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A Protocol for Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Abstract
Messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI) is a branch of study
concerned with constructing and broadcasting a message toward habitable
planets. Since the Arecibo message of 1974, the handful of METI broadcasts have
increased in content and complexity, but the lack of an established protocol
has produced unorganized or cryptic messages that could be difficult to
interpret. Here we outline the development of a self-consistent protocol for
messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence that provides constraints and
guidelines for the construction of a message in order to maximize the
probability that the message effectively communicates. A METI protocol
considers several factors including signal encoding, message length,
information content, anthropocentrism, transmission method, and transmission
periodicity. Once developed, the protocol will be released for testing on
different human groups worldwide and across cultural boundaries. An effective
message to extraterrestrials should at least be understandable by humans, and
releasing the protocol for testing will allow us to improve the protocol and
develop potential messages. Through an interactive website, users across the
world will be able to create and exchange messages that follow the protocol in
order to discover the types of messages better suited for cross-cultural
communication. The development of a METI protocol will serve to improve the
quality of messages to extraterrestrials, foster international collaboration,
and extend astrobiology outreach to the public.
... This paper will explore the use of Euclidean Constructive Geometry (ECG) in NHI communication, which is a special type of geometric reasoning that uses only geometries that can be drawn with the ruler and compass to prove mathematical claims (Beeson, 2012). While most researcher associated with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) look for encoded messages in radio waves or stellar pulsations like binary or morse code (Atri et al., 2011), a SETI effort based on ECG may involve means such as telepathy (Ibison & Hathaway, 2011) or the phenomenological appearance of simple geometric shapes. Researchers have demonstrated that this type of geometric reasoning involves intuition, imagination, and emotion (Fujita, 2004;Nathan et al, 2021), which appears to be the same type of reasoning involved in Jungian active imagination (Jung, 1997). ...
... Abraham (2017) identified many mathematicians like Pythagoras and Galileo who used geometry to mystically comprehend the hidden order of the universe. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) hypothesizes 7 that communication with ETs will likely occur through mathematics (Atri et al., 2011). When Western scientists produced messages for ETs, they encoded meaning in pictograms and binary codes such in the engraved golden record within the Voyager space probe or the radio message sent to a distant star cluster from the Arecibo telescope (Atri et al., 2011). ...
... The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) hypothesizes 7 that communication with ETs will likely occur through mathematics (Atri et al., 2011). When Western scientists produced messages for ETs, they encoded meaning in pictograms and binary codes such in the engraved golden record within the Voyager space probe or the radio message sent to a distant star cluster from the Arecibo telescope (Atri et al., 2011). Lemarchand and Lomberg (2011) pointed out that SETI has focused primarily on physical-technical cognitive universals like binary codes in radio waves, but have neglected spiritual, ethical, and aesthetic aspects of cognition. ...
Research paper considering Euclidean geometry as a language for SETI/CETI activities.
... The issue that has gained the most attention in connection with interstellar communication is whether we should do it at all and risk revealing our existence, our location, and possibly other information about ourselves, when we do not know if the potential receivers are friendly or not (e.g., Atri et al. 2011;Neal 2014). Critics argue that it is both imprudent and immoral to expose humanity and other Earth life to such a risk. ...
... Those in favor of messaging extraterrestrial intelligence (METI), on the other hand, like to point out that the probability that the signals will be detected is very small (Zaitsev 2011), that we already transmit radio signals and have done so for some time, and that some of these signals are even stronger than those used by METI initiatives (Atri et al. 2011;Shostak 2013;Vakoch 2016;Zaitsev 2011), that an alien civilization that is so advanced that it can easily destroy us, can easily find us through other means (Zaitsev 2011), and that if a civilization is so technologically advanced that they can detect us and destroy us if they want, they will probably also be correspondingly more ethically mature and thus not be a threat (Musso 2012). Some of the proponents of active messaging also argue that we need to weigh the risks against possible advantages (de Vladar 2013) and against the risks we run by isolating ourselves (Vakoch 2016). ...
... Shuch and Almér (2007) recommend a cost-benefit analysis and input from international expert groups. Atri et al. (2011) suggest a protocol for messaging and input from outside the METI community and from different cultures. ...
... 4 In turn, SETI scientist Douglas A. Vakoch (2011a) draws on semiotics and suggests iconic and pictorial narratives as a potential means to reach fruition in this sense. Atri, DeMarines, and HaqqMisra (2011) suggest a protocol for the construction of an interstellar message in order to max imize the probability that it is understood. The primary factors to be examined are Signal encoding; Message length; Information content; Anthropocen trism; Transmission method; and Transmission periodicity. ...
... Yet, the criteria used in devising and classifying the contact channels are generally based so far on (a) the current understanding of our-selfish-needs, (b) the cur rent understanding of the physics of space, and (c) the current under standing of communication (cf. Michaud, 2007, p. 372;5 Vakoch, 2011b, p. 377;Atri, DeMarines, and HaqqMisra, 2011;Denning, 2014;Wolfram, 2018;Melka and Místecký, 2020, p. 210;Westby and Conselice, 2020). It seems that there is no definite solution to this, because no perfect and suitable contact language for the myriad of circumstances bounding an other assumed civilization has been pinpointed or (yet) agreed upon. ...
... There is a gap of over three decades between Pioneer 10 space cap sule of 1972 / Voyager space probes of 1977 and "A Message from Earth," emitted in 2008 from the radar telescope at Evpatoria, Ukraine (Atri, DeMarines, and HaqqMisra, 2011;Harrison, 2014, p. 181, cf. Zaitsev, 2008a; for prior dispatched transmissions from Evpatoria Planetary Radar [= EPR]; cf. ...
This article discusses from a semiotic perspective one important variable-anthropocentrism-present in various proposed messages intended to communicate with offworld intelligences. Our review of different scenarios re veals embedded flaws to various degrees. This should not be a reason for desist ing in the pursuit of SETIstyle (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) pas sive "listening" or active "messaging" programs; however, in tandem with such SETIstyle programs, a robust and efficient strategy for potential contact should be developed as well. Such a strategy will require adequate time for major struc tural improvements in both the semiotic and technological realms rather than attempted lastminute adjustments carried out, for instance, when a SETIstyle program claims success and contact seems imminent. The realization that humans often have great difficulties in interpreting their own cultural products and experiences (especially, the longforgotten ones), as well as the communicative abilities of nonhuman residents on Earth, is deemed a critical aspect that must be overcome in order to undertake successful hypo thetical communication with extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs). Furthermore, we believe it is pertinent to raise the issue of the modality that any particu lar ETIs might utilize or recognize as a communication system. Arguably, the widely held assumption (often unstated) that ETIs will recognize and respond positively to either visual or auditory communication (where auditory commu nication is often encoded in visual graphic forms, such as writing systems), in many cases coded in and transmitted via electromagnetic waves or some other medium, is simply a form of anthropocentrism at a fundamental level.
