OTHER: A multidisciplinary approach to the search for other inhabited worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funes, J.; Lares, M.; De los Rios, M.; Martiarena, M.; Ahumada, A. V.

2017-10-01

We present project OTHER (Otros mundos, tierra, humanidad, and espacio remoto), a multidisciplinary laboratory of ideas, that addresses questions related to the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligent life such as: what is life? how did it originate? what might be the criteria that we adopt to identify what we might call an extraterrestrial civilization? As a starting point, we consider the Drake equation which offers a platform from which to address these questions in a multidisciplinary approach. As part of the project OTHER, we propose to develop and explain the last two parameters of the Drake equation that we call the cultural factors: the fraction of intelligent civilizations that want or seek to communicate , and the average life time of the same, . The innovation of the project OTHER is the multidisciplinary approach in the context of the Argentine community. Our goal is to provide new ideas that could offer new perspectives on the old question: Are we alone?

Extraterrestrial intelligence? The search is on

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coulter, Gary R.

1991-01-01

NASA's SETI-Microwave Observing Project, beginning on October 12, 1992, will search the closest solar-type stars for radio signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. When completed in the year 2000, the NASA search will have surpassed the search volume of all prior searches by a factor of 10 exp 10. The world's largest radio telescopes will be employed, in conjunction with the NASA Deep Space Network communications antennas. The program will be led by NASA-Ames, with substantial contribution by JPL.

Communicating Concepts about Altruism in Interstellar Messages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

2002-01-01

This project identifies key principles of altruism that can be translated into interstellar messages for communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. The message contents will focus specifically on the evolution of altruism, drawing on recent insights in evolutionary biology, with particular emphasis on sociobiological accounts of kin selection and reciprocal altruism. This focus on altruism for message contents has several advantages. First, the subject can be translated into interstellar messages both via an existing formal interstellar language and via pictorial messages. For example, aspects of reciprocal altruism can be described through mathematical modeling, such as game theoretic approaches, which in turn can be described readily in the interstellar language Lincos. Second, concentrating on altruism as a message content may facilitate communications with extraterrestrial intelligence. Some scientists have argued that humans may be expected to communicate something about their moral status and development in an exchange with extraterrestrials. One of the most salient ways that terrestrial and extraterrestrial civilizations might be expected to evaluate one another is in terms of ethical motivations. Indeed, current search strategies assume some measure of altruism on the part of transmitting civilizations; with no guarantee of a response, the other civilization would be providing information to us with no direct payoff. Thus, concepts about altruism provide an appropriate content for interstellar messages, because the concepts themselves might be understood by extraterrestrial civilizations.

Human evolution in the age of the intelligent machine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclaughlin, W. I.

1983-01-01

A systems analysis of the future evolution of man can be conducted by analyzing the biological material of the galaxy into three subsystems: man, intelligent machines, and intelligent extraterrestrial organisms. A binomial interpretation is applied to this system wherein each of the subsystems is assigned a designation of success or failure. For man the two alternatives are, respectively, 'decline' or 'flourish', for machine they are 'become intelligent' or 'stay dumb', while for extraterrestrial intelligence the dichotomy is that of 'existence' or 'nonexistence'. The choices for each of three subsystems yield a total of eight possible states for the system. The relative lack of integration between brain components makes man a weak evolutionary contestant compared to machines. It is judged that machines should become dominant on earth within 100 years, probably by means of continuing development of existing man-machine systems. Advanced forms of extraterrestrial intelligence may exist but are too difficult to observe. The prospects for communication with extraterrestrial intelligence are reviewed.

Human evolution in the age of the intelligent machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, W. I.

A systems analysis of the future evolution of man can be conducted by analyzing the biological material of the galaxy into three subsystems: man, intelligent machines, and intelligent extraterrestrial organisms. A binomial interpretation is applied to this system wherein each of the subsystems is assigned a designation of success or failure. For man the two alternatives are, respectively, 'decline' or 'flourish', for machine they are 'become intelligent' or 'stay dumb', while for extraterrestrial intelligence the dichotomy is that of 'existence' or 'nonexistence'. The choices for each of three subsystems yield a total of eight possible states for the system. The relative lack of integration between brain components makes man a weak evolutionary contestant compared to machines. It is judged that machines should become dominant on earth within 100 years, probably by means of continuing development of existing man-machine systems. Advanced forms of extraterrestrial intelligence may exist but are too difficult to observe. The prospects for communication with extraterrestrial intelligence are reviewed.

The Strategies for SETV and the Search for Exogenous Intelligent Life on Planet Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2002-10-01

The main strategies of the present SETV (Search for Extraterrestrial Visitation) Project, one specific branch of the more general SETI project, are widely described and discussed, after showing the restrictions of the standard SETI procedures, such as the well-known Microwave Observing Project. An historical description of the first steps and scientific foundations of the SETV research is presented in detail, in particular: a) the first SETA (Search for Extraterrestrial Artifacts) theoretical studies and observational attempts that started at the end of the years -70; b) the theoretical concept of "interstellar migration" and the "diffusion equations" that, during the same years, were derived from a bio-astronomical application of stellar statistics and stellar evolution. Subsequently the main tasks and goals of the SETV project are introduced as they are conceived at the present time: the scientific search for robotic and/or inhabited probes that might be present both in the Solar System and on Earth. The possible reasons of interstellar migrations are discussed, together with propulsion systems that, according to most recent physics theories, might be employed to permit interstellar travel. A technical description of the necessary observational sensing devices of astrophysical kind, which are strategically and tactically intended to be employed to verify some theoretical predictions both in some critical areas of the Solar System and on Earth, is described. Concerning the possibility that space devices originated from exogenous intelligence too can visit Earth, the attention is drawn to some unknown aspects of still unexplained atmospheric anomalies. It is shown how a rigorous study of such anomalies can permit an important advancement in fundamental physics, which could come both from the understanding of the physical mechanism with which some (poorly understood so far) natural phenomena occur, and from the understanding of some exotic propulsion systems if they are produced by an extraterrestrial intelligence visiting our planet. The importance of studying the anomalies on Earth is to distinguish which ones of them might be possibly due to extraterrestrial intelligence, if this is really the case, and which ones are due to natural phenomena. The paper is accompanied with a rich bibliographic reference source concerning astronomy and physics general subjects, SETI, SETA, SETV, canonic (including Dyson theory) and exotic propulsion and transportation systems, and the physics of atmospheric anomalies.

SETV: an Extension of SETI?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2003-02-01

In the ambit of the SETI Project, a new branch named SETV (Search for Extraterrestrial Visitation) was born very recently due to the international effort of some engineers, astronomers and other researchers, and it is now in a development phase with several monitoring projects. SETV is aimed at investigating, by using well-tested means of physical and technological sciences, the possible evidence of extraterrestrial visitations inside our solar system. On the basis of statistical calculations of galactic migration, and of models coming from standard stellar evolution, Dyson theory and advanced possibilities invoked by theoretical physics, the historical excursus which turned the SETA hypothesis (Search for Extraterrestrial Artifacts), developed in the 80', into the present SETV definition, is presented in detail. The possibility that extraterrestrial intelligences are present inside our solar system with inhabited and/or robotic probes is discussed, including the possibility that our planet is one of their targets. A proposal concerning instrumented multi-wavelength surveys and identification of such exogenous probes is presented.

OAST Space Theme Workshop. Volume 2: Theme summary. 3: Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (no. 9). A: Theme statement. B. 26 April 1976 presentation. C. Summary. D. Newer initiatives (form 4). E. Initiative actions (form 5)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Preliminary (1977-1983), intermediate (1982-1988), and long term (1989+) phases of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) program are examined as well as the benefits to be derived in radioastronomy and the problems to be surmounted in radio frequency interference. The priorities, intrinsic value, criteria, and strategy for the search are discussed for both terrestrial and lunar-based CYCLOPS and for a space SETI system located at lunar liberation point L4. New initiatives related to antenna independent technology, multichannel analyzers, and radio frequency interference shielding are listed. Projected SETI program costs are included.

A Parameter Space as an Improved Tool for Investigating Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, S.

2014-06-01

For the past half century the Drake Equation and the Fermi Paradox have provided the intellectual foundation for investigating the possible existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. But both the Equation and the Paradox are flawed and of questionable scientific utility. A replacement needs to be found, based on a different principle, and a parameter space for extraterrestrial intelligence is proposed as an improved tool of thought. This generates six distinct scenarios, whose implications for SETI are discussed.

Telecommunications and data acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Deep Space Network progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations is reported. In addition, developments in Earth based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics, and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

L factor: hope and fear in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, Charles T.

2001-08-01

The L factor in the Drake equation is widely understood to account for most of the variance in estimates of the number of extraterrestrial intelligences that might be contacted by the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). It is also among the hardest to quantify. An examination of discussions of the L factor in the popular and technical SETI literature suggests that attempts to estimate L involve a variety of potentially conflicting assumptions about civilizational lifespan that reflect hopes and fears about the human future.

At what wavelengths should we search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence? (SETI/infrared communication/interstellar communication/extraterrestrial intelligence)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townes, C. H.

1979-01-01

Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence concentrate on attempts to receive signals in the microwave region, the argument being given that communication occurs there at minimum broadcasted power. Such a conclusion is shown to result only under a restricted set of assumptions. If generalized types of detection are considered, in particular photon detection rather than linear detection alone, and if advantage is taken of the directivity of telescopes at short wavelengths, then somewhat less power is required for communication at infrared wavelengths than in the microwave region. Furthermore, a variety of parameters other than power alone can be chosen for optimization by an extraterrestrial civilization.

The telecommunications and data acquisition report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A.

1980-01-01

Deep Space Network progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implemention, and operations is documented. In addition, developments in Earth based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics, and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1986-01-01

Deep Space Network progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations is documented. In addition, developments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

Captain Cook, the Terrestrial Planet Finder and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beichman, C.

2002-01-01

A recently completed NASA study has concluded that a Terrestrial Planet Finder could be launched within a decade to detect terrestrial planets around nearby stars. Such a mission, complemented by projects (Kepler and Eddington) that will provide statistical information on the frequency of Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone, will determine key terms in the Drake equation that describes the number of intelligent civilizations in the Universe.

Anthropomorphism in the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence - The limits of cognition?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohlmann, Ulrike M.; Bürger, Moritz J. F.

2018-02-01

The question "Are we alone?" lingers in the human mind since ancient times. Early human civilisations populated the heavens above with a multitude of Gods endowed with some all too human characteristics - from their outer appearance to their innermost motivations. En passant they created thereby their own cultural founding myths on which they built their understanding of the world and its phenomena and deduced as well rules for the functioning of their own society. Advancing technology has enabled us to conduct this human quest for knowledge with more scientific means: optical and radio-wavelengths are being monitored for messages by an extra-terrestrial intelligence and active messaging attempts have also been undertaken. Scenarios have been developed for a possible detection of extra-terrestrial intelligence and post-detection guidelines and protocols have been elaborated. The human responses to the whole array of questions concerning the potential existence, discovery of and communication/interaction with an extra-terrestrial intelligence share as one clear thread a profound anthropomorphism, which ascribes classical human behavioural patterns also to an extra-terrestrial intelligence in much the same way as our ancestors attributed comparable conducts to mythological figures. This paper aims at pinpointing this thread in a number of classical reactions to basic questions related to the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. Many of these reactions are based on human motives such as curiosity and fear, rationalised by experience and historical analogy and modelled in the Science Fiction Culture by literature and movies. Scrutinising the classical hypothetical explanations of the Fermi paradox under the angle of a potentially undue anthropomorphism, this paper intends to assist in understanding our human epistemological limitations in the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. This attempt is structured into a series of questions: I. Can we be alone? II. Who are we looking for? III. Or what are we looking for? IV. Where is everybody? V. What if we make contact and VI. So, what now?

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Deep Space Network (DSN) progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operation is discussed. In addition, developments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

Do potential SETI signals need to be decontaminated?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrigan, Richard A., Jr.

