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▲ bluGill 5 hours ago

Space is really big. We might be able to get a probe someplace, but can't get data back. We don't even have the ability to detect a civilization as advanced as us at the nearest star (only 4 light years away, but probably can't support life as we know it) if they put all their resources into sending us a message, and we spend all our resources to look at the right moment.

There are laws of radio propagation that mean I doubt we ever will.

In turn this means a probe needs to get there, and then come back. That is a lot of energy...

I can't say it is impossible, but it is highly unlikely the laws of physics will ever give us a loop hole big enough to pull this off.

▲m4rtink 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I don't think there any physical limitation for communicating with a probe at a couple light years at least. Project Daedalus had this all modeled and specified back in the 1970s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus), using a 40 meter directional antenna on the probe.

▲m4rtink 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Not to mention sufficiently big megascale engineering not to mention some of the more crazy kinds of propulsion (NSWR, antimatter, etc.) should be perfectly visible with current technology over 4 light years and possibly much farther away.