... The debate centers around the question of whether or not ETI would be benevolent or malevolent [1]. This problem, in turn, revolves around questions of risks to humanity related to concerns over whether actively seeking contact with extraterrestrial intelligence risks alerting a potentially malevolent civilization, with superior technological abilities, to our existence [2]. Although the ethical problems surrounding METI have been explored by several scholars, less attention has been given to the potential dangers and moral issues associated with passive Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) or ETI detection as a result of only listening for a signal, rather than sending out signals [3e9]. ...
... Most authors focusing on the potential risks of contact with ETI generally explicitly state or implicitly assume that the initiative to cause harm to humanity rests with ETI, not with humanity itself. There is little thought given to the political consequences of contact with ETI and the possible ways in which governments and other political organizations might react to and make use of knowledge of a confirmed message from ETI. 2 This problem is somewhat exacerbated by the tendency to discuss risk primarily in relation to METI without discussing the possibility that passive SETI may also present potential risks to human civilization. Indeed, the SETI Institute in its frequently asked questions sections categorically states that there is no risk even from going beyond listening to actively messaging ETI [30]. ...
... Realpolitik in its modern formulation is the idea that in an anarchic world, national interest (narrowly defined) and power are determinate forces in interactions among nation states [33]. Realpolitik is an outgrowth of the theoretical framework in international relations known as realism (as opposed its traditional rival e liberalism), which is a state-centric framework for political decision-making that assumes (1) the state is the primary political actor in international relations, (2) there is no or very limited central authority in world politics that can function like governments of states, and (3) international politics are fundamentally forms of power politics in which states engage in something of a zero-sum game over the control of political and other resources [34]. In other words, realpolitik can be thought of as placing collective (governmental) self-interest ahead of ideological or altruistic priorities in international affairs. ...
In the vigorous academic debate over the risks of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and active Messaging ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (ETI) (METI), a significant factor has been largely overlooked. Specifically, the risk of merely detecting an alien signal from passive SETI activity is usually considered to be negligible. The history of international relations viewed through the lens of the realpolitik tradition of realist political thought suggests, however, that there is a measurable risk of conflict over the perceived benefit of monopoly access to ETI communication channels. This possibility needs to be considered when analyzing the potential risks and benefits of contact with ETI.
... The ultimate goal of METI is to transmit a signal that is eventually received by an extraterrestrial civilization, although the vast distances between stars renders any conversation a multigenerational project [6]. Nevertheless, a handful of attempts at METI have been made over the last half century with messages increasing in size and complexity [7]. These efforts can be considered as symbolic or demonstrations of human technology rather than serious efforts to converse with extraterrestrial civilizations. ...
... There have even been calls for a moratorium on deliberate METI transmissions until international agreements for how to proceed have been reached [19]. Others have argued that METI broadcasts do not pose a significant risk [7,[20][21][22][23] because any extraterrestrial watchers would be able to establish the presence of life on Earth by the spectrum of reflected ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared sunlight into space from the surface and the atmosphere. An extraterrestrial watcher could also potentially learn of our technological civilization by detecting artificial nighttime lighting of large urban areas [24]. ...
... Intentionally transmitted signals built upon a computational language [58] also may have a higher likelihood of the information being understood by the receiver. By contrast, radio leakage of encrypted and/or complex multimedia messages or other culturally dependent messages will likely be meaningless to ETI because of the lack of a common framework for comprehension [7]. However, Earth's radio leakage and deliberate transmissions will likely be identifiable by ETI as a technological signature because no other examples of such signals exist in nature. ...
Deliberate and unintentional radio transmissions from Earth propagate into space. These transmissions could be detected by extraterrestrial watchers over interstellar distances. This article analyzes the harm and benefits of deliberate and unintentional transmissions relevant to Earth and humanity. Comparing the magnitude of deliberate radio broadcasts intended for messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI) with the background radio spectrum of Earth, we find that METI attempts to date have much lower detectability than emissions from current radio communication technologies on Earth. METI broadcasts are usually transient and several orders of magnitude less powerful than other terrestrial sources, such as astronomical and military radars, which provide the strongest detectable signals. The benefits of radio communication on Earth most probably outweigh the potential harm of detection by extraterrestrial watchers; however, the uncertainty regarding the outcome of contact with extraterrestrial beings creates difficulty in assessing whether or not to engage in long-term and large-scale METI.
... Some of this has been in the form of targeted messages to other civilisations out there, known programmatically as Messaging to Extra Terrestrial Intelligences (METI), notably the Arecibo message on 16 November 1974(HaqqMisra et al., 2013. For decades, then, we have been a "loud" planet, potentially detectable by other civilisations with advanced scanning devices (Atri, DeMarines, and HaqqMisra, 2011). The radius of our sphere of detection is now more than seventy light years, and increasing at the speed of light. ...
... Another scholarly publishing outlet is the Taylor and Francis journal, Astropolitics: The International Journal of Space Politics and Policy, which concentrates on humancentric issues to do with space, property rights and jurisdiction. Likewise, Elsevier's journal Space Policy explores such issues, including some articles about SETI(Atri, DeMarines and HaqqMisra, 2011). The International Journal of Astrobiology, published by Cambridge University Press, has published realist articles on extraterrestrial intelligence (seeShostak, 2013). ...
This article introduces the issue of extraterrestrial life to the study of disasters, their prevention and their management. Up until now, major journals in the field of risk and disaster research have ignored the potential threats posed by the existence of extraterrestrial life. With increasing scientific support for the existence of planets able to support life, and the rapid development of scientific disciplines such as astrobiology, the article argues that limiting the scope of disaster research to terrestrial matters is increasingly intellectually untenable. In order to rectify this situation, and begin a debate within the field, the article develops five theoretical scenarios concerning the likelihood of, and the threats posed by, extraterrestrial life forms. Doing so highlights possible new themes in disaster and risk management research. It is thus hoped that subsequent researchers may close the gap between scholarly discourse about risk management, and the scientific findings of disciplines such as astrobiology.
... What constitutes 'intelligence' is an interesting question; SETI's definition is that intelligent life is "any society capable of radio transmission so that interstellar communication is possible." [46] In reality, such a definition is both unhelpful and inaccurate, as it delineates a limit of relevant technological capacity rather than some innate level of cognitive development. Therefore, where it appears below, the term 'intelligent' should be taken to mean: at the level of cognition at which reasoned, abstract, and structured thought is possible. ...