2006-01-01

Biological contamination from space samples is a remote but accepted possibility. Signals received by searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) could also contain harmful information in the spirit of a computer virus, the so-called "SETI Hacker" hypothesis. Over the last four decades extraterrestrial intelligence searches have given little consideration to this possibility. Some argue that information in an extraterrestrial signal could not attack a terrestrial computer because the computer logic and code is idiosyncratic and constitutes an impenetrable firewall. Suggestions are given on how to probe these arguments. Measures for decontaminating extraterrestrial intelligence signals (ETI) are discussed. Modifications to the current SETI detection protocol may be appropriate. Beyond that, the potential character of ETI message content requires much broader discussion.

Five Strategies for Detecting Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tough, Allen

If highly intelligent life has evolved elsewhere in our galaxy, how might scientists detect it? This paper compares eleven search strategies on three dimensions. Which strategies are most likely to detect extraterrestrial intelligence or technology? Which strategies, if successful, will likely contribute a wealth of knowledge? What is the current status of actual projects? In order to detect evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence or technology many light-years from Earth, astronomers can search for (1) radio signals, using various approaches, (2) laser or other optical signals, (3) other incoming signals, or (4) signs of an astroengineering project or Dyson sphere. Scientists could also (5) broadcast a radio message asking distant civilizations to respond. Additional strategies arise because any civilizations in our galaxy are probably much older than us and will therefore have technology far beyond ours. A technologically sophisticated civilization could likely send a small but super-smart probe to explore our solar system. An alien probe in our solar system, beyond the Moon, might be detected (6) by ongoing astronomy and space exploration, or (7) by a dedicated search for evidence of a probe or its byproducts. If a super-smart probe has reached Earth, it might be detected (8) by routine military and intelligence monitoring, (9) by an invitation to ETI on the World Wide Web, (10) by achieving peace or some other threshold that the probe requires before contact, or (11) by developing rigorous new research designs to study anomalous phenomena.

Philosophical issues in the search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Jean

2013-07-01

In the search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence, it is essential to clarify what is to be meant by `life' and `intelligence'. I first analyse what it means to `define' these words. I will show that some philosophical prejudice is unavoidable. As a working hypothesis, I consider two types of philosophy: `natural philosophy', seeking for some essence of things, and `critical (or analytical) philosophy', devoted to the analysis of the procedures by which we claim to construct a reality. An extension of critical philosophy, epistemo-analysis (i.e. the psycho-analysis of concepts) is presented and applied to the definition of exolife and to extraterrestrial `intelligence'. Some pragmatic conclusions are finally drawn for future search strategies.

[An encounter with extraterrestrial intelligence].

PubMed

Hisabayashi, Hisashi

2003-12-01

It is much easier to find extraterrestrial intelligence than to detect simple organisms living on other planets. However, it is hard to communicate with such intelligence without the mutual understanding of inter-stellar communication protocol. The radio SETI (The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) was initiated with the pioneering work of F. Drake in 1960, one year after the historical SETI paper by Cocconi and Morrison. This talk explains that SETI evolves with two bases of science; the understanding of our universe and the development of technology. Since SETI has had strong connection with radio astronomy from its early beginning, the impacts of radio astronomical findings and technological breakthrough can be seen in many aspects of the SETI history. Topics of this talk include the detection of microwave 3 K background radiation in the universe. Interstellar atomic and molecular lines found in radio-wave spectra provide the evidence of pre-biotic chemical evolution in such region. Radio telescope imaging and spectral technique are closely associated with methodology of SETI. Topics of the talk extend to new Allen Telescope Array and projected Square Kilometer Array. Recent optical SETI and the discoveries of extra solar planets are also explained. In the end, the recent understanding of our universe is briefly introduced in terms of matter, dark matter and dark energy. Even our understanding of the universe has been evolutionarily revolved and accumulated after 1960, we must recognize that our universe is still poorly understood and that astronomy and SETI are required to proceed hand in hand.

Project OASIS: The Design of a Signal Detector for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lord, S. (Editor); Dixon, R. (Editor); Healy, T. (Editor)

1981-01-01

An 8 million channel spectrum analyzer (MCSA) was designed the meet to meet the needs of a SETI program. The MCSA puts out a very large data base at very high rates. The development of a device which follows the MCSA, is presented.

Efficient computational methods to study new and innovative signal detection techniques in SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deans, Stanley R.

1991-01-01

The purpose of the research reported here is to provide a rapid computational method for computing various statistical parameters associated with overlapped Hann spectra. These results are important for the Targeted Search part of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Microwave Observing Project.

The NASA HRMS educational outreach program - Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence while developing extraintelligent terrestrials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coulter, Gary R.; O'Sullivan, Kathleen; Milne, David; Stoneburner, Cara

1993-01-01

Students, young and old, find extraterrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all science topics. A curriculum development project co-funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to develop and test third through ninth grade science lessons that draw upon this fascination to focus student interest on science and mathematics. Individual lessons are designed by teachers and curriculum developers, tested in classrooms, revised and re-tested prior to distribution. A series of guides, each containing 10 to 15 lessons, will be finished by late summer 1994.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucher, A.

1985-01-01

The development of NASA's SETI project and strategies for searching radio signals are reviewed. A computer program was written in FORTRAN to set up data from observations taken at Jodrell Bank. These data are to be used with a larger program to find the average radio signal strength at each of the approximately 63,000 channels.

Christian Soteriology and Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weidemann, C.

The paper presents an argument for the incompatibility of classical Christian soteriology (doctrine of salvation) with belief in numerous extraterrestrial intelligent life forms (ETI). Four popular answers to the problem are discussed and rejected: a) unlike humanity, extraterrestrial intelligent species are not in need of salvation; b) Jesus of Nazareth has reconciled the entire cosmos to God; c) God or the second person of the Trinity has incarnated (or will incarnate) himself multiple times; d) alien sinners have been or are going to be saved by means different from a divine incarnation. The final section deals with remaining options for rational Christian believers and speculates briefly about consequences for interstellar space flight.

Extraterrestrial intelligence - An observational approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, B.; Gulkis, S.; Edelson, R. E.

1978-01-01

The article surveys present and proposed search techniques for extraterrestrial intelligence in terms of technological requirements. It is proposed that computer systems used along with existing antennas may be utilized to search for radio signals over a broad frequency range. A general search within the electromagnetic spectrum would explore frequency, received power flux, spatial locations, and modulation. Previous SETI projects (beginning in 1960) are briefly described. An observation project is proposed in which the earth's rotational motion would scan the antenna beam along one declination circle in 24 hours. The 15 degree beam width would yield a mapping of 75% of the sky in an 8-day period if the beam were shifted 15 degrees per day. With the proposed instrument parameters, a sensitivity of about 10 to the -21 watt/sq m is achieved at a 0 degree declination and 1.5 GHz. In a second phase, a 26 m antenna would yield an HPBW of 0.8 degrees at 1 GHz and 0.03 degrees at 25 GHz. It is noted that the described technology would provide secondary benefits for radio astronomy, radio communications, and other fields.

At what wavelengths should we search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence?

PubMed Central

Townes, C. H.

1983-01-01

It has often been concluded that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) should concentrate on attempts to receive signals in the microwave region, the argument being given that communication can occur there at minimum broadcasted power. Such a conclusion is shown to result only under a restricted set of assumptions. If generalized types of detection are considered—in particular, photon detection rather than linear detection alone—and if advantage is taken of the directivity of telescopes at short wavelengths, then somewhat less power is required for communication at infrared wavelengths than in the microwave region. Furthermore, a variety of parameters other than power alone may be chosen for optimization by an extraterrestrial civilization. Hence, while partially satisfying arguments may be given about optimal wavelengths for a search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence, considerable uncertainty must remain. PMID:16593279

At what wavelengths should we search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence?

PubMed

Townes, C H

1983-02-01

It has often been concluded that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) should concentrate on attempts to receive signals in the microwave region, the argument being given that communication can occur there at minimum broadcasted power. Such a conclusion is shown to result only under a restricted set of assumptions. If generalized types of detection are considered-in particular, photon detection rather than linear detection alone-and if advantage is taken of the directivity of telescopes at short wavelengths, then somewhat less power is required for communication at infrared wavelengths than in the microwave region. Furthermore, a variety of parameters other than power alone may be chosen for optimization by an extraterrestrial civilization. Hence, while partially satisfying arguments may be given about optimal wavelengths for a search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence, considerable uncertainty must remain.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Barrie W.

2003-01-01

Traces the efforts of Searching for Extraterrestrial Technological Intelligence (SETI) since 1960 when a radio-telescope was used to see if any messages were being sent from the vicinity of two nearby stars. Describes attempts to detect microwave/optical signals and technological modification of the cosmic environment. (Author/KHR)

Polyphase-discrete Fourier transform spectrum analysis for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence sky survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, G. A.; Gulkis, S.

1991-01-01

The sensitivity of a matched filter-detection system to a finite-duration continuous wave (CW) tone is compared with the sensitivities of a windowed discrete Fourier transform (DFT) system and an ideal bandpass filter-bank system. These comparisons are made in the context of the NASA Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) microwave observing project (MOP) sky survey. A review of the theory of polyphase-DFT filter banks and its relationship to the well-known windowed-DFT process is presented. The polyphase-DFT system approximates the ideal bandpass filter bank by using as few as eight filter taps per polyphase branch. An improvement in sensitivity of approx. 3 dB over a windowed-DFT system can be obtained by using the polyphase-DFT approach. Sidelobe rejection of the polyphase-DFT system is vastly superior to the windowed-DFT system, thereby improving its performance in the presence of radio frequency interference (RFI).

Ten years of the international review meetings on Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence /CETI/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesek, R.; Billingham, J.

1981-01-01

The development of ideas on CETI within the international community over the past five years is reviewed, and the outlook for future CETI activities is discussed. The growth of review sessions on CETI held annually by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) is considered, with particular attention given to the issue of radio frequency allocation for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. CETI activities outside the IAA are then examined, including the Viking search for life on Mars, Project Orion for the detection of extrasolar planetary systems, SETI programs undertaken in the U.S. and Soviet Union, and the development of multispectral spectrum analyzers and signal processors. The expected future development of CETI strategies, techniques and instrumentation as well as popular and scientific interest in SETI are discussed, and it is noted that the IAA sessions remain the only regular international forum for the exchange of data on all aspects of CETI.

Extraterrestrial intelligence? Not likely.

PubMed

DeVore, I

2001-12-01

The possibility that there exist extraterrestrial creatures with advanced intelligence is considered by examining major events in mammalian, primate, and human evolution on earth. The overwhelming evidence is that the evolution of intelligence in creatures elsewhere who have the capability to communicate with us is vanishingly small. The history of the evolution of advanced forms of life on this planet is so beset by adventitious, unpredictable events and multiple contingencies that the evolution of human-level intelligence is highly unlikely on any planet, including earth.

Information theory, animal communication, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, Laurance R.; McCowan, Brenda; Johnston, Simon; Hanser, Sean F.

2011-02-01

We present ongoing research in the application of information theory to animal communication systems with the goal of developing additional detectors and estimators for possible extraterrestrial intelligent signals. Regardless of the species, for intelligence (i.e., complex knowledge) to be transmitted certain rules of information theory must still be obeyed. We demonstrate some preliminary results of applying information theory to socially complex marine mammal species (bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales) as well as arboreal squirrel monkeys, because they almost exclusively rely on vocal signals for their communications, producing signals which can be readily characterized by signal analysis. Metrics such as Zipf's Law and higher-order information-entropic structure are emerging as indicators of the communicative complexity characteristic of an "intelligent message" content within these animals' signals, perhaps not surprising given these species' social complexity. In addition to human languages, for comparison we also apply these metrics to pulsar signals—perhaps (arguably) the most "organized" of stellar systems—as an example of astrophysical systems that would have to be distinguished from an extraterrestrial intelligence message by such information theoretic filters. We also look at a message transmitted from Earth (Arecibo Observatory) that contains a lot of meaning but little information in the mathematical sense we define it here. We conclude that the study of non-human communication systems on our own planet can make a valuable contribution to the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence by providing quantitative general measures of communicative complexity. Studying the complex communication systems of other intelligent species on our own planet may also be one of the best ways to deprovincialize our thinking about extraterrestrial communication systems in general.

