SETI has been a lengthy experiment in trying to detect our extraterrestrial equals or better somewhere out there by detecting their electromagnetic radio (sometimes optical or infrared) transmissions. Five decades on, the quarry remains elusive. My advice to SETI scientists is not to put all your SETI eggs in the electromagnetic (EM) basket.
SETI stands for the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Kindly note that the word ‘radio’ appears nowhere in that phrase, yet searching for artificial radio transmissions from extraterrestrial civilizations seems to be near synonymous with SETI, as reinforced via the popular movie “Contact” (based on Carl Sagan’s novel). Now there is nothing wrong with radio SETI. The search for radio waves has been well thought out and would appear to offer up the maximum chance for success. But, there are more ways to skin the SETI cat (as it were), and after 49 years of searching primarily via radio, I suggest that some more ways be adopted and explored. Any part of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is suitable and up for investigation, such as optical SETI (looking for laser beams) or infrared SETI (searching for Dyson Spheres) or just looking for alien artefacts (as in the novel/movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”). From that, we note that one can approach the study of UFOs and/or ancient astronauts as representing a form of SETI. Whatever investigation tells you that extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) exists, or once existed, or doesn’t exist at all (and a negative result is as important as a positive one) is SETI.
Continued from yesterday’s blog…
What SETI is the best SETI? It used to be radio telescopes tuned to the 21 cm frequency of neutral hydrogen (H). Then it became the ‘water hole’, that band of frequencies between neutral hydrogen and the hydroxyl (OH) radical – H + OH = the water molecule, hence the ‘water hole’ (a terrestrial place where many different species gather together for a common purpose). Since then, lots of astrobiology/SETI scientists have proposed lots of other possible radio frequencies, such that today, SETI searches tend to be broad spectrum ones rather than focusing on just one or two frequencies.
So, what SETI is the best SETI? Well, SETI has to be affordable and practicable. Expensive and exotic technologies probably won’t attract many research grants. To make that economic long story somewhat shorter, it got me to thinking that there’s a cheaper SETI option than current radio SETI. I refer to the mega-reams of ordinary astronomical data bits that must reside in various repositories. I don’t know how many bits of information in total exist, but I’d wager its lots and lots – enough to fill up an Australian Federal Parliament House perhaps!
Now over many decades of astronomical observations and data gathering, be it from the surface (optical and radio telescopes), balloons, satellites (in particular declassified data from military satellites), and space probes, ordinary astronomers have looked at same, written their peer-reviewed papers, and moved on to new topics of interest and observations. The interesting bit is that here we have these reams of data (and publications) by astronomers who had no interest at all in extraterrestrials (ET’s), ETI, or SETI, yet who might have, by accident, stumbled across an ETI signal without realizing it – because that wasn’t their agenda.
So, if someone with that agenda, were to comb through that already existing data (note – no need to request telescope time and associated hassles), then maybe, just maybe, there’s an ETI signal in all the pre-existing data-noise.
For example, as noted above, I doubt if ETI would try to draw attention to themselves via targeting solar systems with optical or radio beacons. An easier way would be to inject something unnatural into their parent star. If astronomers were to look at that star’s spectra, and notice something very anomalous, an element that just shouldn’t be there, that would be a potential, and verifiable, bona-fide potential SETI hit.
I’m also pretty skeptical about Dyson Spheres, but have all infra-red objects been closely examined for evidence of same? (I’m not sure how one could distinguish an artificial infra-red source from a natural one, but I’m sure there’s a way, or Dyson wouldn’t have proposed the idea.)
There could be any number of ETI large-scale astro-engineering projects, which could possibly be evidenced by examining existing astronomical data – if one had a view to looking for same from the start.
Another possibility would be detailed examination of the multi-thousands of high resolution lunar and Martian photographs for possible anomalies suggestive of an ETI presence/visitation in the far distant past. I doubt if scientists have had yet the time to closely examine all the photographs that must be on file. The ‘Face on Mars’ proved to be a ‘bust’ (pun intended), but maybe there’s something else awaiting examination and discovery and verification.
