J. Tarter, A. Agrawal, R. Ackermann, P. Backus, S. Blair, M. Bradford, G. Harp, J. Jordan, T. Kilsdonk, K. Smolek, J. Richards, J. Ross, G. Shostak, D. Vakoch
KEYWORDS: Signal detection, Observatories, Telescopes, Antennas, Space telescopes, Stars, Signal processing, Radio telescopes, Sensors, Radio astronomy
The 1959 Nature article by Giuseppe Cocconi and Phil Morrison1 provided the theoretical underpinnings for SETI,
accompanied in 1960 by Project Ozma2, the first radio search for signals by Frank Drake at the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). Well over 100 search programs have been conducted since that time, primarily at
radio and optical wavelengths, (see www.seti.org/searcharchives) without any successful signal detection. Some have
suggested that this means humans are alone in the cosmos. But that is far too strong a conclusion to draw from far too
small an observational sampling. Instead of concluding that intelligent life on Earth is unique, it is more appropriate to
note that in 50 years our ability to search for electromagnetic signals has improved by at least 14 orders of magnitude
and that these improvements are still occurring at an exponential rate. At the SETI Institute we are in the process of reinventing
the way we search in order to fully utilize these technological enhancements. We are now building the
setiQuest community and we intend to get the world involved in making our searches better. We need to find ways to
harness the intelligence of all Earthlings in order to better seek out extraterrestrial intelligence. If we do it right, we just
might succeed, and we might also change how we see ourselves, and make our own world a better place.
Previous proposals for communicating with extraterrestials have relied heavily on pictorial messages, regardless of whether communicaiton is via electromagnetic radiation or by spacecraft bearing messages. Pictorial messages can be categorized according to whether the pictures can be shown directly or whether they must first be properly formatted. Advantages of more direct representations are suggested, and the universality of pictorial representation is critiqued. An alternative to pictures based on semiotic distinctions is advanced. With this 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. This method of communication is illustrated with quantum-mechanical phenomena. The advantages of using this strategy of having the content of a message reflected in the form of the message are detailed.
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