Toward a new cosmic consciousness: Psychoeducational aspects of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De la Torre, Gabriel G.

2014-02-01

This study presents a new approach to the concept of cosmic consciousness integrated in current neuroscience knowledge and discusses implications for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. It also examines different aspects related to consciousness and how it may play a key role in the understanding of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and life in the Universe and its implications. Subjects (n=116) were college students from Spain, the United States, and Italy. Subjects responded to a questionnaire comprising five different sections: (A) religious beliefs, (B) environment and general opinion, (C) astronomy, (D) contact, and (E) attention and perception. The results showed the importance of several modular aspects that affect Space awareness in humans. Preliminary results are discussed with regard to current neuroscience, factor analysis, and possible implications for the understanding of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The roles of education, new search strategies, and possible contact scenarios are also discussed.

On the plurality of inhabited worlds: a brief history of extraterrestrialism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brake, Mark

2006-10-01

This paper delineates the cultural evolution of the ancient idea of a plurality of inhabited worlds, and traces its development through to contemporary extraterrestrialism, with its foundation in the physical determinism of cosmology, and its attendant myths of alien contact drawn from examples of British film and fiction. We shall see that, in the evolving debate of the existence of extraterrestrial life and intelligence, science and science fiction have benefited from an increasingly symbiotic relationship. Modern extraterrestrialism has influenced both the scientific searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and become one of the most pervasive cultural myths of the 20th century. Not only has pluralism found a voice in fiction through the alien, but fiction has also inspired science to broach questions in the real world.

Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence - The ultimate exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, D.; Tarter, J.; Cuzzi, J. N.; Conners, M.; Clark, T. A.

1977-01-01

A survey highlighting the central issues of the SETI program (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), including its rationale, scope, search problems, and goals is presented. Electromagnetic radiation is suggested as the most likely means via which knowledge of extraterrestrial intelligence will be obtained, and the variables governing these signals are discussed, including: signal frequency and polarization, state, possible coordinates, and signal duration. The modern history of SETI and NASA's involvement is briefly reviewed, and the search strategies used by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Ames Research Center are discussed and compared. Some of the potential scientific and cultural impacts of the SETI program are mentioned, noting advancements in technological, biological, and chemical research.

The search for extra-terrestrial intelligence.

PubMed

Drake, Frank

2011-02-13

Modern history of the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence is reviewed. The history of radio searches is discussed, as well as the major advances that have occurred in radio searches and prospects for new instruments and search strategies. Recent recognition that searches for optical and infrared signals make sense, and the reasons for this are described, as well as the equipment and special detection methods used in optical searches. The long-range future of the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) is discussed in the context of the history of rapid change, on the cosmic and even the human time scale, of the paradigms guiding SETI searches. This suggests that SETI searches be conducted with a very open mind.

Spin-Off Successes of SETI Research at Berkeley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, K. A.; Anderson, D. P.; Bankay, R.; Chen, H.; Cobb, J.; Korpela, E. J.; Lebofsky, M.; Parsons, A.; von Korff, J.; Werthimer, D.

2009-12-01

Our group contributes to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) by developing and using world-class signal processing computers to analyze data collected on the Arecibo telescope. Although no patterned signal of extra-terrestrial origin has yet been detected, and the immediate prospects for making such a detection are highly uncertain, the SETI@home project has nonetheless proven the value of pursuing such research through its impact on the fields of distributed computing, real-time signal processing, and radio astronomy. The SETI@home project has spun off the Center for Astronomy Signal Processing and Electronics Research (CASPER) and the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Networked Computing (BOINC), both of which are responsible for catalyzing a smorgasbord of new research in scientific disciplines in countries around the world. Futhermore, the data collected and archived for the SETI@home project is proving valuable in data-mining experiments for mapping neutral galatic hydrogen and for detecting black-hole evaporation.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1986-01-01

This publication, one of a series formerly titled The Deep Space Network (DSN) Progress Report, documents DSN progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations. In addition, developments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics, and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1988-01-01

This publication, one of a series formerly titled The Deep Space Network Progress Report, documents DSN progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations. In addition, developments in earth-based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics, and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report. [Deep Space Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1986-01-01

This publication, one of a series formerly titled The Deep Space Network Progress Report, documents DSN progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations. In addition, developments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morrison, P.; Billingham, J.; Wolfe, J.

1979-01-01

The findings of a series of workshops on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are presented. The major conclusions of the deliberations are presented. Six of the most interesting and significant elements of the debate are presented in the form of Colloquies. A selection of detailed technical arguments about various aspects of the SETI endeavor is documented. (GHT)

The Impact of Discovering Life beyond Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Steven J.

2016-01-01

Introduction: astrobiology and society Steven J. Dick; Part I. Motivations and Approaches. How Do We Frame the Problems of Discovery and Impact?: Introduction; 1. Current approaches to finding life beyond earth, and what happens if we do Seth Shostak; 2. The philosophy of astrobiology: the Copernican and Darwinian presuppositions Iris Fry; 3. History, discovery, analogy: three approaches to the impact of discovering life beyond earth Steven J. Dick; 4. Silent impact: why the discovery of extraterrestrial life should be silent Clément Vidal; Part II. Transcending Anthropocentrism. How Do We Move beyond our Own Preconceptions of Life, Intelligence and Culture?: Introduction; 5. The landscape of life Dirk Schulze-Makuch; 6. The landscape of intelligence Lori Marino; 7. Universal biology: assessing universality from a single example Carlos Mariscal; 8. Equating culture, civilization, and moral development in imagining extraterrestrial intelligence: anthropocentric assumptions? John Traphagan; 9. Communicating with the other: infinity, geometry, and universal math and science Douglas Vakoch; Part III. Philosophical, Theological, and Moral Impact. How Do We Comprehend the Cultural Challenges Raised by Discovery?: Introduction; 10. Life, intelligence and the pursuit of value in cosmic evolution Mark Lupisella; 11. 'Klaatu barada nikto' - or, do they really think like us? Michael Ruse; 12. Alien minds Susan Schneider; 13. The moral subject of astrobiology: guideposts for exploring our ethical and political responsibilities towards extraterrestrial life Elspeth Wilson and Carol Cleland; 14. Astrobiology and theology Robin Lovin; 15. Would you baptize an extraterrestrial? Guy Consolmagno, SJ; Part IV. Practical Considerations: How Should Society Prepare for Discovery - and Non-Discovery?: Introduction; 16. Is there anything new about astrobiology and society? Jane Maienschein; 17. Evaluating preparedness for the discovery of extraterrestrial life: considering potential risks, impacts and plans Margaret Race; 18. Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence: preparing for an expected paradigm break Michael A. G. Michaud; 19. SETI in non-western perspective John Traphagan and Julian W. Traphagan; 20. The allure of alien life: public and media framings of extraterrestrial life Linda Billings; 21. Internalizing null extraterrestrial 'signals': an astrobiological app for a technological society Eric Chaisson; Index.

Hello Out There.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giberson, Karl; Brown, Laura

1997-01-01

Presents an activity that begins with a discussion that leads into the rationale behind the techniques used in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program. Students decode a message intended for extraterrestrials and consider a number of topics related to the possible existence of extraterrestrials. (DDR)

SETI: Spreading the net

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carstairs, Ian R.

2002-12-01

Ian R Carstairs reports on efforts to extend the search for extraterrestrial intelligence to X and γ-ray regions. Traditional Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) strategies have used radio, microwave and, to a limited extent, optical searches. But this ignores the higher energy X and γ-ray regions that a technologically advanced extraterrestrial civilization might use to attract our attention - using messages encoded in discrete photon-counting exchange, much like the signals seen from pulsars. Here, the methods used in high-energy pulsar detection and analysis are reviewed and applied to this new SETI initiative.

The longevity of habitable planets and the development of intelligent life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, Fergus

2017-07-01

Why did the emergence of our species require a timescale similar to the entire habitable period of our planet? Our late appearance has previously been interpreted by Carter (2008) as evidence that observers typically require a very long development time, implying that intelligent life is a rare occurrence. Here we present an alternative explanation, which simply asserts that many planets possess brief periods of habitability. We also propose that the rate-limiting step for the formation of observers is the enlargement of species from an initially microbial state. In this scenario, the development of intelligent life is a slow but almost inevitable process, greatly enhancing the prospects of future search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) experiments such as the Breakthrough Listen project.

Alien Mindscapes—A Perspective on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrol, Nathalie A.

2016-09-01

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 (SETI1), 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.

Beyond the Drake Equation: On the Probability of the Nature of Extraterrestrial Life Forms in Our Galaxy Today

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geller, Harold A.

2014-01-01

I will discuss my research into the issues associated with the nature of any extraterrestrials that may be encountered in the future in our galaxy. This research was sparked by statements made by Stephen Hawking in 2010 regarding his fear of emitting radiation from our Earth so that an extraterrestrial intelligent civilization may be alerted to our existence in the galaxy today. While addressing issues of extraterrestrial altruism, a probabilistic equation was developed which addresses the number of extraterrestrial intelligent life forms that may exist in our galaxy today, who could use our bodies for nourishment or reproductive purposes. The equation begins with the results from a Drake Equation calculation, and proceeds by addressing such biochemical parameters as the fraction of ETIs with: dextro sugar stereo-isomers; levo amino acid stereo-isomers; similar codon interpretation; chromosomal length and, similar cell membrane structure to allow egg penetration.

Low on the London Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, S.

2013-09-01

Until relatively recently, many authors have assumed that if extraterrestrial life is discovered it will be via the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence: we can best try to detect life by adopting the SETI approach of trying to detect beacons or artefacts. The Rio Scale, proposed by Almár and Tarter in 2000, is a tool for quantifying the potential significance for society of any such reported detection. However, improvements in technology and advances in astrobiology raise the possibility that the discovery of extraterrestrial life will instead be via the detection of atmospheric biosignatures. The London Scale, proposed by Almár in 2010, attempts to quantify the potential significance of the discovery of extraterrestrial life rather than extraterrestrial intelligence. What might be the consequences of the announcement of a discovery that ranks low on the London Scale? In other words, what might be society's reaction if 'first contact' is via the remote sensing of the byproducts of unicellular organisms rather than with the products of high intelligence? Here, I examine some possible reactions to that question; in particular, I discuss how such an announcement might affect our views of life here on Earth and of humanity's place in the universe.

Status of the NASA SETI Sky Survey microwave observing project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. J.; Gulkis, S.; Wilck, H. C.; Olsen, E. T.; Garyantes, M. F.; Burns, D. J.; Asmar, P. R.; Brady, R. B.; Deich, W. T. S.; Renzetti, N. A.

1992-01-01

The Sky Survey observing program is one of two complementary strategies that NASA plans to use in its microwave Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The primary objective of the Sky Survey is to search the entire sky over the frequency range 1000-10,000 MHz for evidence of narrow band signals of extraterrestrial, intelligent origin. Spectrum analyzers with upwards of 10 million channels and data rates in excess of 10 gigabits per second are required to complete the survey in less than 7 years. To lay the foundation for the operational SETI Sky Survey, a prototype system has been built to test and refine real time signal detection algorithms, to test scan strategies and observatory control functions, and to test algorithms designed to reject radio frequency interference. This paper presents a high level description of the prototype hardware and reports on the preparations to deploy the system to the 34-m antenna at the research and development station of NASA's Deep Space Communication Complex, Goldstone, California.

Status of the NASA SETI Sky Survey microwave observing project.

PubMed

Klein, M J; Gulkis, S; Wilck, H C; Olsen, E T; Garyantes, M F; Burns, D J; Asmar, P R; Brady, R B; Deich, W T; Renzetti, N A

1992-01-01

The Sky Survey observing program is one of two complementary strategies that NASA plans to use in its microwave Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The primary objective of the Sky Survey is to search the entire sky over the frequency range 1000-10,000 MHz for evidence of narrow band signals of extraterrestrial, intelligent origin. Spectrum analyzers with upwards of 10 million channels and data rates in excess of 10 gigabits per second are required to complete the survey in less than 7 years. To lay the foundation for the operational SETI Sky Survey, a prototype system has been built to test and refine real time signal detection algorithms, to test scan strategies and observatory control functions, and to test algorithms designed to reject radio frequency interference. This paper presents a high level description of the prototype hardware and software and reports on the preparations to deploy the system to the 34-m antenna at the research and development station of NASA's Deep Space Communication Complex, Goldstone, California.