Increasing data processing speed and the recent deployment of advanced remote sensing equipment is expected to significantly increase the discovery of extra-terrestrial life (ETL). The probability of an imminent first contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) should be enough to prompt serious debates over the pragmatic, religious, political, and social ramifications of such an occurrence.
However, much of the current debate instead focusses on developing resolutions to the Fermi Paradox. Some authors working on ETI first contact have criticised the endeavour, arguing that communication with ETI is impossible due to a lack of shared human context and conclude that the resultant uncertainty will throw us into a Hobbesian Trap. This paper shows that alternative shared contexts with ETI exist and that such contexts could permit the development of a sufficient level of communication needed to escape Hobbesian diffidence — and, thusly, the Hobbesian Trap. Finally, and in an effort to ignite a serious academic discussion on first contact itself, this paper offers an incomplete set of Axioms of First Contact which will help develop a definitive groundwork for the discussion; an open invitation to other contributors to criticise, augment, and continue this bottom-up approach to first contact is extended.
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... It will likely be difficult at first to communicate anything subjective about human experience, emotions, and expressions, so mathematical conversation may comprise our first few exchanges with ETI [29]. It may eventually be prudent to develop a framework for METI so as to increase the probability of successful communication anytime a transmission is sent from Earth [30]. Perhaps such schemes will succeed in effectively communicating with ETI. ...
While humanity has not yet observed any extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), contact with ETI remains possible. Contact could occur through a broad range of scenarios that have varying consequences for humanity. However, many discussions of this question assume that contact will follow a particular scenario that derives from the hopes and fears of the author. In this paper, we analyze a broad range of contact scenarios in terms of whether contact with ETI would benefit or harm humanity. This type of broad analysis can help us prepare for actual contact with ETI even if the details of contact do not fully resemble any specific scenario.
... What constitutes 'intelligence' is an interesting question; SETI's definition is that intelligent life is "any society capable of radio transmission so that interstellar communication is possible." [46] In reality, such a definition is both unhelpful and inaccurate, as it delineates a limit of relevant technological capacity rather than some innate level of cognitive development. Therefore, where it appears below, the term 'intelligent' should be taken to mean: at the level of cognition at which reasoned, abstract, and structured thought is possible. ...
The fermi paradox Search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) Alien first contact a b s t r a c t Discussion surrounding first contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) is hotly debated in the literature. This paper responds to claims made by Jebari and Olsson-Yaouzis that the 'dominant thought' in the philosophy of language indicates that communication with ETI would not be possible, and that the resultant uncertainty forces us into the Hobbesian Trapdthe proclivity to adopt pre-emptive military strategies as a function of mutual distrust and fear of imminent attack. The 'dominant thought' in the philosophy of language constitutes largely behaviourist thinking and hinges on 'shared human context.' However, shared universal contexts, together with the potential existence of post-biological ETI, suggest that communication at a level sufficient to interpret basic dispositions (what I call the level of 'perfor-mative function') may be possible. Deploying both philosophical and game theoretical analyses, this paper provides several refutations and a repudiation of Jebari and Olsson-Yaouzis's claims: I correct the assumption that ETI would necessarily adopt a game theoretical rationality, critique the notion that ETI would choose a risk-dominant strategy rather than a payoff-dominant strategy, repudiate the claim that communication with ETI would not be possible, and show how the Hobbesian equivalence principle is violated in a proximal first-contact situation. Finally, in the absence of game theoretic decision-making (and inline with the calls from the Billingham report), this paper commences work on the development of an incomplete set of Axioms of First Contact from which to generate a definitive groundwork for both post-detection protocol and rules of engagement. An open invitation to other contributors to criticise, augment, and advance this bottom-up approach to first contact is extended.
... Preparing to meet and make contact with extra-terrestrial civilizations is a long-term activity for which humanity is also preparing by sending objects containing information about planet Earth into space [99,100]. In addition, the planet is also getting ready for its first moment of encounter [101]. ...
... This includes 1000 times increase in sensitivity and from monitoring one channel at any moment to hundreds of millions of channels [24]. Traditional methods of Radio astronomy and recent optical methods and controversial idea of active Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) are the methods available for SETI [27][28][29][30]. ...
Discovery of many extra solar planets with some of them having conditions favourable to harbour life have raised hopes for earth alike biological destinies and evolutionary consequences elsewhere in the universe. This paper is an attempt to hypothesize the earth alike evolution and biological destiny for emergence of Extra-Terrestrial Life (ETL) and Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (ETI) on an exoplanet. Extraterrestrial life could be unimaginably different in its form, shape, composition, dimension, functionality, evolution and even in biochemistry from the life that evolved on earth and might be inconceivable to us. Therefore, some innovative ways and means of detection of extraterrestrial life are also being discussed, so as to keep the possibilities of detection alive. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to modify the Drake equation for quantifying our nescience about the number of earth approaching intelligent alien civilizations of our milky way and fractions f h purpose. The fraction f h denotes the alien civilizations which develop technologies to detect habitable zones in the alien civilizations who wish not to hide them in the earth's environment or in our near and or far space and who's technological or physical presence is conceivable to us through our sensory range and or technology spectrum. The factor T stands for the average travel time for such intelligent aliens to reach earth. However, as of now there is no scientific evidence of extraterrestrial life. Further, the search for extraterrestrial life is constrained by our limited observations in the infinite cosmic sea with vast distances and limitations of the present day technologies.
... 5 In 1974, the active SETI used the Arecibo radio telescope to transmit a message towards the globular cluster M13. This message consisted of multiple generic images digitised in 1679 bits (Atri et al. 2011). ...
We describe a new software package for simulating channelised, high-time resolution data streams from radio telescopes. The software simulates data from the telescope and observing system taking into account the observation strategy, receiver system and digitisation. The signatures of pulsars, fast radio bursts and flare stars are modelled, including frequency-dependent effects such as scattering and scintillation. We also simulate more generic signals using spline curves and images. Models of radio frequency interference include signals from satellites, terrestrial transmitters and impulsive, broadband signals. The simulated signals can also be injected into real data sets. Uses of this software include the production of machine learning training data sets, development and testing of new algorithms to search for anomalous patterns and to characterise processing pipelines.
... The authors are aware of this, as they claim that "[s]uccessful messages will minimize any anthropocentric or culturally dependent content and avoid dependence on basic human senses." 17 Methodologically speaking, there is strong reason to avoid anthropocentrism insofar as it skews our inquiry into non-humans toward human-centric biases and assumptions. And the conditions for understanding may themselves be culturebound. ...
