[quote]While I'm at it... we are able to detect planets by the wobbles they create in their parent stars, as well as what happens to what we can see of the star's output when they pass in front of it. What would earth look like using those means? Just like another planet, or as a relatively bright radio source?

Some thought about what we look like from the outside looking in might help us figure out what we should be looking for. Planets that are anomalously bright in unusual wavelengths is probably a good candidate.[/quote]

It was mere months ago that I came across a story where there are researchers actively figuring out what we look like to Those Out There in a deliberate effort to help other researchers figure out what to look for.

And we've known about the unusual wavelengths idea for a long time. Turns out that the band of radio waves most useful to use for communication is the same space in the spectrum nature is at its quietest. More-or-less.

Wade.