Searching for alien artifacts on the moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, P. C. W.; Wagner, R. V.

2013-08-01

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has a low probability of success, but it would have a high impact if successful. Therefore it makes sense to widen the search as much as possible within the confines of the modest budget and limited resources currently available. To date, SETI has been dominated by the paradigm of seeking deliberately beamed radio messages. However, indirect evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence could come from any incontrovertible signatures of non-human technology. Existing searchable databases from astronomy, biology, earth and planetary sciences all offer low-cost opportunities to seek a footprint of extraterrestrial technology. In this paper we take as a case study one particular new and rapidly-expanding database: the photographic mapping of the Moon's surface by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to 0.5 m resolution. Although there is only a tiny probability that alien technology would have left traces on the moon in the form of an artifact or surface modification of lunar features, this location has the virtue of being close, and of preserving traces for an immense duration. Systematic scrutiny of the LRO photographic images is being routinely conducted anyway for planetary science purposes, and this program could readily be expanded and outsourced at little extra cost to accommodate SETI goals, after the fashion of the SETI@home and Galaxy Zoo projects.

Supra-Earth affairs.

PubMed

Othman, Mazlan

2011-02-13

The United Nations briefly considered the issue of extra-terrestrial intelligence at the 32nd session of the General Assembly in 1977. As a result, the Office of Outer Space Affairs was tasked to prepare a document on issues related to 'messages to extra-terrestrial civilizations', but this area has not been followed through in more recent times. This discussion paper describes the United Nations' activities in the field of near-Earth objects in some detail, and suggests that this might be used as a model of how Member States could proceed with dealing with this issue in case the existence of extra-terrestrial life/intelligence is established.

We are alone in our Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tipler, F. J.

1982-10-01

An assessment is presented of the probability of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life in view of biological evolutionary constraints, in order to furnish some perspective for the hopes and claims of search of extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) enthusiasts. Attention is given to a hypothetical extraterrestrial civilization's exploration/colonization of interstellar space by means of von Neumann machine-like, endlessly self-replicating space probes which would eventually reach the planetary systems of all stars in the Galaxy. These probes would be able to replicate the biology of their creator species, upon reaching a hospitable planet. It is suggested that the fundamental technological feasibility of such schemes, and their geometrically progressive comprehension of the Galaxy, would make actual colonization of the earth by extraterrestrials so probable as to destroy the hopes of SETI backers for occasional contact.

Asteroids and Aliens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostro, S.

1999-01-01

Discussion of extraterrestrial life (ETL) and extraterrestrial intelligent life (ETI) is extraordinarily complex and mulitidisciplinary, in part because relevant questions involve both the origin/evolution of terrestrial life and the future of human civilization.

Anthropological Contributions to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, D. A.

2009-12-01

Three recent annual conferences of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) have included symposia on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). This paper reviews these symposia, which dealt with themes associated with the overarching AAA conference themes for each year: in 2004, the SETI session addressed Anthropology, Archaeology, and Interstellar Communication: Science and the Knowledge of Distant Worlds; in 2005, it dealt with Historical Perspectives on Anthropology and SETI; and in 2006, the session examined Culture, Anthropology, and SETI. Among the topics considered in these symposia were analogues for contact with extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), examining anthropologists’ experience in the field encountering other cultures-past and present. Similarly, the methodologies of archaeologists provide analogies for making contact with temporally distant civilizations, based on reconstructions from fragmentary information. Case studies helped make such analogies concrete in the symposia. The challenges of comprehending intelligences with different mental worlds was explored through a study of the meetings of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, for example, while the decryption of Mayan hieroglyphics provided lessons on understanding others of own species.

Cultural aspects of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billingham, J.

SETI is an acronym which stands for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. The NASA SETI High Resolution Microwave Survey Project is a new and comprehensive search for evidence of microwave signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. It will formally begin on October 12, 1992, and last to the end of the century. The discovery of another form of intelligent life would be an important milestone for our civilization. In addition to the new scientific knowledge that we might acquire on the chemistry, physiology, behavior and evolutionary history of extraterrestrial life forms, we may also learn of the cultural achievements of another civilization, or indeed of many other civilizations. It is likely that the society that we detect will be much in advance of our own, so that they may long ago have passed through the evolutionary stage we are at now. The implications of such a discovery would have important consequences for our own future. This paper presents an analysis of some of the important areas which will require study as we approach the beginning of the NASA search. There are significant questions about the ease or difficulty of incorporating the new knowledge into the belief structures of different religions. Sociological and educational changes over time may equal or exceed those of the Copernican revolution. The status of the other civilization relative to ours is a challenging question for international space law. There are institutional and international questions on who will represent Earth in any future interstellar communication endeavors that we may attempt. There may be challenges in how we absorb the knowledge of an advanced technology. In political science we may have much to learn from their history, and what influence it may have on our own future. Last but not least, there is the effect of the discovery on individual and group psychology. These are the cultural aspects of SETI. Each area warrants further study, and recommendations are made as to the mechanisms which could be used to undertake such studies.

Alien Mindscapes—A Perspective on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract 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 (SETI1), 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. PMID:27383691

Alien Mindscapes-A Perspective on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

PubMed

Cabrol, Nathalie A

2016-09-01

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. SETI-Astrobiology-Coevolution of Earth and life-Planetary habitability and biosignatures. Astrobiology 16, 661-676.

The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarter, J.

1998-12-01

Aliens abound on the movie screens, but in reality we are still trying to find out if we share our universe with other sentient creatures. Intelligence is very difficult to define, and impossible to directly detect over interstellar distances. Therefore, SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is actually an attempt to detect evidence of another distant technology. If we find such evidence, we will infer the existence of intelligent technologists. For the past 36 years, the SETI community has had a very pragmatic definition of intelligence - the ability to build radio telescopes! Radio signals are not the only possible way to detect a technology across the vast distances that separate the stars, but given our own current technological state, it remains the best way.

The Ethical Implications for Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuart, Jill

2012-05-01

Ethical frameworks seek to normatively structure our behaviour and preconstitute expectations with regards to moral activity towards each other as well as other creatures and even non-sentient objects such as the environment. This paper considers how ongoing ethical discussions relating to earth-based interactions can be used as analogies to inform nascent conversations about potential future encounters with extraterrestrial life—while also highlighting where these geocentric conversations may fail to capture the unique dynamics of potential extraterrestrial encounters. The paper specifically considers the spectrum of ethical frameworks currently used in earth-based interactions and how they might apply outside the geocentric referent; from ethics towards non- sentient life on earth such as plants and the environment; to ethics towards sentient but ‘unintelligent' life; to intelligent life nonetheless deemed less intelligent than humans. Next the paper considers interactions that we have yet to (knowingly) have encountered here on earth: the ethics of interactions with life more intelligent than ourselves; and finally the ethics of interaction with robotic ‘post-biological' forms, which some specialists in extraterrestrial communications have speculated will likely be the form of ‘creatures' to be encountered should contact with extraterrestrials ever be made. Finally the paper will address deeper philosophical-ethical questions about the significance of such an exercise in shifting ethical frameworks from an anthropocentric perspective.

A lunar base for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, Bernard M.

1988-01-01

The possibilities of using lanar based radio antennas in search of intelligent extraterrestrial communications is explored. The proposed NASA search will have two search modes: (1) An all sky survey covering the frequency range from 1 to 10 GHz; and (2) A high sensitivity targeted search listening for signals from the approx. 800 solar type stars within 80 light years of the Sun, and covering 1 to 3 GHz.

Chemical studies on the existence of extraterrestrial life.

PubMed

Ponnamperuma, C; Honda, Y; Navarro-González, R

1992-01-01

Although the search for extraterrestrial intelligence has not produced any direct evidence of extraterrestrial life, the emergence of life on Earth, which appears to be controlled by universal laws of physics and chemistry, must have been repeated elsewhere in the universe. The experimental approaches in our laboratory to understand the origin of life on the Earth are summarized in an attempt to obtain a better insight into the chemical basis of extraterrestrial life.

From Ozma to Cyclops: The Beginnings of American SETI, 1959-70

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, W. T.

2002-12-01

The modern era in SETI (Search for Extraterrstrial Intelligence) began with two independent proposals in the late 1950s. In 1959 Phillip Morrison and Guiseppe Cocconi at Cornell published a short theoretical paper in ``Nature," while simultaneously Frank Drake at the brand-new NRAO in West Virginia developed a receiver for the first radio observations, called Project Ozma. In 1960 Drake monitored two nearby solar-like stars, Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani, for several months with a scanning one-channel radiometer at 21-cm on an 85-ft diameter dish. Drake's interest, along with that of his boss Otto Struve, then led to a remarkable small meeting at Green Bank in 1961, at which time the Drake Equation was first put forth as an organizing concept for estimating the possible number of extraterrestrial civilizations. The next milestone was the appearance of ``Intelligent Life in the Universe" by Iosif Shklovsky and Carl Sagan (1966), which widely circulated the idea of SETI. The growth of NASA's exobiology program (although primarily focused on microbial life and the origin of life) throughout the 1960s also legitimized the field and culminated in the Viking mission to Mars in 1976. In 1970 NASA sponsored a large summer workshop charged with the task of designing a feasible radio telescope for SETI. The resulting report, ``Project Cyclops: A Design Study of a System for Detecting Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life" (1971), was the first detailed look at all aspects of the problem, and set the tone for future NASA involvement in SETI. This talk will briefly cover this history, in particular the radio astronomy aspects, and will include a portion of a tape recording of a talk given by Drake in 1960 even as Project Ozma was in progress.

Recent progress and future plans on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

PubMed

Papagiannis, M D

1985-11-14

The possibility of life in other parts of the Universe has long occupied the human mind, but actual searches only began in 1960 with Project OZMA conducted by Frank Drake. In the past 25 years, we have made impressive progress, and this new field has gained broad scientific recognition including the support of the US and the Soviet National Academies, and the endorsement of the International Astronomical Union.

Extraterrestrial Intelligence: What Would it Mean?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, Chris

2015-04-01

Results from NASA's Kepler mission imply a hundred million Earth-like habitable worlds in the Milky Way galaxy, many of which formed billions of years before the Earth. Each of these worlds is likely to have all of the ingredients needed for biology. The real estate of time and space for the evolution of intelligent life is formidable, begging the question of whether or not we are alone in the universe. The implications of making contact have been explored extensively in science fiction and the popular culture, but less frequently in the serious scientific literature. Astronomers have carried out searches for extraterrestrial intelligence for over half a century, with no success so far. In practice, it is easier to search for alien technology than to discern intelligence of unknown function and form. In this talk, the modes of technology that can currently be detected are summarized, along with the implications of a timing argument than any detected civilization is likely to be much more advanced than ours. Fermi's famous question ``Where Are They?'' is as well posed now as it was sixty years ago. The existence of extraterrestrial intelligence would have profound practical, cultural, and religious implications for humanity.

The Berkeley piggyback SETI program - SERENDIP II. [Search for Extraterrestrial Radio Emission from Nearby Developed Intelligent Populations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowyer, S.; Werthimer, D.; Lindsay, V.

1988-01-01

The SERENDIP (Search for Extraterrestrial Radio Emission from Nearby Developed Intelligent Populations) II system is currently operating at NRAO's 300-ft telescope in Greenbank, WV. The paper reports on the characteristics of this system in combination with this telescope, as well as elements of an off-line analysis program which are intended to identify signals of special interest. The sensitivity and relative probability of acquisition are evaluated.

The Quest for Contact: NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This video details the history and current efforts of NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program. The video explains the use of radiotelescopes to monitor electromagnetic frequencies reaching the Earth, and the analysis of this data for patterns or signals that have no natural origin. The video presents an overview of Frank Drake's 1960 'Ozma' experiment, the current META experiment, and planned efforts incorporating an international Deep Space Network of radiotelescopes that will be trained on over 800 stars.