There is currently a divide among astrobiologists on the question of whether to transmit intentional, directed messages into space. This debate raises several questions pertaining to space ethics, and it demands rigorous ethical analysis before active transmission occurs. Here we address ethical issues of responsibility, consensus, shared values, messaging content, communicative burden, and proscriptions on premature messaging. It is our hope that these deliberative contributions highlight the need for sustained analyses to precede the active messaging otherwise taking place. We maintain that these and other deliberations must occur in order that successful METI policies and protocols may be developed.
... This does not, however, delineate whether the signal contents will arrive in a legible manner or as recognizable packets of energy per unit of receiver surface area. Arecibo message (Sagan, 1978;Goldsmith and Owen, 2001;Grinspoon, 2003;Atri et al., 2011) 16 Cosmic Call 1 (Vakoch, 2009;Dumas, 2010;Zaitsev, 2011;Zaitsev and Ignatov, 1999) 24 Teen Age Message (Zaitsev, 2002a(Zaitsev, , 2002bZaitsev, 2008) Cosmic Call 2 (Dumas, 2010;Dumas and Dutil, 2010;Dominus, 2015;Chorost, 2016;Dumas and Dutil, 2016;Braastad and Zaitsev, 2003) Lone Signal (Byrd, 2013;Gohring, 2013;Kramer, 2013;Pickard, 2014;Busch, 2013) 17 ...
The eclectic range of artefacts and ‘messages’ we dispatch into the vast expanse of space may become one of the most enduring remnants of our present civilization, but how does his protracted legacy adequately document the plurality of societal values and common, cultural heritage on our heterogeneous world? For decades now, this rendition of the egalitarian principle has been explored by the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence community in order to draft theoretical responses to ‘who speaks for Earth?’ for hypothetical extra-terrestrial communication strategies. However, besides the moral, ethical and democratic advancements made by this particular enterprise, there remains little practical exemplars of implementing this garnered knowledge into other experimental elements that could function as mutual emissaries of Earth; physical artefacts that could provide accessible details about our present world for future archaeological observations by our space-faring progeny, potential visiting extrasolar denizens or even for posterity. While some initiatives have been founded to investigate this enduring dilemma of humanity over the last half-century, there are very few comparative studies in regards to how these objects, time capsules and transmission events collectively disseminate content about the aggregate of our species and the Earth system it inhabits. This catalogue, assembled for extended study as part of the Beyond the Earth foundation , is intended as an initial, dialogic step towards evaluating such a ‘profile of humanity’. This investigation will endeavour to collate all cultural resources that can presently be garnered from spacecraft (non-mission orientated, cultural material that conveys an impression of Earth) and non-terrestrial transmissions (electromagnetic signals that are intentionally aimed off-world to embody humanities’ evolving, philosophical identity) in the expanse beyond our planetary borders in order to cross-analyse how we presently illustrate the diversity of our planet before, subsequently, deducing how we could appropriately depict our collective human civilization [and biosphere] within deep space and cosmic time.
... This claim has been criticized in the literature for being too optimistic. For example (Atri, DeMarines, & Haqq-Misra, 2011) argue that most attempts at METI have been too anthropocentric and unlikely to be possible to decipher. Here, we wish to make a stronger claim. ...
Among scholars dedicated to Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), the risks and possibilities of actively contacting extra-terrestrials (Active SETI) have been widely discussed. Yet, some fundamental philosophical problems concerning the possibility of translating an alien language have hardly been raised in this context. The proponents of Active SETI assume that, abswould an extra-terrestrial intelligent (ETI) entity choose to contact us, they would use radio signals to convey a coded message that would be possible for us to decode and translate. Furthermore, they argue, were we to transmit a message, then this message would also be possible to translate. However, any interstellar message would, for obvious reasons, be conveyed without context and without the possibility of meaningful interaction over timescales relevant to us. According to the most influential research program in the philosophy of language, the meaning of an utterance is derived from its use in a context and is not intrinsic to the utterance by which it was conveyed. Therefore, while radical translation, i.e. learning an unknown language, is possible, it requires contextualized interaction. Only then can semantic behavior be observed, and utterances linked to meaning. Thus, merely an exchange of signals cannot produce meaningful communication. If this claim is true, there are important game-theoretical consequences of interstellar contact. An informal game theoretical analysis of this scenario, A Game of Stars, is described. This analysis suggests that the lack of communication may lead players into a Hobbesian Trap, where fear impels the players to a risk dominant strategy, potentially resulting in mutual destruction. Our conclusion is that interstellar contact is an underestimated existential risk. If true and given the relative ease of contacting an ETI given the knowledge of its location, information about the existence and location of an ETI would be very dangerous to spread. Thus, knowledge of an ETI and its location would constitute an information hazard.
... Ultimately, the evidence SETI is looking for is an unambiguous signal from ET (e.g., Tarter, 1983;Shostak, 1998). To intercept alien signals, SETI has traditionally relied on radio astronomy for passive listening, and more recently on optical methods, and while the idea of active SETI-also known as Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI)-remains a subject of controversy (Atri et al., 2011;Vakoch, 2011b;Vakoch and Matessa, 2011;Neal, 2014), communication and contact are very much at the core of the SETI concept. But what are we searching for and listening to? ...
Unlabelled:
Advances in planetary and space sciences, astrobiology, and life and cognitive sciences, combined with developments in communication theory, bioneural computing, machine learning, and big data analysis, create new opportunities to explore the probabilistic nature of alien life. Brought together in a multidisciplinary approach, they have the potential to support an integrated and expanded Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI (1) ), a search that includes looking for life as we do not know it. This approach will augment the odds of detecting a signal by broadening our understanding of the evolutionary and systemic components in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), provide more targets for radio and optical SETI, and identify new ways of decoding and coding messages using universal markers.
Key words:
SETI-Astrobiology-Coevolution of Earth and life-Planetary habitability and biosignatures. Astrobiology 16, 661-676.
... Therefore, and in the context of the Zoo Hypothesis, an extraterrestrial intelligence could be eavesdropping on us from a distance, even from other star systems (but see below). While the limits of detection of Earth's radio transmissions are a subject of debate (Sullivan argues ~25 light-years, Atri et al. (2011) and Baum et al. (2011) up to 100 light years), as they largely depend on the size of the receiving antenna, the crucial point is that an extraterrestrial intelligence would be able to gather a wealth of information simply by eavesdropping on our radio and television broadcasting. This might even be achieved without the need for physical presence in the solar system, although this is debatable since the signal-tonoise ratio decreases with distance and, for instance, Kaiser et al. (1996) have argued that detecting man-made signals is not possible from other star systems unless with extremely large ...
