way-out idea

>
> Which leaves us with one of two conclusions: Either we're the only
> technological race in the galaxy, or there are probes in our solar
system
> right now from other races; probes which are capable of eluding
detection.
>
I'm curious, how would you know a probe?

> Of course another issue regarding Von Neumann machines is that they
present
> the potential to completely re-order an entire solar system, or even
major
> portions of the galaxy. Which then invites the question of why we
can't see
> any evidence of this happening elsewhere in the galaxy.

At a stellar level our ability to detect anything out side of our
solar system approaches zero, so a re-ordered solar system 100 LY from
here would be undetectable. Anyway how can we tell between reordered
or not?

Also consider a real advanced civilization may simply be artificial
intelligence. They never land on planets because they can't. They
enter a solar system, use up a asteroid or two procreating for a
thousand years, then move on. I understand the need for social
structures, but has anyone seriously considered an alien civilization
made up of solitary AI's that come together once every 10 million
years to talk about what happened.

Bill