Communication with extraterrestrial intelligences - Possibilities, chances, and perspectives with special attention given to the leaky-embargo hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiebag, Johannes

1989-12-01

Present SETI projects are described, emphasizing search methods alternative to investigations in the radio range. The possibility that the human race is being studied by alien presences within the solar system is addressed in the context of the 'zoo hypothesis' and the 'leaky embargo' hypothesis. In the former, the aliens prevent any contact with humans, while in the latter occasional contact is permitted.

CCIR paper on the radiocommunications requirements for systems to search for extraterrestrial life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nightingale, D.

1978-01-01

The allocation and propagation of radio frequency bands to be used in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is considered. Topics discussed include: propagation factors; preferred frequency bands; system characteristics and requirements; and interference.

What should we say to extraterrestrial intelligence?: An analysis of responses to “Earth Speaks”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, Douglas A.; Lower, Timothy A.; Niles, Britton A.; Rast, Katrina A.; DeCou, Christopher

2013-05-01

If scientists engaged in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) detect a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization, one of the most pressing issues facing humankind will be "Should we reply, and if so, what should we say?" Building on an infrastructure that the SETI Institute used to gather over 50,000 messages from around the world to send onboard the Kepler mission, Earth Speaks invites people to submit online their text messages, pictures, and sounds, as they ponder what they would want to say to an extraterrestrial civilization. Participants for the study have been recruited from 68 nations, from all walks of life. By tracking demographic variables for each person submitting a message, we have identified commonalities and differences in message content that are related to such factors as age and gender. Similarly, by tracking the date on which messages were submitted and the location from which the message was sent, we have also identified the way in which message content is related to time and geographic location. Furthermore, when we compare previous themes derived from textual messages to our current categorical analysis of submitted images, we find our textual themes to be concurrently validated. In doing so, we find the Earth Speaks Website not only allows for the construction of interstellar messages, but also functions as a projective psychological assessment of species-level human identity. We next proceed to demonstrate the generative power of our method by showing how we can synthesize artificial messages from the Earth Speaks messages. We then discuss how these artificially generated messages can be tailored to represent both commonality and diversity in human thought as it is revealed through our data. We end by discussing our method's utility for cross-disciplinary research in the social sciences and humanities.

Imaging the Alien - The Portrayal of Extraterrestrial Intelligence and SETI in Science Fiction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baxter, S.

Concepts of extraterrestrial intelligence as explored in science fiction are reviewed. In particular, modern fiction based on the scenarios envisaged in SETI methodologies is described. The intention is to help make this work accessible to specialists such as the SETI and astrobiology communities. While SF is primarily fiction and is meant to entertain, the more thoughtful of such works may serve as a bank of thought experiments to assist in the development of future SETI strategies and policies.

Inventing Life-Forms: The Creation of an Extraterrestrial Species.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Activities, 1996

1996-01-01

Presents activities in which students play the role of cadets performing missions for the fictitious SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Academy. Guides students toward an understanding of evolutionary forces and how they are affected by the physical environment. (JRH)

The universe, life, and intelligence (Sixth enlarged edition)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shklovskii, Iosif Samuilovich

This classic work examines the possibility of the existence of life (including intelligent life) on other planetary systems. This enlarged edition includes essays on the search for extraterrestrial civilizations and the possibility of communication with intelligent beings on other planets.

Cultural Aspects of Astrobiology: A Preliminary Reconnaissance at

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Steven

NASA's Astrobiology Roadmap, developed in 1998 by an interdisciplinary team of more than 150 individuals, recognizes ten science goals, 17 more specific science objectives, and four broad principles for the Astrobiology Program. Among the four operating principles, which emphasize multidisciplinarity, planetary stewardship and public outreach, is one that also recognizes broad societal interest for the implications of astrobiology, especially its extraterrestrial life component. Although several meetings ahve been convened in the past decade to discuss the implications of extraterrestrial intelligence, including NASA's own CASETI workshops in 1991-1992, none have surveyed the broader implications of astrobiology as now defined at NASA. In this paper we survey these societal questions raised by astrobiology, and then focus on those related to extraterrestrial life, and in particular how they might differ from SETI concerns already discussed. As we enter the new millennium, the necessity for interdisciplinary studies is increasingly recognized in academia, industry and government. Astrobiology provides an unprecedented opportunity to encourage the unity of knowledge, as recently proposed in E. O. Wilson's book Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. It is incumbent on scientists to support research on the implications of their work, in particular large government-funded scientific projects. The deep insights such study may yield has been amply demonstrated by the Human Genome Project, among others.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in the 1960s: Science in Popular Culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Sierra

2012-01-01

Building upon the advancement of technology during the Second World War and the important scientific discoveries which have been made about the structure and components of the universe, scientists, especially in radio astronomy and physics, began seriously addressing the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence in the 1960s. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) quickly became one of the most controversial scientific issues in the post Second World War period. The controversy played out, not only in scientific and technical journals, but in newspapers and in popular literature. Proponents for SETI, including Frank Drake, Carl Sagan, and Philip Morrison, actively used a strategy of engagement with the public by using popular media to lobby for exposure and funding. This paper will examine the use of popular media by scientists interested in SETI to popularize and heighten public awareness and also to examine the effects of popularization on SETI's early development. My research has been generously supported by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

The impact of contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finney, B.

1986-10-01

Scenarios of the impact on human society of radio contact with an extraterrestrial civilization are presented. Some believe that contact with advanced extraterrestrials would quickly devastate the human spirit, while others believe that these super-intelligent beings would show the inhabitants of the earth how to live in peace. It is proposed that the possible existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the development of means of studying and communicating with them need to be considered.

L: How Long Do They Last?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shostak, Seth

The Drake equation, a commonly-used starting point for discussions about the likelihood of finding extraterrestrial intelligence, is now nearly a halfcentury old. It dates from 1961, a year after Frank Drake made his pioneering radio search for artificial signals from other worlds. That search, dubbed Project Ozma, was a 200-hour scrutiny of two nearby, Sun-like stars for transmissions spectrally situated near the 1420 MHz line of neutral hydrogen, and was conducted with an 85-foot antenna at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia (Drake, 1960; Kellermann and Seielstad, 1986). These efforts to find easy evidence of intelligence in other star systems provoked considerable public interest, including a major article in Saturday Review (Lear, 1960).

The biological universe: the twentieth-century extraterrestrial life debate and the limits of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Steven J.

Throughout the twentieth century, from the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars to the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, otherworldly life has often intrigued and occasionally consumed science and the public. Does `biological law' reign throughout the universe? Are there other histories, religions, and philosophies outside of those on Earth? Do extraterrestrial minds ponder the mysteries of the universe? The attempts toanswer these often asked questions form one of the most interesting chapters in the history of science and culture, and The Biological Universe is the first book to provide a rich and colorful history of those attempts during the twentieth century. Covering a broad range of topics, including the search for life in the solar system, the origins of life, UFOs, and aliens in science fiction, Steven J. Dick shows how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own, a `biophysical cosmology' that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the universe.

The biological universe. The twentieth century extraterrestrial life debate and the limits of science.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, S. J.

Throughout the twentieth century, from the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars to the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, otherworldly life has often intrigued and occasionally consumed science and the public. Does 'biological law' reign throughout the universe? Are there other histories, religions, and philosophies outside of those on Earth? Do extraterrestrial minds ponder the mysteries of the universe? The attempts to answer these often asked questions form one of the most interesting chapters in the history of science and culture, and this is the first book to provide a rich and colorful history of those attempts during the twentieth century. Covering a broad range of topics, including the search for life in the solar system, the origins of life, UFOs, and aliens in science fiction, the author shows how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own, a 'biophysical cosmology' that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the universe.

The demography of extraterrestrial civilizations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billingham, J.

1981-01-01

Studies carried out within the last ten years on the nature and distribution of extraterrestrial intelligent life are reviewed. Arguments for the absence of intelligent life in the Galaxy based on the assumption that at least some of these would have engaged in colonization and for the presence of colonies of extraterrestrials in some undiscovered location in the solar system are presented, and it is noted that both these views rest on the notion that interstellar travel can be achieved at high velocities in very large vehicles, which has been questioned. Alternative suggestions concerning interstellar exploration by automated probes and the possible extended time scale and motivation for galactic colonization are pointed out. Attention is then given to arguments for the extreme smallness of one of the factors in the Drake equation used to estimate the number of communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Galaxy, including the frequency of single stars, the likelihood that planets with the correct initial composition and conditions for life are at the proper distance from their stars, the probability of the formation of DNA and the origin of life, and the time for the evolution of intelligence. It is concluded that it seems likely that other civilizations exist in the Galaxy, although the number and distribution of such civilizations may only be determined by the detection of one or more examples.

The fermi paradox is neither Fermi's nor a paradox.

PubMed

Gray, Robert H

2015-03-01

The so-called Fermi paradox claims that if technological life existed anywhere else, we would see evidence of its visits to Earth--and since we do not, such life does not exist, or some special explanation is needed. Enrico Fermi, however, never published anything on this topic. On the one occasion he is known to have mentioned it, he asked "Where is everybody?"--apparently suggesting that we do not see extraterrestrials on Earth because interstellar travel may not be feasible, but not suggesting that intelligent extraterrestrial life does not exist or suggesting its absence is paradoxical. The claim "they are not here; therefore they do not exist" was first published by Michael Hart, claiming that interstellar travel and colonization of the Galaxy would be inevitable if intelligent extraterrestrial life existed, and taking its absence here as proof that it does not exist anywhere. The Fermi paradox appears to originate in Hart's argument, not Fermi's question. Clarifying the origin of these ideas is important, because the Fermi paradox is seen by some as an authoritative objection to searching for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence--cited in the U.S. Congress as a reason for killing NASA's SETI program on one occasion. But evidence indicates that it misrepresents Fermi's views, misappropriates his authority, deprives the actual authors of credit, and is not a valid paradox.

Breakthrough Listen on MWA Pilot Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croft, S.; Siemion, A.; Kaplan, D. L.; Tremblay, S.

2016-07-01

We propose a pilot study, using the Voltage Capture System, for Breakthrough Listen on the MWA. Breakthrough Listen (BL) is a major new project that aims to dramatically improve the coverage of parameter space in the search for intelligent life beyond Earth. BL has already deployed hardware and software to the Green Bank Telescope, and will bring a similar program with the Parkes Telescope online in the second half of 2016. The low frequency sky is however currently very poorly explored. The superb capabilities of the MWA (large field of view, low frequency of operation, and location in a very radio quiet site) provide a unique opportunity for a pilot study to obtain voltage data for a SETI (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence) study of the Galactic Plane. We propose commensal observations, piggybacking on the proposed pulsar search of Tremblay et al. Using existing VCS software, combined with the pipeline developed for Breakthrough Listen at GBT and Parkes, we will perform a blind search for candidate signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. Although the chances of a detection are not large, particularly for a pilot study such as that proposed here, the Breakthrough Listen team plan to perform extensive testing and analysis on the data obtained which should be useful for other users of the MWA VCS. We will make the secondary SETI data products and associated documentation available as a resource to the community via the Breakthrough Listen online archive.

Survey of 25 years of observations with the aim of detecting intelligent extraterrestrial beings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallee, J. P.

1985-02-01

Observational programs intended to detect the presence of intelligent extraterrestrial life or to locate stars with potentially life-supporting planets are surveyed for the period 1960-1985. The astrometric, spectroscopic, photometric, and linear-polarimetric techniques employed are explained; the 45 programs undertaken are listed in tables; a typical observation at Algonquin Radioastronomy Observatory is described; theoretical computations of the number of life-supporting planets are summarized; and hypotheses advanced to explain the fact that no contact appears to have been made are discussed.

On the improbability of intelligent extraterrestrials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, A.

1982-05-01

Discussions relating to the prevalence of extraterrestrial life generally remain ambiguous due to the lack of a suitable model for the development of biology. In this paper a simple model is proposed based on neutral evolution theory which leads to quantitative values for the genome growth rate within a biosphere. It is hypothesised that the genome size is a measure of organism complexity and hence an indicator of the likelihood of intelligence. The calculations suggest that organisms with the complexity of human beings may be rare and only occur with a probability below once per galaxy.

