New development...QuoteComets can’t explain weird ‘alien megastructure’ star after all
The weirdest star in the cosmos just got a lot weirder. And yes, it might be aliens.
Known as KIC 8462852, or Tabby’s star, it has been baffling astronomers for the past few months after a team of researchers noticed its light seemed to be dipping in brightness in bizarre ways. Proposed explanations ranged from a cloud of comets to orbiting “alien megastructuresâ€.
Now an analysis of historical observations reveals the star has been gradually dimming for over a century, leaving everyone scratching their heads as to the cause. The first signs of this space oddity came from NASA’s planet-hunting Kepler space telescope, which continually watched the star’s region of the sky between 2009 and 2013. Most planet-hosting stars show small, regular dips in light when their planets pass in front of them. But Tabby’s star dipped erratically throughout the four years, sometimes losing as much as 20 per cent of its brightness.
Space oddity
In September, a team led by Tabetha Boyajian (http://www.astro.yale.edu/tabetha/Site/Welcome.html) of Yale University, who lends the star its informal name, tried to make sense of this unusual signal. Ultimately they determined that dust from a large cloud of comets (https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28191-citizen-scientists-catch-cloud-of-comets-orbiting-distant-star) was the best explanation.
A month later, the star made headlines (http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/10/the-most-interesting-star-in-our-galaxy/410023/) across the globe thanks to a paper by Jason Wright (http://sites.psu.edu/astrowright/about/) of Pennsylvania State University and his colleagues, who suggested that “alien megastructuresâ€, such as satellites designed to collect light from the star, could be responsible for the signal.
Now Bradley Schaefer (http://www.phys.lsu.edu/newwebsite/people/schaefer.html) of Louisiana State University has discovered that the mystery goes even further. When Boyajian’s team studied the star, they looked at data from a Harvard University archive of digitally scanned photographic plates of the sky from the past century or so (http://dasch.rc.fas.harvard.edu/project.php) to see if the star had behaved unusually in the past, but found nothing.
Schaefer decided this unusual star deserved a second look. He averaged the data in five-year bins to look for slow, long-term trends, and found that the star faded by about 20 per cent between 1890 and 1989. “The basic effect is small and not obvious,†he says.
Starman
To confirm the fade was real, Schaefer went to Harvard to look at the original photographic plates and inspected them by eye for changes, a skill few astronomers possess these days. “Since no one uses photographic plates any more, it’s basically a lost art,†says Wright. “Schaefer is an expert at this stuff.â€
Schaefer saw the same century-long dimming in his manual readings, and calculated that it would require 648,000 comets, each 200 kilometres wide, to have passed by the star â€" completely implausible, he says. “The comet-family idea was reasonably put forth as the best of the proposals, even while acknowledging that they all were a poor lot,†he says. “But now we have a refutation of the idea, and indeed, of all published ideas.â€
“This presents some trouble for the comet hypothesis,†says Boyajian. “We need more data through continuous monitoring to figure out what is going on.â€
What about those alien megastructures? Schafer is unconvinced. “The alien-megastructure idea runs wrong with my new observations,†he says, as he thinks even advanced aliens wouldn’t be able to build something capable of covering a fifth of a star in just a century. What’s more, such an object should radiate light absorbed from the star as heat, but the infrared signal from Tabby’s star appears normal, he says.
“I don’t know how the dimming affects the megastructure hypothesis, except that it would seem to exclude a lot of natural explanations, including comets,†says Wright. “It could be that there were just more dimming events in the past, or that astronomers were less lucky in the past and caught more dimming events in the 1980s than in the 1900s. But that seems unlikely.â€
There’s no doubt KIC 8462852 is behaving strangely, so something must be responsible, says Schaefer. “Either one of our refutations has some hidden loophole, or some theorist needs to come up with some other proposal.â€
Perhaps some instability in the star itself..
Put me down for "zombies", please.
Shame we can't get anything close enough to get a good look... or that a good look happened years ago and there is no telling what is there now.
I hope it's not aliens... Anyone with the technology to damage stars is a little too scary for my tastes.
Quote from: Shiranu on January 17, 2016, 06:24:41 AM
Shame we can't get anything close enough to get a good look... or that a good look happened years ago and there is no telling what is there now.