Whether we are alone in the universe is one of the greatest mysteries facing
humankind. Given the >100 billion stars in our galaxy, many have argued that it
is statistically unlikely that life, including intelligent life, has not
emerged anywhere else. The lack of any sign of extraterrestrial intelligence,
even though on a cosmic timescale extraterrestrial civilizations would have
enough time to cross the galaxy, is known as Fermi's Paradox. One possible
explanation for Fermi's Paradox is the Zoo Hypothesis which states that one or
more extraterrestrial civilizations know of our existence and can reach us, but
have chosen not to disturb us or even make their existence known to us. I
propose here a proactive test of the Zoo Hypothesis. Specifically, I propose to
send a message using television and radio channels to any extraterrestrial
civilization(s) that might be listening and inviting them to respond. Even
though I accept this is unlikely to be successful in the sense of resulting in
a response from extraterrestrial intelligences, the possibility that
extraterrestrial civilizations are monitoring us cannot be dismissed and my
proposal is consistent with current scientific knowledge. Besides, issuing an
invitation is technically feasible, cheap and safe, and few would deny the
profound importance of establishing contact with one or more extraterrestrial
intelligences. A website has been set up (http://active-seti.info) to encourage
discussion of this proposal and for drafting the invitation message.
... It will likely be difficult at first to communicate anything subjective about human experience, emotions, and expressions, so mathematical conversation may comprise our first few exchanges with ETI [29]. It may eventually be prudent to develop a framework for METI so as to increase the probability of successful communication anytime a transmission is sent from Earth [30]. Perhaps such schemes will succeed in effectively communicating with ETI. ...
While humanity has not yet observed any extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), contact with ETI remains possible. Contact could occur through a broad range of scenarios that have varying consequences for humanity. However, many discussions of this question assume that contact will follow a particular scenario that derives from the hopes and fears of the author. In this paper, we analyze a broad range of contact scenarios in terms of whether contact with ETI would benefit or harm humanity. This type of broad analysis can help us prepare for actual contact with ETI even if the details of contact do not fully resemble any specific scenario.
Could “UFOs” and “Aliens” simply be us from the future?
Identified Flying Objects cautiously examines the premise that ‘extraterrestrials’ are instead our distant human descendants, returning from the future to study their own hominin evolutionary past.
Dr. Michael P. Masters, a professor of biological anthropology specializing in human evolutionary anatomy, archaeology, and biomedicine explores how the persistence of long-term biological and cultural trends in hominin evolution may ultimately result in us becoming the ones piloting these disc-shaped craft, which are likely the very devices that allow our future progeny to venture backward across the landscape of time.
Moreover, these extratempestrials are ubiquitously described as bipedal, large-brained, hairless, human-like beings, who communicate with us in our own languages, and who possess technology advanced beyond, but clearly built upon, our own. These accounts, coupled with a thorough understanding of the past and modern human condition, point to the continuation of established biocultural trends here on Earth, long into the distant human future.
Serious people have speculated for eons about the possibility of life and intelligence in not-Earth. Democritus (Greece, 460 BCE-370 BCE) said with amazing foresight: “In some worlds there is no Sun and Moon, in others they are larger than in our world, and in others more numerous. In some parts there are more worlds, in others fewer (…); in some parts they are arising, in others falling. There are some worlds devoid of living creatures or plants or any moisture.”
This dissertation presents the cultural study of scientific search for extraterrestrial life conducted over the past sixty years by the scientific community. It introduces an original piece of research that conceptualises the extraterrestrial life hypothesis as a significant part of the general world-view, constantly shaped by the work and discoveries of science. It sheds light on the ways in which alien life is imagined and theorised and presents its concept in both the scientific community and in popular culture.
Drawing from anthropology of science it offers elaboration of ‘culture of science’ and ‘scientific culture’ and describes the scientific search for other life as a specific culture of science, here referred to as ‘charming science’. The three scientific search methods: message sending, analysing of cosmic signals and the search for extrasolar planets are conceptualised as the three search modes: messaging, listening and exploring respectively.
This work introduces the extraterrestrial ‘Other’ as a profoundly cultural concept, firstly presented as the missing subject of ‘charming science’. Exploration of public understanding the extraterrestrial life and popular imagination of the ‘Other’ is intended to introduce the scientific search in broader social context and address the role of science in contemporary Western world.
The dissertation draws on the multi-sited and multi-method ethnographic fieldwork conducted over two years in the UK. The research methods included interviewing (semi-structured face-to-face interviews and interviews conducted via email), participation (conferences and scientific meetings), and data collection from the global ‘online’ community including social networks.
At its crux, the debate whether Active SETI is a dangerous endeavor focuses on differences of opinion as to whether ETI would engage in ethical egoism (selfishness) toward humanity or ethical altruism (benevolence). Many critics of Active SETI employ a line of reasoning similar to the Precautionary Principle often utilized in the regulation of health and the environment. Several aspects of human behavior actually render the Precautionary Principle and related risk-balancing methods of dubious utility in sorting out competing risks. These same flaws apply equally to the Active SETI debate, in particular to the question of ETI egoism versus altruism. The Precautionary Principle encourages those engaged in the Active SETI debate to focus solely on one risk (egoistic and dangerous ETI) while ignoring other risks that are at least as likely if not more likely (such as lost “opportunity benefits” from contact with altruistic and benevolent ETI). Active SETI critics also ignore the very real political risks to science in general and SETI in particular that are created by possibly unfounded assertions of danger.
Previous proposals for communicating with extraterrestrials have relied heavily on pictorial messages, regardless of whether communication is via electromagnetic radiation or by spacecraft-borne messages. Pictorial messages can be categorized according to whether the pictures can be shown directly or whether they must first be formatted. The author discusses the advantages of direct representations and critiques the universality of pictorial representation. He proposes an alternative to the use of pictures to communicate, drawing on semiotic distinctions. With the author's approach, iconic representations--in which the sign bears a physical similarity to that which it represents--are shown directly, rather than in a format that must be reconstructed or decoded. This method of communication is illustrated with messages based on quantum-mechanical phenomena. The advantages of having the content of a message reflected in the form of the message are detailed.
The debate about the wisdom of sending interstellar transmissions is well-known to those involved in SETI, and frustrating for many. Its tendency towards intractability is a result of multiple factors, including: different models of the scientist's role as citizen and/or leader; disparate ideas about society's readiness to cope with frontier science; variable political substrates, particularly ideas concerning individual freedom and state control; competing ideologies of globalization; and the perceived relative risks and benefits of contact. (Variations in the latter, i.e. assessments of the risks and benefits of contact, derive partly from different thinking styles, including tolerance for risk, and partly from inferences based upon episodes of biological and cultural contact on Earth.) Unpacking the debate into its components may be of use to those debating policy about SETI transmissions, or at the very least, help keep in focus what, precisely, the perennial arguments are really about.