Mutual help in SETIs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melia, F.; Frisch, D. H.

1985-06-01

Techniques to establish communication between earth and extraterrestrial intelligent beings are examined analytically, emphasizing that the success of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETIs) depends on the selection by both sender and receiver of one of a few mutually helpful SETI strategies. An equation for estimating the probability that an SETI will result in the recognition of an ETI signal is developed, and numerical results for various SETI strategies are presented in tables. A minimum approach employing 10 40-m 20-kW dish antennas for a 30-yr SETI in a 2500-light-year disk is proposed.

Strategic considerations in SETI, and a microwave approach. [Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seeger, C. L.

1977-01-01

Plausible options in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and the need to reserve a suitable portion of the EM (microwave) spectrum for SETI research, are discussed. Reasons for selection of a portion of the spectrum, specifically the 'water hole' near 1.5 GHz in the terrestrial microwave window (1-25 GHz), are presented, and competition with various emitters for that band (existing satellite downlink transmissions) is discussed. SETI search policies and options are summarized in a table. Speculative considerations guiding initial phases of the SETI pursuit are discussed.

Supporting Research and Technology Activities for a Microwave Observing Program to Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, Jill; Backus, Peter

1995-01-01

Curriculum materials based on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) were developed for grades 3 through 9 science classes. The project was supported in part by NASA. Six teacher's guides, plus ancillary visuals, addressing topics in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geosciences, and physics as well as mathematics, social sciences, and language arts, were designed by a team of teachers, scientists. curriculum developers, and artists. First drafts were piloted by 10 design team teachers; revised drafts were field tested by 109 teachers in 30 states. Extensive feedback from these teachers and their students and reviews by scientists were used to revise materials prior to submission to the publisher. The field test teachers overall ranking of all guides (data from individual lesson feedback forms) was 431 on a one low to five high scale; 85% found the content appropriate to course and grade level and 75% indicated they had no reservations about using the materials again or recommending them to colleagues. The ratio of liked to disliked student responses (from 1305 student letters) was 70:30. Most recommendations from the teachers, students, and science reviewers were incorporated in the final versions for the guides, published by Libraries Unlimited/Teacher Ideas Press, 1995.

Engineering planetary lasers for interstellar communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherwood, Brent; Mumma, Michael J.; Donaldson, Bruce K.

1992-01-01

Spacefaring skills evolved in the twenty-first century will enable missions of unprecedented complexity. One such elaborate project might be to develop tools for efficient interstellar data transfer. Informational links to other star systems would facilitate eventual human expansion beyond our solar system, as well as intercourse with potential extraterrestrial intelligence. This paper reports the major findings of a 600-page, 3-year, NASA-funded study examining in quantitative detail the requirements, some seemingly feasible methods, and implications of achieving reliable extrasolar communications.

The temporal aspect of the drake equation and SETI.

PubMed

Cirković, Milan M

2004-01-01

We critically investigate some evolutionary aspects of the famous Drake equation, which is usually presented as the central guide for research on extraterrestrial intelligence. It is shown that the Drake equation tacitly relies on unverified assumptions on both the physicochemical history of our galaxy and the properties of advanced intelligent communities. In this manner, the conventional approach fails to take into account various evolutionary processes forming prerequisites for quantification of the Drake equation parameters. The importance of recent results of Lineweaver and collaborators on chemical build-up of inhabitable planets for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is emphasized. Two important evolutionary effects are briefly discussed, and the resolution of the difficulties within the context of the phase-transition astrobiological models is sketched.

SEARCHING FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE SIGNALS IN ASTRONOMICAL SPECTRA, INCLUDING EXISTING DATA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borra, Ermanno F., E-mail: borra@phy.ulaval.ca

The main purpose of this article is to make astronomers aware that Searches for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETIs) can be carried out by analyzing standard astronomical spectra, including those they have already taken. Simplicity is the outstanding advantage of a search in spectra. The spectra can be analyzed by simple eye inspection or a few lines of code that uses Fourier transform software. Theory, confirmed by published experiments, shows that periodic signals in spectra can be easily generated by sending light pulses separated by constant time intervals. While part of this article, like all articles on SETIs, is highly speculative themore » basic physics is sound. In particular, technology now available on Earth could be used to send signals having the required energy to be detected at a target located 1000 lt-yr away. Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI) could use these signals to make us aware of their existence. For an ETI, the technique would also have the advantage that the signals could be detected both in spectra and searches for intensity pulses like those currently carried out on Earth.« less

An observational program to search for radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence through the use of existing facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edelson, R. E.

1976-01-01

It is argued that a substantial portion of the capability for detecting microwave signals from extraterrestrial civilizations lies not in the application of ever larger antenna collecting areas but rather in the application of millions or billions of simultaneous frequency-channel observations combined with rapid and powerful data processing techniques. The application of these methods to existing facilities is discussed in terms of a program of modest expense and duration which will seek to discover certain classes of extraterrestrial signals of intelligent origin while defining boundaries to the search problem throughout the range of interest. This program will investigate radio-astronomical phenomena of interest and simultaneously define the background of environmental radiation in order to determine physical limitations on both the search strategies and the potential for deep-space communications. Signal parameters that must be determined are examined along with the potential of existing radio-astronomical facilities for detecting narrow-band signals. A seven-year program is described which will carry out a search for extraterrestrial intelligence over 80% of the sky and over the entire frequency range from 1 to 25 GHz with a sensitivity limit varying from 10 to the -21st power W/sq cm at the lowest frequencies to 10 to the -19th power W/sq cm at the higher frequencies.

Development of extraterrestrial intelligence and physical laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troitskij, V. S.

This paper considers the restrictions imposed by physical laws on the development of life and intelligence in the form of extraterrestrial civilizations. For this purpose intelligence is defined as the community of intelligent beings, joined by the exchange of mass, energy and information both between themselves and with the external medium. Due to the limitation of the velocity of exchange of information and, in particular, mass and energy exchange, the dimensions of the intelligence cannot exceed some light days, i.e. they are limited by the habitable zone about their star. It is shown that the energy consumption should not exceed the energy output of their star for the sake of preserving the cosmic near-star zone of life from energetic pollution. With the above restrictions of the energy product it takes millions of years to create an omnidirectional beacon-transmitter signals from which would be received by the contemporary antennas in all our Galaxy. It is realistic to create an omnidirectional beacon operating in the range of no more than 100-1000 light years.

Optical search for extraterrestrial intelligence with Air Cerenkov telescopes.

PubMed

Eichler, D; Beskin, G

2001-01-01

We propose using large Air Cerenkov telescopes (ACTs) to search for optical, pulsed signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. Such dishes collect tens of photons from a nanosecond-scale pulse of isotropic equivalent power of tens of solar luminosities at a distance of 100 pc. The field of view for giant ACTs can be on the order of 10 square degrees, and they will be able to monitor 10-100 stars simultaneously for nanosecond pulses of about 6th magnitude or brighter. Using the Earth's diameter as a baseline, orbital motion of the planet could be detected by timing the pulse arrivals.

Extraterrestrial intelligence: an observational approach.

PubMed

Murray, B; Gulkis, S; Edelson, R E

1978-02-03

The microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum, a plausible regime for signals from extraterrestrial intelligences, is largely unexplored. With new technology, particularly in data processing and low-noise reception, surveys can be conducted over broad regions of frequency and space with existing antennas at flux densities plausible for interstellar signals. An all-sky, broad-band survey lasting perhaps 5 years can be structured so that even negative results would establish significant boundaries on the regime in which such signals may be found. The technology and techniques developed and much of the data acquired would be applicable to radio astronomy and deep-space communications.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Earth's Solar Transit Zone.

PubMed

Heller, René; Pudritz, Ralph E

2016-04-01

Over the past few years, astronomers have detected thousands of planets and candidate planets by observing their periodic transits in front of their host stars. A related method, called transit spectroscopy, might soon allow studies of the chemical imprints of life in extrasolar planetary atmospheres. Here, we address the reciprocal question, namely, from where is Earth detectable by extrasolar observers using similar methods. We explore Earth's transit zone (ETZ), the projection of a band around Earth's ecliptic onto the celestial plane, where observers can detect Earth transits across the Sun. ETZ is between 0.520° and 0.537° wide due to the noncircular Earth orbit. The restricted Earth transit zone (rETZ), where Earth transits the Sun less than 0.5 solar radii from its center, is about 0.262° wide. We first compile a target list of 45 K and 37 G dwarf stars inside the rETZ and within 1 kpc (about 3260 light-years) using the Hipparcos catalogue. We then greatly enlarge the number of potential targets by constructing an analytic galactic disk model and find that about 10(5) K and G dwarf stars should reside within the rETZ. The ongoing Gaia space mission can potentially discover all G dwarfs among them (several 10(4)) within the next 5 years. Many more potentially habitable planets orbit dim, unknown M stars in ETZ and other stars that traversed ETZ thousands of years ago. If any of these planets host intelligent observers, they could have identified Earth as a habitable, or even as a living, world long ago, and we could be receiving their broadcasts today. The K2 mission, the Allen Telescope Array, the upcoming Square Kilometer Array, or the Green Bank Telescope might detect such deliberate extraterrestrial messages. Ultimately, ETZ would be an ideal region to be monitored by the Breakthrough Listen Initiatives, an upcoming survey that will constitute the most comprehensive search for extraterrestrial intelligence so far.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Earth's Solar Transit Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heller, René; Pudritz, Ralph E.

2016-04-01

Over the past few years, astronomers have detected thousands of planets and candidate planets by observing their periodic transits in front of their host stars. A related method, called transit spectroscopy, might soon allow studies of the chemical imprints of life in extrasolar planetary atmospheres. Here, we address the reciprocal question, namely, from where is Earth detectable by extrasolar observers using similar methods. We explore Earth's transit zone (ETZ), the projection of a band around Earth's ecliptic onto the celestial plane, where observers can detect Earth transits across the Sun. ETZ is between 0.520° and 0.537° wide due to the noncircular Earth orbit. The restricted Earth transit zone (rETZ), where Earth transits the Sun less than 0.5 solar radii from its center, is about 0.262° wide. We first compile a target list of 45 K and 37 G dwarf stars inside the rETZ and within 1 kpc (about 3260 light-years) using the Hipparcos catalogue. We then greatly enlarge the number of potential targets by constructing an analytic galactic disk model and find that about 105 K and G dwarf stars should reside within the rETZ. The ongoing Gaia space mission can potentially discover all G dwarfs among them (several 104) within the next 5 years. Many more potentially habitable planets orbit dim, unknown M stars in ETZ and other stars that traversed ETZ thousands of years ago. If any of these planets host intelligent observers, they could have identified Earth as a habitable, or even as a living, world long ago, and we could be receiving their broadcasts today. The K2 mission, the Allen Telescope Array, the upcoming Square Kilometer Array, or the Green Bank Telescope might detect such deliberate extraterrestrial messages. Ultimately, ETZ would be an ideal region to be monitored by the Breakthrough Listen Initiatives, an upcoming survey that will constitute the most comprehensive search for extraterrestrial intelligence so far.

Life in the Universe: Foundation for exciting multidisciplinary science activities for middle and elementary school classes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milne, D.; O'Sullivan, K.

1994-01-01

Young students find extra-terrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all topics. A project funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to devise science lessons for grades 3-9 that draw upon this fascination. The lessons are designed by teachers and persons with long experience at curriculum design, tested in classrooms, revised and retested. Six guides, each containing some 6-10 science lessons, will be finished by summer, 1994.The theme Life in the Universe lends itself naturally to integrated treatment of facts and concepts from many scientific disciplines. The lessons for two completed guides span the origin of planet systems, evolution of complex life, chemical makeup of life, astronomy, spectroscopy, continental drift, mathematics and SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). All lessons are hands-on, interesting, and successful.

Life in the universe: foundation for exciting multidisciplinary science activities for middle and elementary school classes.

