Brain Teasers
Save the Aliens
Science
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.Science
It's another slow boring day at your intergalactic research office in the year 6391 -- that is, until your humanoid assistant (H63h95) walks in to tell you that for the first time in human/oid history there is proof of extraterrestrial life. Some old computers have successfully detected a signal from the distraught inhabitants of a planet orbiting what earthlings have called Proxima Centauri (the closest star after the sun). The signal, once decoded, reads: "HELP HELP Big Meteor to destroy our planet in 87645 days HELP HELP" H63h95 has done his homework and his calculations show that 87645 Centaurian days are equivalent to 1.7 earth years. Now, you have the technology to track the meteor, explode it and save the Centaurians. You assume the Centaurians are nice and honest creatures. (Judging by their rudimentary code, their technology is too basic to destroy a meteor, to destroy the earth, or to wickedly destroy you at your arrival). You know that meeting these thankful aliens would be great for humankind, and even better for your almost bankrupt organization (which would get a lot of funding after the encounter). As of now, you have just enough money to make the trip to and from the Centaurian system. In your smashing Wormhole-Traveler, you'd be there in less than 3 months, ready to save their world, and get your picture taken.
While you consider all this H63h95 goes on and on -- you cut him off. You've already made your decision about going or not.
What did you decide?
While you consider all this H63h95 goes on and on -- you cut him off. You've already made your decision about going or not.
What did you decide?
Hint
This is a SCIENCE teaserAnswer
You decided not to go.Centauri is 4.2 light years away and so the signal was sent 4.2 years ago... which means that the Centaurians have long been destroyed (about 1.2 years ago) and you don't want to spend all your money to go see debris.
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Comments
and I thought aliens were my area of expertise
oooo! i would have never thought about it that way. very smart!
poor alieans
Oct 02, 2002
Shame on me for not thinking of this! I was too busy being smart about wormholes and the time needed to build the machine once I got there.
I didn't think people could live on stars
I know that the Meteorite would have hit the planet before I got the message but I think I would take the trip anyway. For one thing if no other alien life had been found before that it would be a big thing just to check out the ruins of their world. Plus some life may have survived, who knows. Even if all life was killed the planet would have a good chance of being colonized by humans. Taking this trip would seem to be a no brainer.
You might possibly ignore it as a hoax since meteorites are the left over remains of meteors after they have crashed onto the Earth's surface!
It was a very far out teaser, and the answer put the icing on the cake! This teaser was really fun.
And so goes the last of the outer space horsemen... (CENTAURians)
dude,87645 days nearly means 240 years,not 3 years ,it'll be lot more than 4.2...pete'd have died by then and so,he wouldn't go dere
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