I hope it's not aliens... Anyone with the technology to damage stars is a little too scary for my tastes.
Don't worry, we're well below their radar.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 17, 2016, 06:34:06 AM
Don't worry, we're well below their radar.
Meh, never know when they will want slave labour... or exotic game to hunt and eat, maybe put our heads or penises on a plaque above the holographic fireplace.
Quote from: Shiranu on January 17, 2016, 06:50:56 AM
Meh, never know when they will want slave labour[1]... or exotic game to hunt and eat,[2] maybe put our heads or penises on a plaque above the holographic fireplace.[3]
(numbers added by me.)
[1] They can engineer solar systems, they wouldn't need us. :040:
[2] "Why alive? Do they give good sport?" (Apologies to Tolkien.) :103:
[3] Best guess. However, they might feel intimidated if they saw my ... NVM. :c029:
Link to the original article, please?
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 17, 2016, 06:34:06 AM
Don't worry, we're well below their radar.
Agreed. Anyone with that power and technology would make us analogous to ants by comparison.
Sure, there are assholes who occasionally step in ant piles because it's fun or poison then when they build mounds in the yard, but you know...
Quote from: TomFoolery on January 17, 2016, 09:48:14 AM
Agreed. Anyone with that power and technology would make us analogous to ants by comparison.
Sure, there are assholes who occasionally step in ant piles because it's fun or poison then when they build mounds in the yard, but you know...
...they don't fly to Africa to do it.
Mega Death Star slowly charging it's weapon?
Quote from: PopeyesPappy on January 17, 2016, 09:55:50 AM
Mega Death Star slowly charging it's weapon?
Viral marketing for Episode VIII already?
Quote from: Hijiri Byakuren on January 17, 2016, 09:41:54 AM
Link to the original article, please?
Processing...PROCESSING! *mechanical rumbling followed by the sound of a package dropping down a metal chute*
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28786-comets-cant-explain-weird-alien-megastructure-star-after-all/
Any theories of alien existence or potential motives to harm/enslave/otherwise do something negative- based on preconceived HUMAN ideas is premature and we cannot as yet read alien minds or project their potential future needs or desires.
We can only observe and surmise. And making the assumption that any alien race would want to cover the vast distance between-which from our present ability would require energies we are unable to apply- to enslave or meet us is also premature.
Klaatu Barada Niktu, ese. We don't know yet.
Well I for one, contend they are incredibly hot humanoid females who get all horny at the site of slightly older middle aged human males….
wat? I get to dream too!
Quote from: Hydra009 on January 17, 2016, 10:26:54 AM
Processing...PROCESSING! *mechanical rumbling followed by the sound of a package dropping down a metal chute*
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28786-comets-cant-explain-weird-alien-megastructure-star-after-all/
You stole my thunder...
Quote from: stromboli on January 17, 2016, 10:37:45 AM
Any theories of alien existence or potential motives to harm/enslave/otherwise do something negative- based on preconceived HUMAN ideas is premature and we cannot as yet read alien minds or project their potential future needs or desires.
We can only observe and surmise. And making the assumption that any alien race would want to cover the vast distance between-which from our present ability would require energies we are unable to apply- to enslave or meet us is also premature.
Klaatu Barada Niktu, ese. We don't know yet.
Sure, but we have the most precious commodity in the entire universe... water, oceans of water. So beware...
Quote from: aitm on January 17, 2016, 10:45:38 AM
Well I for one, contend they are incredibly hot humanoid females who get all horny at the site of slightly older middle aged human males….
wat? I get to dream too!
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/StrtRtkIVew/maxresdefault.jpg)
I've considered a few scenarios of alien confrontation. I am currently reading the Expanse series of sci-fi books which includes alien encounter as a central theme, although a different version of it. Personally I don't see any way to stop a superior race with overwhelming abilities based on technology far beyond ours to overwhelm, conquer and destroy or enslave us.
What people don't think about is that in the case of the U.S., slavery was actually on its way out- thanks to mechanization, picking cotton and tobacco became easier and cheaper than to use slaves. I don't see any reason why they would do so. Short of having the ability to see us as a potential threat in some distant future, why would they want to enslave or destroy us? Might as well enslave colonies of monkeys to perform manual labor, when building a simple machine would do a better job.