PubMed

Milne, D; O'Sullivan, K

1994-01-01

Young students find extra-terrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all topics. A project funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to devise science lessons for grades 3-9 that draw upon this fascination. The lessons are designed by teachers and persons with long experience at curriculum design, tested in classrooms, revised and retested. Six guides, each containing some 6-10 science lessons, will be finished by summer, 1994. The theme Life in the Universe lends itself naturally to integrated treatment of facts and concepts from many scientific disciplines. The lessons for two completed guides span the origin of planet systems, evolution of complex life, chemical makeup of life, astronomy, spectroscopy, continental drift, mathematics and SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). All lessons are hands-on, interesting, and successful.

The Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Antiquity to 1900

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowe, Michael J.; Dowd, Matthew F.

This chapter provides an overview of the Western historical debate regarding extraterrestrial life from antiquity to the beginning of the twentieth century. Though schools of thought in antiquity differed on whether extraterrestrial life existed, by the Middle Ages, the Aristotelian worldview of a unified, finite cosmos without extraterrestrials was most influential, though there were such dissenters as Nicholas of Cusa. That would change as the Copernican revolution progressed. Scholars such as Bruno, Kepler, Galileo, and Descartes would argue for a Copernican system of a moving Earth. Cartesian and Newtonian physics would eventually lead to a view of the universe in which the Earth was one of many planets in one of many solar systems extended in space. As this cosmological model was developing, so too were notions of extraterrestrial life. Popular and scientific writings, such as those by Fontenelle and Huygens, led to a reversal of fortunes for extraterrestrials, who by the end of the century were gaining recognition. From 1700 to 1800, many leading thinkers discussed extraterrestrial intelligent beings. In doing so, they relied heavily on arguments from analogy and such broad principles and ideas as the Copernican Principle, the Principle of Plenitude, and the Great Chain of Being. Physical evidence for the existence of extraterrestrials was minimal, and was always indirect, such as the sighting of polar caps on Mars, suggesting similarities between Earth and other places in the universe. Nonetheless, the eighteenth century saw writers from a wide variety of genres—science, philosophy, theology, literature—speculate widely on extraterrestrials. In the latter half of the century, increasing research in stellar astronomy would be carried out, heavily overlapping with an interest in extraterrestrial life. By the end of the eighteenth century, belief in intelligent beings on solar system planets was nearly universal and certainly more common than it would be by 1900, or even today. Moreover, natural theology led to most religious thinkers being comfortable with extraterrestrials, at least until 1793 when Thomas Paine vigorously argued that although belief in extraterrestrial intelligence was compatible with belief in God, it was irreconcilable with belief in God becoming incarnate and redeeming Earth's sinful inhabitants. In fact, some scientific analyses, such as Newton's determination of the comparative masses and densities of planets, as well as the application of the emerging recognition of the inverse square law for light and heat radiation, might well have led scientists to question whether all planets are fully habitable. Criticism would become more prevalent throughout the nineteenth century, and especially after 1860, following such events as the "Moon Hoax" and Whewell's critique of belief in extraterrestrials. Skepticism about reliance on arguments from analogy and on such broad metaphysical principles as the Principle of Plenitude also led scientists to be cautious about claims for higher forms of life elsewhere in the universe. At the start of the twentieth century, the controversy over the canals of Mars further dampened enthusiasm for extraterrestrials. By 1915 astronomers had largely rejected belief in higher forms of life anywhere in our solar system and were skeptical about the island universe theory.

The implications of the discovery of extra-terrestrial life for religion.

PubMed

Peters, Ted

2011-02-13

This paper asks about the future of religion: (i) Will confirmation of extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) cause terrestrial religion to collapse? 'No' is the answer based upon a summary of the 'Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey'. Then the paper examines four specific challenges to traditional doctrinal belief likely to be raised at the detection of ETI: (ii) What is the scope of God's creation? (iii) What can we expect regarding the moral character of ETI? (iv) Is one earthly incarnation in Jesus Christ enough for the entire cosmos, or should we expect multiple incarnations on multiple planets? (v) Will contact with more advanced ETI diminish human dignity? More than probable contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence will expand the Bible's vision so that all of creation--including the 13.7 billion year history of the universe replete with all of God's creatures--will be seen as the gift of a loving and gracious God.

A reply from earth? - A proposed approach to developing a message from humankind to extraterrestrial intelligence after we detect them

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michaud, Michael; Billingham, John; Tarter, Jill

1990-01-01

The question of the formulation of a proper response to the detection of an extraterrestrial civilization is considered. It is proposed that an international agreement or declaration of principles establishing procedures enabling international participation in the making of such decisions be developed and that the SETI Committee of the International Academy of Aeronautics, in cooperation with other interested bodies, draft an agreement or declaration of principles that would set up these procedures; and that the draft be presented to the United Nations for consideration through the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. A suggested outline of the agreement or declaration is presented and proposes that a response to the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence should be on behalf of all humankind; that this decision should be made by an appropriately representative international body; and that the content of the reply should reflect an international consensus.

Messages from Space: The Solar System and Beyond. Grades 508. Teacher's Guide. Great Explorations in Science (GEMS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beals, Kevin; Erickson, John; Sneider, Cary

Building on collaborative work between the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute and the Lawrence Hall of Science, this curriculum takes advantage of humans' fascination with extraterrestrials to catalyze the study of the solar system and beyond. The unit begins when students attempt to decode a fictitious message from outer…

The moral status of extraterrestrial life.

PubMed

Persson, Erik

2012-10-01

If we eventually discover extraterrestrial life, do we have any moral obligations for how to treat the life-forms we find; does it matter whether they are intelligent, sentient, or just microbial-and does it matter that they are extraterrestrial? In this paper, I examine these questions by looking at two of the basic questions in moral philosophy: What does it take to be a moral object? and What has value of what kind? I will start with the first of these questions by looking at the most important attempts to answer this question on our own planet and by asking whether and how they could be applied to extraterrestrial life. The results range from a very strong protection of all extraterrestrial life and all extraterrestrial environments, whether inhabited or not, to total exclusion of extraterrestrial life. Subsequently, I also examine whether extraterrestrial life that lacks moral status can have value to human or alien life with moral status, and if that could generate any obligations for how to treat extraterrestrial life. Based on this analysis, I conclude that extraterrestrial life-forms can have both instrumental value and end value to moral objects, which has strong implications for how to treat them.

Cultural Resources and Cognitive Frames: Keys to an Anthropological Approach to Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowrie, Ian

In this chapter, I suggest a methodological and theoretical framework for preliminary investigations designed to gauge the potential societal response to the discovery of either microbial or intelligent extraterrestrial life. The uncritical use of analogies to the ethnographic record of contact between societies and the discovery of extraterrestrial life has been, rightfully, the target of sharp criticism since the earliest days of the scientific search for this life. However, I argue that by approaching this record with different epistemological premises, and shifting the focus from the material to the symbolic and cognitive dimensions of this contact, one can avoid many of the pitfalls of the analogical mode of argumentation, and provide a solid conceptual basis for the development of an adequate heuristic. Specifically, I draw upon the germinal debate between Sahlins and Obeyesekere over the nature of human meaning-making in the face of radically other societies and their meanings to treat the discovery of an intelligent civilization. In parallel, I draw upon Sharp's discussion of the relationship between the changes in the symbolic order and the material organization of society to suggest that much of this analysis also applies to the discovery of extraterrestrial microbial life. In both cases, I do not argue for a one-to-one correspondence between the historical and the contemporary, but rather use these arguments as illustrations of what I see as particularly profitable modes of conceptualizing the universal human processes of making sense out of novel objects and phenomena. Finally, this chapter argues for a mixed-methods quantitative-qualitative investigation into the character and distribution of societal resources for understanding life and intelligence, rather than the extraterrestrial as such. The qualitative is advanced as a necessary adjunct to the quantitative, as the best method for gaining access to the repertoire of cultural frames upon which people more or less unconsciously draw in forming their understandings of the world. The focus on life and intelligence is justified both insofar as they are the categories which will be brought to bear on the extraterrestrial in terms of integrating it into people's worldviews, and insofar as these categories are substantially more implicated in both societal and personal stability than that of the extraterrestrial as such.

Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, Ulmschneider

When we are looking for intelligent life outside the Earth, there is a fundamental question: Assuming that life has formed on an extraterrestrial planet, will it also develop toward intelligence? As this is hotly debated, we will now describe the development of life on Earth in more detail in order to show that there are good reasons why evolution should culminate in intelligent beings.

Publications of the exobiology program for 1989: A special bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

A listing of 1989 publications resulting from research supported by the Exobiology Program is presented. Research supported by the Exobiology Program is explored in the following areas: (1) cosmic evolution of biogenic compounds; (2) prebiotic evolution; (3) early evolution of life; (4) and evolution of advanced life. Pre-mission and pre-project activities supporting these areas are supported in the areas of solar system exploration and search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The planetary protection subject area is included here because of its direct relevance to the Exobiology Program.

Woodpeckers and Diamonds: Some Aspects of Evolutionary Convergence in Astrobiology.

PubMed

Ćirković, Milan M

2018-05-01

Jared Diamond's argument against extraterrestrial intelligence from evolutionary contingency is subjected to critical scrutiny. As with the earlier arguments of George Gaylord Simpson, it contains critical loopholes that lead to its unraveling. From the point of view of the contemporary debates about biological evolution, perhaps the most contentious aspect of such arguments is their atemporal and gradualist usage of the space of all possible biological forms (morphospace). Such usage enables the translation of the adaptive value of a trait into the probability of its evolving. This procedure, it is argued, is dangerously misleading. Contra Diamond, there are reasons to believe that convergence not only plays an important role in the history of life, but also profoundly improves the prospects for search for extraterrestrial intelligence success. Some further considerations about the role of observation selection effects and our scaling of complexity in the great debate about contingency and convergence are given. Taken together, these considerations militate against the pessimism of Diamond's conclusion, and suggest that the search for traces and manifestations of extraterrestrial intelligences is far from forlorn. Key Words: Astrobiology-Evolution-Contingency-Convergence-Complex life-SETI-Major evolutionary transitions-Selection effects-Jared Diamond. Astrobiology 18, 491-502.

Searching for extraterrestrial civilizations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuiper, T. B. H.; Morris, M.

1977-01-01

Three interrelated assumptions are critically examined in an attempt to outline a productive strategy for a search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Questions concerning the feasibility of interstellar travel are investigated. It is concluded that the probability of interstellar travel is high enough that, given a modest number of advanced civilizations, at least one of them will engage in interstellar voyages and colonize the galaxy. Assuming, however, that technological civilizations are rare the galaxy would be essentially unpopulated. Attention is given to the present lack of contact with extraterrestrial beings and frequencies for interstellar beacons.

State of the art in the detection of intelligent extraterrestrial signals.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, B. M.

1972-01-01

Recent progress in ideas of how signals that might represent electromagnetic radiations of intelligent civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy is summarized. Project Cyclops, carried out at Ames Research Center under the auspices of NASA and the American Society for Engineering Education, determined that microwaves are superior to lasers for interstellar signalling. It is felt that the band lying between the resonances of the two dissociation products of water, the hydrogen line at 1420 MHz, and the first hydroxyl line at 1662 MHz, is the most suitable. Phased antenna arrays of perhaps 1000 to 10,000 dishes of 100 m diam would be required. It is considered that a list of likely stars should be compiled, and these should be searched one at a time. Procedures for combing the spectrum are outlined.

The Life Sciences program at the NASA Ames Research Center - An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vernikos-Danellis, Joan; Sharp, Joseph C.

1989-01-01

The research projects planned for the Life Sciences program have a goal of answering basic questions concerning the nature of life itself and its evolution in the universe from basic elements, as well as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The program also includes studies of the evolution and development of life on the planet earth, and the global changes occurring today that affect life on the earth. The paper describes the simulation models developed to study the effects of space, the flight projects of the program, and the biomedical program, which currently focuses on the physiological changes in the human body that are associated with space flights and the interactions among these changes.

The Scientific Search for Extraterrestrials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shostack, S.

2001-05-01

The premise of intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos is an old one, but has recently gained new impetus from discoveries that suggest that planets are common and biologically friendly habitats could be plentiful. Since there is some chance that a large number of sentient societies could inhabit the galaxy, a small group of scientists have undertaken the research activity known as SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. SETI's methods are well founded in both astronomy and engineering: it is an attempt to find technically sophisticated civilizations in situ by looking for narrow-band radio signals or short pulses of laser light from other star systems. The rapid increase in SETI capability gives some reason to expect that a signal detection might occur early in the 21st century. If so, it would demonstrate that the natural processes that have produced intelligence on this planet have spawned functionally similar intelligence elsewhere. This would be further evidence that not only physics and chemistry are universal, but biology and the evolution of intelligence are also cosmic, rather than merely earthly phenomena.

