If (for example) we were to detect a repeated signal from a far off star expressing the value of Pi to 128 decimal places in binary emitted at the frequency of the Hydrogen line I would suggest that we could very reasonably consider this a sign of intelligent beings.
If SETI found such a signal I'm sure they would consider it as such.
OK. I get what you are saying about what SETI are
actually doing. But it is possible to recognise non-human intelligent sourcing from the content and type of signal isn't it?
If (for example) we were to detect a repeated signal from a far off star expressing the value of Pi to 128 decimal places in binary emitted at the frequency of the Hydrogen line I would suggest that we could very reasonably consider this a sign of intelligent beings.
If SETI found such a signal I'm sure they would consider it as such.
Would we be able to decipher something akin to the signals we send to our satellites, like Voyager (or V-ger
? That, I don't know. I suspect that we could, or at least come very close. Humans are good at cracking codes, even those that are designed to hide their purpose and content. Then again, this is a case of humans breaking human code.
Are we sending out a signal like the one you describe, one that could be detected across large galactic distances? I don't think we are, are we? If a distant civilization picked up our signal they could at least determine that we are using a binary code of some sort, or at least using modulation within the signal to convey information. I think this would be enough to determine that there is an intelligence behind the signal.