And there is nothing on this planet resource wise that can't be found or created from sources closer to their planet. We are on the verge of creating artificial substitutes for meat and vegetables, surely any advanced race would have the same capabilities.
It's the Matrix Paradox. Why did the machines chose humans, who needed high maintenance and could rebel, over cows?
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 17, 2016, 11:23:55 AM
It's the Matrix Paradox. Why did the machines chose humans, who needed high maintenance and could rebel, over cows?
Exactly.
Quote from: stromboli on January 17, 2016, 11:14:45 AM
What people don't think about is that in the case of the U.S., slavery was actually on its way out- thanks to mechanization, picking cotton and tobacco became easier and cheaper than to use slaves. I don't see any reason why they would do so. Short of having the ability to see us as a potential threat in some distant future, why would they want to enslave or destroy us? Might as well enslave colonies of monkeys to perform manual labor, when building a simple machine would do a better job.
True, a civilization that possessed the technology to reach our planet probably would have little use for manual labor but Earth has considerable resources that other planets may find attractive. Assuming they're not viewing humans as resources (like in War of the Worlds where they needed human blood to enrich the soil or some weird stuff), it could still be devastating if they wanted to take water, food, metals, lumber, etc. There's enough bullshit that goes on in doling out natural resources without someone else showing up asking for more, unless of course all they really want is radioactive waste, the garbage out of landfills, or Canadian pop idols.
Quote from: stromboli on January 17, 2016, 11:14:45 AM
I've considered a few scenarios of alien confrontation. I am currently reading the Expanse series of sci-fi books which includes alien encounter as a central theme, although a different version of it. Personally I don't see any way to stop a superior race with overwhelming abilities based on technology far beyond ours to overwhelm, conquer and destroy or enslave us.
What people don't think about is that in the case of the U.S., slavery was actually on its way out- thanks to mechanization, picking cotton and tobacco became easier and cheaper than to use slaves. I don't see any reason why they would do so. Short of having the ability to see us as a potential threat in some distant future, why would they want to enslave or destroy us? Might as well enslave colonies of monkeys to perform manual labor, when building a simple machine would do a better job.
And there is nothing on this planet resource wise that can't be found or created from sources closer to their planet. We are on the verge of creating artificial substitutes for meat and vegetables, surely any advanced race would have the same capabilities.
Slavery isn't on the way out. We only moved on from chattel slavery to wage slavery ... and now on to debt slavery. You might not pick cotton, but if you live in the US, you are a slave.
Unless you have no debt.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 17, 2016, 01:28:29 PM
Unless you have no debt.
No debt you say?
[spoiler](http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm127/aitm356/3221723859_73f457af21_b.jpg)[/spoiler]
Quote from: Shiranu on January 17, 2016, 06:50:56 AM
Meh, never know when they will want slave labour... or exotic game to hunt and eat, maybe put our heads or penises on a plaque above the holographic fireplace.
Slave labor? Highly doubtful. A civilization advanced enough to conquer a star would likely have general purpose automatons. With those there is literally no purpose to slave labor.
Exotic game? More possible, but still doubtful. We'd be comparable game to ants the next country over. If there is advanced intelligent life in the universe, we'd probably be about as significant as a pubic hair on the subway tracks.
The only reason I could see for them even visiting our dinky little planet would be for scientific curiosity. If that were the case they would most likely send robots rather than bothering to spend the man power actually taking the trip. If those robots arrived I don't think we'd even notice. They'd be as stealthy as possible; you don't want to ruin the study by interfering. They'd clandestinely observe and take samples.
The mostly likely case, in my opinion, is that they noticed us, noted the existence of life, and moved on. We're at the bottom of a giant stack of projects. Maybe someday a junior researcher will take up the project for some extra credit or whatever, but until then our file is gathering dust in some forgotten storage device.
