Comic #6442: exoplanet

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Panel 1: Person 1: Did you know that you can build a “hypertelescope” using a huge array of spacecraft moving in formation? It could be powerful enough to resolve surface features on exoplanets.

Panel 2: Person 1: We could do this today if we were willing to spend insane money on it. Plausibly, it’ll be easy in a century or two.

Panel 3: Person 1: If any alien civilization exists within 100,000 light years or so, and they’re technologically ahead of us by a few centuries, they will one day see our continents.

Panel 4: Person 1: If they look at Earth at night, they’ll see borders, especially where very poor countries abut very rich ones, like with the Korean Peninsula.

Panel 5: Person 1: Earth has war, poverty, territoriality, and we are broadcasting this information in every direction all day long.

Panel 6: Person 2: What’s your point?

Panel 7: Person 1: Are you familiar with the Fermi Paradox?

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