Contents Preface to the Paperback Edition Preface to the First Edition Introduction: The Astrobiology Revolution and the Rare Earth Hypothesis Dead Zones of the Universe Rare Earth Factors 1 Why Life Might Be Widespread in the Universe 2 Habitable Zones of the Universe 3 Building a Habitable Earth 4 Life's First Appearance on Earth 5 How to Build Animals 6 Snowball Earth 7 The Enigma of the Cambrian Explosion 8 Mass Extinctions and the Rare Earth Hypothesis 9 The Surprising Importance of Plate Tectonics 10 The Moon, Jupiter, and Life on Earth 11 Testing the Rare Earth Hypotheses 12 Assessing the Odds 13 Messengers from the Stars References Index
The prudence of transmitting deliberate messages from Earth into interstellar space remains controversial. Reasoned risk-benefit analysis is needed, to inform policy recommendations by such bodies as the International Academy of Astronautics SETI Permanent Study Group. As a first step, at the 2005 International Astronautical Congress in Fukuoka, we discussed the San Marino Scale, a new analytical tool for assessing transmission risk. That Scale was updated, and a revised version presented at the 2006 IAC in Valencia. We are now in a position to recommend specific improvements to the scale we proposed for quantifying terrestrial transmissions. Our intent is to make this tool better reflect the detectability and potential impact of recent and proposed messages beamed from Earth. We believe the changes proposed herein strengthen the San Marino Scale as an analytical tool, and bring us closer to its eventual adoption.
Key Words exobiology, astrobiology, bioastronomy, optical SETI, life in the universe s Abstract The search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence is placed in the broader astronomical context of the search for extrasolar planets and biomarkers of primitive life elsewhere in the universe. A decision tree of possible search strategies is presented as well as a brief history of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) projects since 1960. The characteristics of 14 SETI projects currently operating on telescopes are discussed and compared using one of many possible figures of merit. Plans for SETI searches in the immediate and more distant future are outlined. Plans for success, the significance of null results, and some opinions on deliberate transmission of signals (as well as listening) are also included. SETI results to date are negative, but in reality, not much searching has yet been done.
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) typically presupposes contact with extraterrestrial civilizations much longer lived than humanity. Many have argued that given humanity's “youth,” the burden of transmitting should be placed on the extraterrestrial civilizations, which presumably possess more advanced technologies. These assumptions have contributed to the current emphasis on Passive SETI. Complementing this existing stress on Passive SETI with an additional commitment to Active SETI, in which humankind transmits messages to other civilizations, would have several advantages, including (1) addressing the reality that regardless of whether older civilizations should be transmitting, they may not be transmitting; (2) placing the burden of decoding and interpreting messages on advanced extraterrestrials, which may facilitate mutual comprehension; and (3) signaling a move toward an intergenerational model of science with a long-term vision for benefiting other civilizations as well as future generations of humans. Technological requirements for Active SETI are considered, and a case is made for Active SETI as a means for experimentally testing variants of the Zoo Hypothesis. Recommendations are provided for sustaining Passive and Active SETI and the communities that conduct these searches.
With recently growing interest in the Active Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), in which humankind would send intentional signals to extraterrestrial civilizations, there have been increased concerns about appropriate policy, as well as the role of space law and ethics in guiding such activities. Implicit in these discussions are notions of responsibility and capability that affect judgments about whether humans or other civilizations should initiate transmissions. Existing protocols that guide SETI research address transmissions from Earth, but there is debate over whether these guidelines should inform de novo transmissions as well. Relevant responsibilities to address include (1) looking out for the interests of humankind as a whole, (2) being truthful in interstellar messages, and (3) benefiting extraterrestrial civilizations. Our capabilities as a species and a civilization affect how well we can fulfill responsibilities, as seen when we consider whether we will be able to reach consensus about message contents (and whether that would be desirable), and whether we have the capacity to decode messages from beings that rely on different sensory modalities. The interplay of these responsibilities and capabilities suggests that humankind should place increased emphasis on Active SETI.
No present observations suggest a technologically advanced extraterrestrial
intelligence (ETI) has spread through the galaxy. However, under commonplace
assumptions about galactic civilization formation and expansion, this absence
of observation is highly unlikely. This improbability is the heart of the Fermi
Paradox. The Fermi Paradox leads some to conclude that humans have the only
advanced civilization in this galaxy, either because civilization formation is
very rare or because intelligent civilizations inevitably destroy themselves.
In this paper, we argue that this conclusion is premature by introducing the
"Sustainability Solution" to the Fermi Paradox, which questions the Paradox's
assumption of faster (e.g. exponential) civilization growth. Drawing on
insights from the sustainability of human civilization on Earth, we propose
that faster-growth may not be sustainable on the galactic scale. If this is the
case, then there may exist ETI that have not expanded throughout the galaxy or
have done so but collapsed. These possibilities have implications for both
searches for ETI and for human civilization management.
On Earth, how would we build galactic-scale beacons to attract the attention of extraterrestrials, as some have suggested we should do? From the point of view of expense to a builder on Earth, experience shows an optimum trade-off. This emerges by minimizing the cost of producing a desired power density at long range, which determines the maximum range of detectability of a transmitted signal. We derive general relations for cost-optimal aperture and power. For linear dependence of capital cost on transmitter power and antenna area, minimum capital cost occurs when the cost is equally divided between antenna gain and radiated power. For nonlinear power-law dependence, a similar simple division occurs. This is validated in cost data for many systems; industry uses this cost optimum as a rule of thumb. Costs of pulsed cost-efficient transmitters are estimated from these relations by using current cost parameters (/W, /m(2)) as a basis. We show the scaling and give examples of such beacons. Galactic-scale beacons can be built for a few billion dollars with our present technology. Such beacons have narrow "searchlight" beams and short "dwell times" when the beacon would be seen by an alien observer in their sky. More-powerful beacons are more efficient and have economies of scale: cost scales only linearly with range R, not as R(2), so number of stars radiated to increases as the square of cost. On a cost basis, they will likely transmit at higher microwave frequencies, approximately 10 GHz. The natural corridor to broadcast is along the galactic radius or along the local spiral galactic arm we are in. A companion paper asks "If someone like us were to produce a beacon, how should we look for it?"
The problem of how to communicate with the members of an alien society has been discussed by many authors but only one, Hans Freudenthal, has constructed a language for this purpose. Freudenthal assumes nothing other than the ability to reason as humans do and, because he assumes so little, it is necessary to communicate a great deal about the language itself before being able to communicate any interesting information. The problem is here approached differently. Since it is likely that contact between our civilization and an alien one would be via radio, potential correspondents would have a basic knowledge of science. Such beings should therefore be able to learn a language based on fundamental science. It is assumed, more specifically, that our correspondents can count, understand chemical elements, are familiar with the melting and boiling behaviour of a pure substance and understand the properties of the gaseous state. All this should be known to any society capable of developing the radio telescope. By systematically using this common knowledge one can communicate notation for numbers and chemical elements and then communicate our basic physical units; i.e., the gram, the calorie, the degree (Kelvin), etc. Once this is done more interesting information can be exchanged.