Quote from: TomFoolery on January 17, 2016, 12:06:23 PM
True, a civilization that possessed the technology to reach our planet probably would have little use for manual labor but Earth has considerable resources that other planets may find attractive. Assuming they're not viewing humans as resources (like in War of the Worlds where they needed human blood to enrich the soil or some weird stuff), it could still be devastating if they wanted to take water, food, metals, lumber, etc. There's enough bullshit that goes on in doling out natural resources without someone else showing up asking for more, unless of course all they really want is radioactive waste, the garbage out of landfills, or Canadian pop idols.
Any resources we have are found in abundance in the universe.
Sent from Hell
Quote from: aitm on January 17, 2016, 01:43:01 PM
No debt you say?
[spoiler](http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm127/aitm356/3221723859_73f457af21_b.jpg)[/spoiler]
Not making a connection there.
QuoteSlave labor? Highly doubtful. A civilization advanced enough to conquer a star would likely have general purpose automatons. With those there is literally no purpose to slave labor.
Perhaps they are mean spirited. Perhaps they follow a philosophy or religion that takes pleasure in causing pain. Perhaps they are xenophobic and think everything outside of their species is a potential threat and will wipe any developing races off the map.
Also for your consideration; weapon testing on living beings... scientific abductions to see if there are any useful bits to our DNA they can exploit... boredom between wars.
Quote from: Shiranu on January 17, 2016, 03:29:49 PM
Also for your consideration; weapon testing on living beings... scientific abductions to see if there are any useful bits to our DNA they can exploit... boredom between wars.
True, we do all kinds of weird and awful shit to animals for research under the guise that they're "not people, duh." A lot of it is done for the exclusive benefit of humans. Even our closest relatives or other species with rich social lives and complex intelligence like chimpanzees, orcas, elephants, etc. aren't safe from our exploitation.
I am of the opinion, perhaps mis-guided, that any "species" that has evolved to the point where they can travel the stars has nearly perfected the ability of cooperation and compatibility. Being able to get exist peacefully on any large endeavor would suggest at least a good deal of sympathy as well. Not talking about the same species as in wars, but being able to traverse the universe examining other species would seem to me to require more compassion than "evil" intent.
I just can't see a species that would have the desire to travel the universe being "mean-spirited". I mean it requires a certain desire to see what it out there, that requires curiosity and wonder.
If you are of a species that thinks "yeah, lets build all these space ships to go out and fuck with the rest of the universe" I don't see them ever getting past fighting within themselves.
Quote from: stromboli on January 17, 2016, 11:14:45 AM
I've considered a few scenarios of alien confrontation. I am currently reading the Expanse series of sci-fi books which includes alien encounter as a central theme, although a different version of it. Personally I don't see any way to stop a superior race with overwhelming abilities based on technology far beyond ours to overwhelm, conquer and destroy or enslave us.
What people don't think about is that in the case of the U.S., slavery was actually on its way out- thanks to mechanization, picking cotton and tobacco became easier and cheaper than to use slaves. I don't see any reason why they would do so. Short of having the ability to see us as a potential threat in some distant future, why would they want to enslave or destroy us? Might as well enslave colonies of monkeys to perform manual labor, when building a simple machine would do a better job.
And there is nothing on this planet resource wise that can't be found or created from sources closer to their planet. We are on the verge of creating artificial substitutes for meat and vegetables, surely any advanced race would have the same capabilities.
Sure, that's one possibility. Another more nightmarish scenario is that these aliens could see us like we see ants, crushing a few here and there doesn't make too many people feel guilty. You are thinking that superior technology makes you more ethical, in the sense, more compassionate/empathetic but that's not necessarily true. Alien morality, like alien biology, is most likely anything but what we think in terms of human concepts.
Possibly, but amoral aliens are unlikely to be inclined to venture out and visit our ant hill.
I contend that they are an extremely long lived species, and this dimming is merely them setting the mood as they get funky.
Quote from: josephpalazzo on January 17, 2016, 05:12:57 PM
Another more nightmarish scenario is that these aliens could see us like we see ants, crushing a few here and there doesn't make too many people feel guilty. You are thinking that superior technology makes you more ethical, in the sense, more compassionate/empathetic but that's not necessarily true. Alien morality, like alien biology, is most likely anything but what we think in terms of human concepts.
