every time matched by
constantly improving MOS technology.

There has to be a clear advantage for a new technology to win.
If it only has down-sides (and neutrino-communication has a lot
of downsides w.r.t. EM), then it will not be used.

GaAs is still used in nich-markets, because it has an advantage (speed).
But neutrino communication ? Gimme a break.

Give me one good reason where neutrino communication is
better than EM communication. It better be a good reason, because
neutrino's need huge mass (water tanks the size of buildings) to be
detected at all. And they travel a little slower than speed of light,
so no advantage there either. And how about a neutrino transmitter ?
Does anyone even have even a theoretical design for a transmitter ?

To give you a comparison : There are theoretical designs for time-machines
(via worm-hole creation) and for tele-porters (some elementary particles
have actually been teleported). But none for better communication
mechanisms than EM transmission.

I think we would first build a teleporter before we find a better
way to communicate than via EM. Really, the only problem is
the speed-of-light restriction. And neutrino's dont solve that problem.

Rob


"Peter Hickman" <peter@semantico.com> wrote in message
news:40f50fe6$0$19925$afc38c87@news.easynet.co.uk...

Rob Dekker wrote:

"Colin Jones" <cjspambuffer@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message

 Of course, another reason we may not be picking up alien signals if

the

RF era is relatively short lived before a far more reliable means of
communication is found. Even forgetting the possibility of FTL/exotic
communication I think such as Neutrino communication isn't beyond the
bounds of realism.

Neutrino's are notoriously hard to detect, but even if it were possible,
typically intelligent civilisations would not throw away something good,
until they find something better.

When the telegraph came into use in the UK people were saying what was the

point

of it when there were plenty of good runners to deliver messages. Then

came the

telephone and people said what's the point when they have telegraph. There

is a

pattern here.

Some people cant see a good thing because they can't think beyond the

limit of

the current technologies they have, runners couldn't communicate across
continents and so some people saw no need to do so.

Fortunately people grow old and die or we would still be using steam if

the

powers that were held sway.