The major goals of NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and the European Space Agency's Darwin missions are to detect terrestrial-sized extrasolar planets directly and to seek spectroscopic evidence of habitable conditions and life. Here we recommend wavelength ranges and spectral features for these missions. We assess known spectroscopic molecular band features of Earth, Venus, and Mars in the context of putative extrasolar analogs. The preferred wavelength ranges are 7-25 microns in the mid-IR and 0.5 to approximately 1.1 microns in the visible to near-IR. Detection of O2 or its photolytic product O3 merits highest priority. Liquid H2O is not a bioindicator, but it is considered essential to life. Substantial CO2 indicates an atmosphere and oxidation state typical of a terrestrial planet. Abundant CH4 might require a biological source, yet abundant CH4 also can arise from a crust and upper mantle more reduced than that of Earth. The range of characteristics of extrasolar rocky planets might far exceed that of the Solar System. Planetary size and mass are very important indicators of habitability and can be estimated in the mid-IR and potentially also in the visible to near-IR. Additional spectroscopic features merit study, for example, features created by other biosignature compounds in the atmosphere or on the surface and features due to Rayleigh scattering. In summary, we find that both the mid-IR and the visible to near-IR wavelength ranges offer valuable information regarding biosignatures and planetary properties; therefore both merit serious scientific consideration for TPF and Darwin.
Where Is Everybody? Great Question. FROM THE REVIEWS: Webb offers coherent, understandable, and sometimes humorous coverage of a diverse range of topics. He provides readers with non-trivial insights into research fields they may not have encountered previously . . . I think everyone who has ever considered the possibility that other intelligent civilizations exist elsewhere within our galaxy will enjoy Where Is Everybody? They will find much to agree with, and much to argue about, in this very accessible volume. -SCIENCE WHERE IS EVERYBODY? is a delightful mental romp. With a light-hearted, enthusiastic tone, Webb offers lively coverage of UFOs, crop circles, and the books of Erich von Däniken, the infamous proponent of the idea that aliens visited the Earth in the distant past. Science-fiction fans will enjoy the frequent references to Star Trek, and science buffs will appreciate mention of the ideas of Carl Sagan, Fred Hoyle, Frank Drake, and Freeman Dyson. This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever pondered the question, Are we alone? -ASTRONOMY [Webb] is a polymath, able to write informatively -even authoritatively -on an exceedingly wide range of subjects, including physics, astronomy, biology, and neurobiology. His writing is encyclopedic in scope, lucid, often poetic -and in the end it is both enormously inspiring and a little sad if hes right, as Im afraid he might be, in concluding that we are the only advanced civilization in the Galaxy. Readers are free to differ with Webbs conclusion, but they will be surprised to learn how convincing it is. I have read a good number of astronomy books this past year; but this is the one I regard as indispensable. If I were Robinson Crusoe -shipwrecked and lonely on an island in space -I would want this book with me. -MERCURY During a Los Alamos lunchtime conversation that took place more than 50 years ago, four world-class scientists agreed, given the size and age of the Universe, that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations simply had to exist. The sheer numbers demanded it. But one of the four, the renowned physicist and back-of-the-envelope calculator Enrico Fermi, asked the telling question: If the extraterrestrial life proposition is true, he wondered, Where IS everybody? In this lively and thought-provoking book, Stephen Webb presents a detailed discussion of the 50 most cogent and intriguing answers to Fermis famous question, divided into three distinct groups: -Aliens are already here among us. Here are answers ranging from Leo Szilards suggestion that they are already here, and we know them as Hungarians, to the theorists who claim that aliens built Stonehenge and the Easter Island statues. -Aliens exist, but have not yet communicated. The theories in this camp range widely, from those who believe we simply dont have the technologies to receive their signals, to those who believe the enormities of space and time work against communication, to those who believe theyre hiding from us. -Aliens do not exist. Here are the doubters arguments, from the Rare Earth theory to the authors own closely argued and cogently stated skepticism. The proposed solutions run the gamut from the crackpot to the highly serious, but all deserve our consideration. The varieties of arguments --from first-rate scientists, philosophers and historians, and science fiction authors --turn out to be astonishing, entertaining, and vigorous intellectual exercises for any r eader interested in science and the sheer pleasure of speculative thinking. Stephen Webb is a physicist working at the Open University in England and the author of Measuring the Universe. 1. The aliens were here in the past. Unfortunately, the good people of Sodom had some pretty original ideas about hospitality, so the aliens left, never to return. They wrote about Earth in The Hitch-hikers REAL Guide to the Galaxy, available all through the Milky Way, warning other aliens about our planet. It says: Avoid that place like the plague on Rigel 3.
The earth is at the center of an expanding bubble of electromagnetic radiation. The bubble, expanding at the speed of light, contains all of the man-made electromagnetic transmissions of the earth -radio, TV, radar, and so on. In theory, an alien civilization could receive these signals, and form their opinion about the earth by analyzing them. To most people, it is quite discouraging to think that some alien civilization would form their opinion of earth based upon our situation comedies. Upon a slightly deeper analysis, the conventional wisdom says: 'Aliens might detect our TV signals, but at least they can't form their opinion of our civiliza-tion from our TV transmissions. Decoding the transmission is so much harder than detecting it that we don't need to worry about this.' In this paper I argue that this view considerably underestimates the tech-nologies that aliens might employ. By looking at likely technical improvements -better receivers and feeds, bigger antenna, signal processing, and perhaps stellar focussing, any civilization that can detect our radiations might well be able to decode it as well. Thus aliens can form their impression of Earth from 'I Love Lucy'.
The question of the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in space has long fascinated people, but, until recently, has been properly left to the science‐fiction writers. This is simply because our technology has not been capable of detecting any reasonable manifestation that might be expected from other civilized communities in space. Lately, however, astrophysical knowledge of the universe and our technology have advanced to a stage where these questions can no longer be ignored by scientists. I would like to describe briefly the astronomical picture connected with the development of life, and to follow this with some anthropomorphic arguments which help us in our search for other abodes of life. Finally, there will be given a brief description of some instruments that one might apply to this problem.
A possible resolution to the Fermi Paradox is that we are living in an
artificial universe, perhaps a form of virtual- reality `planetarium',
designed to give us the illusion that the universe is empty.