After thinking about it, I see this as a greater possibility. In the way we do animal testing and call it ethical because it is likely to result in enhanced scientific knowledge for the benefit of humans and the planet. Scientists don't round up a bunch of rats and macaques and torture them for shits and giggles. An advanced alien species that considers itself more intelligent than us may view us in the same way we view great apes: as a life form capable of intelligence and worthy of some dignity, but at the end of the day still not even remotely equal.
Quote from: josephpalazzo on January 17, 2016, 05:12:57 PM
Sure, that's one possibility. Another more nightmarish scenario is that these aliens could see us like we see ants, crushing a few here and there doesn't make too many people feel guilty. You are thinking that superior technology makes you more ethical, in the sense, more compassionate/empathetic but that's not necessarily true. Alien morality, like alien biology, is most likely anything but what we think in terms of human concepts.
And how much technology and energy does this alien species expend to go out to a minor solar system just to crush some ants? Any technology I can conceive that would give them that ability would have to be well beyond our understanding. Even if such beings were effectively immortal or really long lived, would they want to travel hundreds or thousands of light years just to crush some ants?
doing so at light speed would require a ridiculously long journey; even at greater than light speed. This isn't Marco Polo traveling to China, its more like traveling to Pluto at walking speed. To crush some ants? Maybe there is an alien race just that vicious, but I'd have a hard time believing any race could justify doing that. Study us yes, but why would any race that advanced feel that we are somehow a danger?
Quote from: stromboli on January 17, 2016, 06:56:52 PM
And how much technology and energy does this alien species expend to go out to a minor solar system just to crush some ants? Any technology I can conceive that would give them that ability would have to be well beyond our understanding. Even if such beings were effectively immortal or really long lived, would they want to travel hundreds or thousands of light years just to crush some ants?
doing so at light speed would require a ridiculously long journey; even at greater than light speed. This isn't Marco Polo traveling to China, its more like traveling to Pluto at walking speed. To crush some ants? Maybe there is an alien race just that vicious, but I'd have a hard time believing any race could justify doing that. Study us yes, but why would any race that advanced feel that we are somehow a danger?
Not necessarily see us as a danger, but just as annoying pests. Why would they travel here and what does this planet has to offer? Advanced their knowledge bank, and used the natural resources this planet has to offer - two reasons I can think of. I doubt it that the concept of "human rights" would enter their minds. If they have the power to exterminate us, what would stop them? Do ants have the power to stop humans from killing them? In the end, it's not morality that rules, but raw power. If they'd have that kind of power, we would be at their total mercy.
The alien premise of The Expanse is that a superior alien entity has sent a large- small planet size- object to destroy the earth (ostensibly-not proven) that got captured by Jupiter's gravity and became a moon. In exploring, the corporations that expand out to the asteroid belt discover the entity and seek to learn from its protozoic shape shifting whatever to gain technological advantage by learning alien culture. What is not known is whether the culture is actually benign or not, or what its intent was to begin with.
What the aliens did was throw a bowling ball to make a strike and wound up in the gutter; or at least that is the initial implied supposition of the series. If I were going to wipe out a species at great distance, this is something like the method I would use. But it still a huge effort to accomplish something like that, and there is still no real motivation apparent except for willy nilly destruction, but to what end?
The other side of that is that it would take us millennia if not longer, barring some really amazing technological or scientific breakthrough, to ever reach the alien star in question. So a race of aliens 2 billion years ago shoots a bowling ball to destroy an infantile race that would not encounter the aliens for millennia?
I don't personally see that as logical. In any case an alien race suitably advanced could wipe us out without us ever seeing it coming, so I don't see it as something to worry about.
Our human overlords consider us annoying and expandable. But I don't let that worry me either.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 17, 2016, 01:28:29 PM
Unless you have no debt.
Bwahah ... there are many debts that the government has assigned to your future taxes ... that you are completely unaware of. The whole point of fiat money since 1971 ... is that any debts incurred by the government, or their favorite corporations/rich folk ... will be payed by the sheeple.
Quote from: Baruch on January 17, 2016, 08:48:51 PM
Bwahah ... there are many debts that the government has assigned to your future taxes ... that you are completely unaware of. The whole point of fiat money since 1971 ... is that any debts incurred by the government, or their favorite corporations/rich folk ... will be payed by the sheeple.
