exoplanet
Original: exoplanet on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (a man and a woman stand at a telescope on a hillside under a night sky):
Man: 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 (the woman):
Woman: 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 (the man):
Man: 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 (the woman, gesturing):
Woman: If they look at Earth night, they'll see borders, especially where very poor countries abut very rich ones, like with the Korean peninsula.
Panel 5 (the man):
Man: Earth has war, poverty, territoriality, and we are broadcasting this information in every direction all day long.
Panel 6 (the two stand facing each other):
Woman: What's your point?
Man: Are you familiar with the Fermi paradox?
Votey:
Caption: Far across the galaxy...
An alien (a creature with a large single eye and wavy tendrils) speaks: Oh look! This planet is in its awkward phase!
Man: 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 (the woman):
Woman: 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 (the man):
Man: 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 (the woman, gesturing):
Woman: If they look at Earth night, they'll see borders, especially where very poor countries abut very rich ones, like with the Korean peninsula.
Panel 5 (the man):
Man: Earth has war, poverty, territoriality, and we are broadcasting this information in every direction all day long.
Panel 6 (the two stand facing each other):
Woman: What's your point?
Man: Are you familiar with the Fermi paradox?
Votey:
Caption: Far across the galaxy...
An alien (a creature with a large single eye and wavy tendrils) speaks: Oh look! This planet is in its awkward phase!
Alt text
A six-panel SMBC comic. A man and a woman stand by a telescope on a hill at night. The man explains you can build a "hypertelescope" from an array of spacecraft powerful enough to resolve surface features on exoplanets. The woman says we could do it today with insane money, and easily within a century or two. The man notes that any alien civilization within about 100,000 light years that is a few centuries ahead of us will one day see our continents. The woman adds they'll see Earth's borders at night, especially where poor countries abut rich ones, like the Korean peninsula. The man says Earth has war, poverty, and territoriality, and we are broadcasting all this information in every direction all day long. The woman asks, "What's your point?" and the man replies, "Are you familiar with the Fermi paradox?" implying aliens may avoid us. Votey: a caption reads "Far across the galaxy..." and a one-eyed, tendril-covered alien remarks, "Oh look! This planet is in its awkward phase!"
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.