back to article Astrobioboffins seek funds to search for ALIEN HAIRSPRAY

Forget searching for radio-frequency signal patterns or exoplanetary megastructures. The new hotness in the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence is the detection of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the ozone-eating greenhouse gasses formerly found in refrigerators and cans of hair spray. "Detecting alien 'hair spray' in the …

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  1. Thorne

    $10 says

    It will be inhabited by wookies or ewoks

  2. G R Goslin

    I dunno about that

    This planet has CFC's, but I'm not that sure that it supports intelligent life, from what I can see.

    1. Thorne

      Re: I dunno about that

      The earth does support intelligent life but it's not the dominant species

    2. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

      CFCs a sign of not intelligent enough inhabitants...

      I'm looking at the global civilisation in the mirror...

      I'm not sure if this counts as a "global warming story on The Register that isn't worth wearing out your eyeballs on the headline of", but, hey? hello? ozone layer?

      (I've also forgotten whether CFCs and ozone respectively are supposed to be good or bad for climate change. You're certainly not supposed to do it deliberately.)

      By the way, the last that I heard, the U.S. was thinking about not banning, or un-banning, some chemicals of this type. Now was it something about agricultural use... does that make any sense... well, on a scale of planetary species survival it doesn't, but for short term profit, maybe so.

      1. Mips
        Childcatcher

        Re: CFCs a sign of not intelligent enough inhabitants...

        Two things:

        Would the detectable level of chlorofluorocarbons not be so high as to presnt a risk to life on the said planet?

        What "intelligent" lifeform releases planet destroying levels of chlorofluorocarbons anyway?

        1. Chet Mannly

          Re: CFCs a sign of not intelligent enough inhabitants...

          "What "intelligent" lifeform releases planet destroying levels of chlorofluorocarbons anyway?"

          ??? CFC's are supposed to damage the ozone layer, they do not destroy planets. Why would you assume that some alien planet would even have an ozone layer?

          1. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

            Re: Destroying the planet?

            The ozone layer merely prevents a lot of the local star's deadly radation from reaching the ground and exterminating all life. Or all life that doesn't have a thick black skin. Or dark green skin for plants that have to carry out photosynthesis to make a living in spite of the unobstructed death rays.

      2. Chet Mannly

        Re: CFCs a sign of not intelligent enough inhabitants...

        "but, hey? hello? ozone layer?"

        Mars doesn't have an ozone layer. No evidence either way AFAIK on whether any discovered exoplanets do, so its not an issue. Of course the radiation it blocks could be an issue if humans wanted to make it home...

        "last that I heard, the U.S. was thinking about not banning, or un-banning, some chemicals of this type."

        Hadn't heard that myself, but it could be because China are largely ignoring those rules, and the US wants to stay competitive.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Radio Telescope

    If we built a sufficiently powerful radio telescope on the far side of the moon, we may be able to pick up the "I Love Slartibartfast " show (2,837th repeat). That would work just as well as an indicator of alien civilisation, while at the same time providing some degree of entertainment. Perhaps.

    1. Chet Mannly

      Re: Radio Telescope

      Until we discovered that galactically there are a billion channels, and there's still nothing worth watching on :-)

  4. Evil Auditor Silver badge
    Stop

    If there was intelligent life, there probably wouldn't be CFC in the atmosphere...

    1. MrXavia
      Holmes

      The idea is they would use CFC's to terraform a planet, hence high concentrations.

      Not that they are wildly covering their hair in hair spray...

  5. David Pollard

    Biotechnology would be easier and cheaper

    Wouldn't smart aliens find it easier and cheaper just to do a bit of genetic engineering, so that some or other life-forms, widespread on the planet they wanted to warm, would change the climate there?

    Oh, wait a mo...

  6. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Joke

    But our future scaly lizzard overlords don't need hairspray!

    do they now?

    1. Zaphod.Beeblebrox
      Coat

      Re: But our future scaly lizzard overlords don't need hairspray!

      It is the hairy lizard overlords you need to worry about, innit?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: But our future scaly lizzard overlords don't need hairspray!

      Perhaps to them it's just a tasty spray snack?

    3. Euripides Pants

      Re: But our future scaly lizzard overlords don't need hairspray!

      Space aliens aren't scaly lizards, they all look like Lisa Marie in "Mars Attacks".

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