I don't pay taxes.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 18, 2016, 06:41:11 AM
I don't pay taxes.
No sales taxes, no property taxes? Do you live on the Moon? How is the Internet up there ... I heard that NASA was working on it.
Everyone pays taxes, at least indirectly. Even El Chappo ... unless he shoplifts all his needs.
Quote from: Baruch on January 18, 2016, 07:39:51 AM
No sales taxes, no property taxes? Do you live on the Moon? How is the Internet up there ... I heard that NASA was working on it.
Everyone pays taxes, at least indirectly. Even El Chappo ... unless he shoplifts all his needs.
I pay sales taxes occasionally, I don't pay property taxes. You're struggling to make me fit your preconceptions.
Quote from: stromboli on January 17, 2016, 07:28:46 PM
...
The other side of that is that it would take us millennia if not longer, barring some really amazing technological or scientific breakthrough, to ever reach the alien star in question. So a race of aliens 2 billion years ago shoots a bowling ball to destroy an infantile race that would not encounter the aliens for millennia?
...
Or maybe the Aliens got bored and were in great need of some distraction...
Quote from: josephpalazzo on January 18, 2016, 08:40:25 AM
Or maybe the Aliens got bored and were in great need of some distraction...
Always something to do with one's time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 18, 2016, 09:29:07 AM
Always something to do with one's time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle)
Those fucking magnets... how do they work?!?
Idle minds are the devil's workshop......
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpELMx1IMAAof0S.jpg)
Quote from: josephpalazzo on January 18, 2016, 10:00:58 AM
Those fucking magnets... how do they work?!?
Mostly electron magnetic moment line-up ... but nobody knows what an electron is ... except some say it is a naked ring singularity ... but the ring would be smaller than the Planck length, so it is hard to imagine.
Not a mathematician or physicist and I understand that talking about the location of electrons (or location of anything at the quantum scale) doesn't really make sense, but the classical electron radius is about 2.8179x10^-15 meters or 174,369,604,900,800,000,000 (may be off by a few zeros one way or the other...) Planck lengths.
Planck lengths are really really fucking small.
Quote from: Baruch on January 18, 2016, 05:43:40 PM
Mostly electron magnetic moment line-up ... but nobody knows what an electron is ... except some say it is a naked ring singularity ... but the ring would be smaller than the Plank length, so it is hard to imagine.
I'm pretty sure it was an Insane Clown Posse reference. View at about 1:54. A lot of deep questions here. Also pay attention to the following lyric which proclaims, "And I don't wanna talk to a scientist/Y'all motherfuckers lying, and getting me pissed."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs
Quote from: PopeyesPappy on January 18, 2016, 08:18:31 PM
Not a mathematician or physicist and I understand that talking about the location of electrons (or location of anything at the quantum scale) doesn't really make sense, but the classical electron radius is about 2.8179x10^-15 meters or 174,369,604,900,800,000,000 (may be off by a few zeros one way or the other...) Planck lengths.
Planck lengths are really really fucking small.
And naked singularities are even smaller, but Puritans still don't like them ... they prefer singularities to be covered up ;-)
Quote from: stromboli on January 18, 2016, 10:19:53 AM
Idle minds are the devil's workshop......
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpELMx1IMAAof0S.jpg)
Ten factoids about Einstein, one of them being that he loathed science fiction ( #8 on the list)
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/19980907140525data_trunc_sys.shtml
#4 ... you need glasses ;-)
We may be no threat now. But give us a couple thousand years, and we may develop enough technology to become dangerous. I could see someone wanting to take us out now, before this happens, especially given the viciousness of humankind.
Quote from: pato15 on January 20, 2016, 05:40:09 AM
We may be no threat now. But give us a couple thousand years, and we may develop enough technology to become dangerous...
It's already happening. It's called "Climate Change by human activities"...
Quote from: pato15 on January 20, 2016, 05:40:09 AM
We may be no threat now. But give us a couple thousand years, and we may develop enough technology to become dangerous. I could see someone wanting to take us out now, before this happens, especially given the viciousness of humankind.
Maybe not that long. Rescue Party, by Arthur C. Clarke. (http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/0743498747/0743498747___1.htm)