Quantum-physical and thermo- dynamic considerations inform estimates of
the energy required to generate such simulations of varying sizes and
quality. The perfect simulation of a world containing our present
civilisation is within the scope of a Type K3 extraterrestrial culture.
However the containment of a coherent human culture spanning ~100 light
years within a perfect simulation would exceed the capacities of any
conceivable virtual-reality generator.
Nature is the international weekly journal of science: a magazine style journal that publishes full-length research papers in all disciplines of science, as well as News and Views, reviews, news, features, commentaries, web focuses and more, covering all branches of science and how science impacts upon all aspects of society and life.
A global catastrophic risk is one with the potential to wreak death and destruction on a global scale. In human history, wars and plagues have done so on more than one occasion, and misguided ideologies and totalitarian regimes have darkened an entire era or a region. Advances in technology are adding dangers of a new kind. It could happen again.
In Global Catastrophic Risks 25 leading experts look at the gravest risks facing humanity in the 21st century, including asteroid impacts, gamma-ray bursts, Earth-based natural catastrophes, nuclear war, terrorism, global warming, biological weapons, totalitarianism, advanced nanotechnology, general artificial intelligence, and social collapse. The book also addresses over-arching issues - policy responses and methods for predicting and managing catastrophes.
This is invaluable reading for anyone interested in the big issues of our time; for students focusing on science, society, technology, and public policy; and for academics, policy-makers, and professionals working in these acutely important fields.
Long recognized as the Gold Standard text for astrobiology courses, The Search for Life in the Universe now appears in a completely revised and updated Third Edition. This book engages students in astronomy by presenting a great, unsolved mystery: How likely is life beyond earth, and how can we find it if it exists? The text covers the fundamentals of astronomy and astrophysics, including the discovery of more than 55 planets around other stars, and also provides an overview of biology, geology, evolution, and the possibilities of interstellar travel and communication. Written for readers with no background in mathematics, the book includes 24 color insert pages and brilliantly rendered illustrations by Jon Lomberg.
Scitation is the online home of leading journals and conference proceedings from AIP Publishing and AIP Member Societies
Four categories of facts are explored for explaining the lack of
observable extraterrestrial beings (ETs) on earth. The physical reasons
are suggested to be the long travel times required by sublight-velocity
spaceships, a problem that may be overcome by beings that live several
millenia or that can be stored and reproduced from zygotes on arrival.
Also, the energy requirements for interstellar travel, though large, are
not an insurmountable difficulty. Sociologically, it is suggested that
ETs have no interest in space travel, or they may have destroyed
themselves with atomic wars, or the earth is being used as a wildlife
preserve. No procedures exist to test these hypotheses, however. The
consideration that ETs have not yet had time to find earth is discounted
by calculations that show that another intelligent species in the Galaxy
would have found earth if their space exploration efforts began at least
2,000,000 yr ago. It is concluded that if the earth has not yet been
visited, then colonization of the Galaxy will most probably be done by
humans, who may have the first advanced civilization in the Galaxy.
THE largest microwave radio telescope on Earth, at the Arecibo
Observatory of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, will soon
have the capability of communicating with an identical radio telescope,
if such exists, anywhere in the Galaxy. But such communication assumes
some previous agreement between the transmitting and receiving
civilizations, or mutual discovery of the chosen radio frequency,
bandpass, information rate and each other's location.
If humanity encounters an extraterrestrial civilization, or if two extraterrestrial civilizations encounter each other, then the outcome may depend not only on the civilizations’ relative strength to destroy each other but also on what ethics are held by one or both civilizations. This paper explores outcomes of encounter scenarios in which one or both civilizations hold a universalist ethical framework. Several outcomes are possible in such scenarios, ranging from one civilization destroying the other to both civilizations racing to be the first to commit suicide. Thus, attention to the ethics of both humanity and extraterrestrials is warranted in human planning for such an encounter. Additionally, the possibility of such an encounter raises profound questions for contemporary human ethics, even if such an encounter never occurs.
Extraterrestrial intelligent life may be almost ubiquitous. The apparent failure of such life to interact with us may be understood in terms of the hypothesis that they have set us aside as part of a wilderness area or zoo.
Two possible scenarios for the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence are presented and the issues they would raise discussed. The article then goes on to examine operational questions and reply policy in the event of contact being made. Questions of how such contact should be announced to the world—and by whom; who should send a reply; how it would be designed and what it would say, are explored. Creating a beacon actively to beam a message into the galaxy could provide a test case for international consultation and cooperation in responding to ETI.
While humanity has not yet observed any extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), contact with ETI remains possible. Contact could occur through a broad range of scenarios that have varying consequences for humanity. However, many discussions of this question assume that contact will follow a particular scenario that derives from the hopes and fears of the author. In this paper, we analyze a broad range of contact scenarios in terms of whether contact with ETI would benefit or harm humanity. This type of broad analysis can help us prepare for actual contact with ETI even if the details of contact do not fully resemble any specific scenario.
There is a close interrelation between searching for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI). For example, the answers to the questions “Where to search” and “Where to send” are equivalent, in that both require an identical selection from the same target star lists. Similar considerations lead to a strategy of time synchronization between sending and searching. Both SETI and METI use large reflectors. The concept of “magic frequencies” may be applicable to both SETI and METI. Efforts to understand an alien civilization's interstellar messages (IMs), and efforts to compose our own IMs so they will be easily understood by unfamiliar extraterrestrials, are mutually complementary. Furthermore, the METI-question: “How can we benefit from sending IMs, if a response may come only thousands of years later?” begs an equivalent SETI-question: “How can we benefit from searching, if it is impossible now to perceive the motivations and feelings of those who may have sent messages in the distant past?” A joint consideration of the theoretical and the practical aspects of both sending and searching for IMs, in the framework of a unified, disciplined scientific approach, can be quite fruitful. We seek to resolve the cultural disconnect between those who advocate sending interstellar messages, and others who anathematize those who would transmit.
The widely approved Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Proposed Protocol for Sending of Communications to Extraterrestrial Intelligence are examined with respect to how they apply to active as opposed to passive search strategies by radio astronomers. This article maintains that the existing protocols do not and should not impede active search strategies. An active search strategy based on the transmission of an interstellar terrestrial message using the synchronization of the SN1987A hyperboloid is described. A brief discussion is made concerning the social ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ for humanity of an active search.
Problems, methods, and theory of communicating with extraterrestrial civilizations
A portrait of humanity, Contact in Context 2: v2i1/portrait
- J Lomberg
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Lonely Planets: the Natural Philosophy of Alien Life
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Aliens can watch 'I Love Lucy'. Contact in Context 2: v2i1/lucy
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