Speaking of the moon, there’s lots of observations of, and data relevant to Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLP), which might be suggestive of ETI since one might be hard-pressed to come up with geological solutions.
Anyway, the real point is that there are lots of possibilities of examining existing astronomical data for evidence of ETI.
As suggested immediately above, there needs to be a multi-approach to the issue. One doesn’t want to have all one’s SETI eggs in the radio SETI basket. Here are a few other approach suggestions.
There’s one approach in particular I find compelling. ETI will (at least initially) explore their cosmic environment via interstellar unmanned probes, not unlike our Pioneer 10 and 11, or Voyager 1 & 2 probes, albeit ours were local explorers not designed to explore other solar systems. The advantages of the (initial) unmanned approach is that such probes will be lightweight (no shielding or other life support systems required) and one-way, probably nuclear powered during flight, perhaps solar powered at voyage’s end. The main components would be bits for broadcasting, detection instrumentation, and propulsion. Such probes, designed to survey only ‘seek out new life [in general] and new civilizations [in particular]’ (among other scientific objectives) would be passive. They would scan alien solar systems for biological signatures (like planetary atmospheres in chemical disequilibrium) and zero in on those listening for indications of electromagnetic radiation with intelligent signatures. The probes wouldn’t actively broadcast to such worlds, rather communicate back any findings to their home world’s civilization – again, alert that populace of a potential neighbor which could be a potential (short or long term) threat.
So, assuming alien probes have probed our solar system, yet aren’t going to say “hi” – maybe they are already dead; no technology lasts forever – a SETI approach would be to look for them, a hard task I admit since probes will be small, and our solar system is vast by comparison.
In summary, here are a few fairly low cost SETI strategies. 1) Radio surveys of entire galaxies (billions of stars at a go) looking for an ultra advanced high technology civilization, the sort that would stand out in an entire galaxy. 2) Surveying nearby sun-like stars for electromagnetic leakage (like radar, radio, TV, etc.). It’s unlikely IMHO that we would be deliberately targeted by an optical or radio beacon, so we need to look for EM leakage. Because that would be relatively weak, the stars will have to be close, and should be similar to our sun. 3) Intense examination of highly detailed photographs of the moon and Mars for any signs of artificiality. 4) Examine with a fine tooth comb any existing astronomical data for anomalies suggestive of intelligence. For example, there could be anomalous spectral lines in stars, giving away the presence of atoms that shouldn’t be there but which were dumped into said star by ETI as a ways and means of attracting attention. 5) There should be a scholarly examination of terrestrial mythology, especially religious mythology, for hints of ETI. For example, do all gods in all the worlds religious mythologies live in the sky (like Heaven, or Valhalla ) and possess magical (technological) powers? 6) For once, there should be a serious examination of the UFO data to determine once and for all if there is a case for some UFO events exhibiting ETI technology.
I’ll wager one prediction based on past scientific discoveries. The first is hard, but when achieved, it leads to a flood of other similar finds. For example, in astronomy, there are extra-solar planets which were a long time in the detecting; today they are being discovered by the bucket load; likewise with Kuiper Belt objects, or near-Earth-crossing asteroids, or in biology, the discovery of extremeophiles or hydrothermal vent communities. Once you start looking and find one, Pandora’s Box just pours out her contents. I predict the same will be true in SETI. The first find will be long and hard – the next 100 discoveries will be short and easy.
I wish to make it clear that I totally support radio SETI to the hilt. It is bona fide science. Nothing ventured, nothing gained is applicable here. It’s just that radio SETI isn’t the only game in town, and I equally support and encourage any and all other search strategies. The sole exception is that if one wants to look for signs of ETI in other galaxies than our own, then radio SETI is just about the only game in town.
Conclusion: Don’t put all your SETI eggs in the electromagnetic (EM) basket.
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