Responsibility, capability, and Active SETI: Policy, law, ethics, and communication with extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

2011-02-01

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.

Can we Communicate with Aliens?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Csányi, V.; Kampis, Gy.

The subject of this paper is: what answer can be given if the aliens are neither animals nor humans of an unknown culture, but specimens of an extraterrestrial intelligence? If we generalize this question, we may ask, how and to what extent is communication possible among intelligent beings?

Astronomy and religion (1780-1915). Four case studies involving ideas of extraterrestrial life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowe, Michael J.

The present essay discusses four examples of interactions, two from the eighteenth century and two from the nineteenth. All four cases concern the relations between religion and the astronomical claim that intelligent beings exist elsewhere in space. In each of these four cases religious claims influenced astronomy. Cases 3 and 4 share a feature not usually encountered in studies on the interactions of astronomy and religion in that they are instances where not just theistic belief but in fact core doctrines of a specific religion, Christianity, influenced astronomy. I begin by surveying the interactions between religion and the idea of extraterrestrial intelligent life in the early modern period.

On the design of a postprocessor for a search for extraterrestrial intelligence /SETI/ system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Healy, T. J.; Seeger, C. L.; Stull, M. A.

1979-01-01

The design of an on-line postprocessor for a search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) system is described. Signal processing tasks of the postprocessor include: (1) analysis of power level, phase coherence, and state of polarization of single-channel signals in a search for significant signals; (2) grouping or aggregation of adjacent channel data, time averaging of data; and (3) the detection of drifting and modulated signals. Control functions include multichannel spectrum analyzer frequency and clock control, system calibration and selfdiagnostic, control of data flow to and from short-term and long-term (archival) memories, and operation of detection subsystems, such as a visual display and a tunable receiver.

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

PubMed

Wilson, T L

2001-02-22

As far as we know, humanity is alone in the Universe: there is no definite evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, let alone extraterrestrial civilizations (ETCs) capable of communicating or travelling over interstellar distances. Yet popular speculation about the existence of ETCs abounds, including reports of alien visitations either now or in the past. But there is a middle way. It is now possible to put limits on the existence of ETCs of varying capabilities, within arbitrary distances from the Solar System, and conceive of real-world strategies whereby we might communicate with ETCs, or they with us.

What ET will look like and why should we care

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shostak, Seth

2010-11-01

Our experiments to find extraterrestrial life are predicated on the assumption that it is most likely to be found on so-called "habitable worlds." These are planets and moons where surface liquid water exists, and atmospheres of light gases are found. Our searches presume that life on other worlds has a biochemistry at least somewhat similar to our own. While these postulates might be our best guide for finding biology, they could be misleading us in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Timescale arguments suggest that shortly after a sentient species invents the technology for communication, it develops synthetic intelligence. Consequently, SETI's targeted searches of star systems that might have habitable planets in the conventional sense may be chasing a very short-lived prey. In this paper, we discuss what the implications of post-biological intelligence might have in directing our SETI experiments.

A numerical testbed for hypotheses of extraterrestrial life and intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forgan, D. H.

2009-04-01

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has been heavily influenced by solutions to the Drake Equation, which returns an integer value for the number of communicating civilizations resident in the Milky Way, and by the Fermi Paradox, glibly stated as: ‘If they are there, where are they?’. Both rely on using average values of key parameters, such as the mean signal lifetime of a communicating civilization. A more accurate answer must take into account the distribution of stellar, planetary and biological attributes in the galaxy, as well as the stochastic nature of evolution itself. This paper outlines a method of Monte Carlo realization that does this, and hence allows an estimation of the distribution of key parameters in SETI, as well as allowing a quantification of their errors (and the level of ignorance therein). Furthermore, it provides a means for competing theories of life and intelligence to be compared quantitatively.

Extraterrestrial intelligent beings do not exist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tipler, F. J.

1980-09-01

The singularity vs. the plurality of inhabited worlds in the universe is debated. Attention is given to astrophysical constraints on the evolution of intelligent species and to motivations for interstellar communication and exploration. It is argued that it is plausible that there is only one inhabited planet in the universe.

Signal coverage approach to the detection probability of hypothetical extraterrestrial emitters in the Milky Way.

PubMed

Grimaldi, Claudio

2017-04-12

The lack of evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, even the simplest forms of animal life, makes it is difficult to decide whether the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is more a high-risk, high-payoff endeavor than a futile attempt. Here we insist that even if extraterrestrial civilizations do exist and communicate, the likelihood of detecting their signals crucially depends on whether the Earth lies within a region of the galaxy covered by such signals. By considering possible populations of independent emitters in the galaxy, we build a statistical model of the domain covered by hypothetical extraterrestrial signals to derive the detection probability that the Earth is within such a domain. We show that for general distributions of the signal longevity and directionality, the mean number of detectable emitters is less than one even for detection probabilities as large as 50%, regardless of the number of emitters in the galaxy.

Signal coverage approach to the detection probability of hypothetical extraterrestrial emitters in the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimaldi, Claudio

2017-04-01

The lack of evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, even the simplest forms of animal life, makes it is difficult to decide whether the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is more a high-risk, high-payoff endeavor than a futile attempt. Here we insist that even if extraterrestrial civilizations do exist and communicate, the likelihood of detecting their signals crucially depends on whether the Earth lies within a region of the galaxy covered by such signals. By considering possible populations of independent emitters in the galaxy, we build a statistical model of the domain covered by hypothetical extraterrestrial signals to derive the detection probability that the Earth is within such a domain. We show that for general distributions of the signal longevity and directionality, the mean number of detectable emitters is less than one even for detection probabilities as large as 50%, regardless of the number of emitters in the galaxy.

The recognition of extraterrestrial artificial signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seeger, C. L.

1980-01-01

Considerations in the design of receivers for the detection and recognition of artificial microwave signals of extraterrestrial origin are discussed. Following a review of the objectives of SETI and the probable reception and detection characteristics of extraterrestrial signals, means for the improvement of the sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratios and on-line data processing capabilities of SETI receivers are indicated. The characteristics of the signals likely to be present at the output of an ultra-low-noise microwave receiver are then examined, including the system background noise, terrestrial radiations, astrophysical radiations, accidental artificial radiations of terrestrial origin, and intentional radiations produced by humans and by extraterrestrial intelligence. The classes of extraterrestrial signals likely to be detected, beacons and leakage signals, are considered, and options in the specification of gating and thresholding for a high-spectral resolution, high-time-resolution signal discriminator are indicated. Possible tests for the nonhuman origin of a received signal are also pointed out.

A Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) toward the Galactic Anticenter with the Murchison Widefield Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tingay, S. J.; Tremblay, C. D.; Croft, S.

2018-03-01

Following the results of the first systematic modern low-frequency search for extraterrestrial intelligence using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), which was directed toward a Galactic Center field, we report a second survey toward a Galactic Anticenter field. Using the MWA in the frequency range 99–122 MHz over a three-hour period, a 625 deg2 field centered on Orion KL (in the general direction of the Galactic Anticenter) was observed with a frequency resolution of 10 kHz. Within this field, 22 exoplanets are known. At the positions of these exoplanets, we searched for narrowband signals consistent with radio transmissions from intelligent civilizations. No such signals were found with a 5σ detection threshold. Our sample is significantly different to the 45 exoplanets previously studied with the MWA toward the Galactic Center, since the Galactic Center sample is dominated by exoplanets detected using microlensing, and hence at much larger distances than the exoplanets toward the Anticenter, found via radial velocity and transit detection methods. Our average effective sensitivity to extraterrestrial transmitter power is therefore much improved for the Anticenter sample. Added to this, our data processing techniques have improved, reducing our observational errors, leading to our best detection limit being reduced by approximately a factor of four compared to our previously published results.

Basic Space Science; United Nations/European Space Agency Workshops for Developing Countries, 2nd, Bogota, Colombia, November 9-13, 1992

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haubold, Hans J. (Editor); Torres, Sergio (Editor)

1994-01-01

The conference primarily covered astrophysical and astronomical topics on stellar and solar modeling and processes, high magnetic field influence on stellar spectra, cosmological topics utilizing Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) data and radioastronomic mapping as well as cosmic gravitational instability calculations, astrometry of open clusters amd solar gravitational focusing, extremely energetic gamma rays, interacting binaries, and balloon-borne instrumentation. Other papers proposed an active Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) communication scheme to neighboring solar-like systems and more direct involvement of and with the public in astronomy and space exploration projects.

Back to the future: SETI before the space age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Steven J.

1995-02-01

In the late 1890s and early 1900s, before the advent of formalized search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) programs, scientists such as Nikola Tesla and Gulielmo Marconi reported evidence of extraterrestrial radio signals. This paper reviews the history of 'interstellar/interplanetary radio communication'. The investigations of David P. Todd and Donald Menzel are discussed, and the fields of radio communication and radio astronomy are mentioned briefly.

The NASA SETI sky survey - Recent developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, Michael J.; Gulkis, Samuel; Olsen, Edward T.; Renzetti, Nicholas A.

1988-01-01

NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project utilizes two complimentary search strategies: a sky survey and a targeted search. The SETI team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have primary responsibility to develop and carry out the sky survey part of the Microwave Observing Project. The paper describes progress that has been made to develop the major elements of the survey including a two-million channel wideband spectrum analyzer system that is being developed and constructed by JPL for the Deep Space Network. The new system will be a multiuser instrument that will serve as a prototype for the SETI Sky Survey processor. This system will be used to test the signal detection and observational strategies on deep-space network antennas in the near future.

Resource Letter ETC-1: extraterrestrial civilization.

PubMed

Kuiper, T B; Brin, G D

1989-01-01

This Resource Letter provides a guide to the literature about intelligent life beyond the human sphere of exploration. It offers a starting point for professionals and academics interested in participating in the debate about the existence of other technological civilizations or in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). It can also serve as a reference for teaching. This Letter is not intended as an exhaustive bibliography, but several extensive bibliographies have been cited. The letter E after an item indicates elementary, nontechnical material of general interest to persons becoming informed in the field. Intermediate level material, of a somewhat more specialized nature, is indicated by the Letter I. The annotation A indicates advanced, technical material. An asterisk (*) precedes items to be included in an accompanying Reprint Book.

Searching for Good Science - The Cancellation of NASA's SETI Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garber, S. J.

On Columbus Day, 1992, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) formally initiated a radio astronomy program called SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Less than a year later, Congress abruptly canceled the program. Why? While there was and still is a debate over the likelihood of finding intelligent extraterrestrial life, virtually all informed parties agreed that the SETI program constituted worthwhile, valid science. Yet, fervor over the federal budget deficit, lack of support from other scientists and aerospace contractors and a significant history of unfounded associations with nonscientific elements combined with bad timing in fall 1993 to make the program an easy target to eliminate. Thus SETI was a relative anomaly in terms of a small, scientifically valid program that was canceled for political expediency.

OSETI with STACEE: a search for nanosecond optical transients from nearby stars.

PubMed

Hanna, D S; Ball, J; Covault, C E; Carson, J E; Driscoll, D D; Fortin, P; Gingrich, D M; Jarvis, A; Kildea, J; Lindner, T; Mueller, C; Mukherjee, R; Ong, R A; Ragan, K; Williams, D A; Zweerink, J

2009-05-01

We have used the Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) high-energy gamma-ray detector to look for fast blue-green laser pulses from the vicinity of 187 stars. The STACEE detector offers unprecedented light-collecting capability for the detection of nanosecond pulses from such lasers. We estimate STACEE's sensitivity to be approximately 10 photons/m(2) at a wavelength of 420 nm. The stars have been chosen because their characteristics are such that they may harbor habitable planets, and they are relatively close to Earth. Each star was observed for 10 minutes, and we found no evidence for laser pulses in any of the data sets. Key Words: Search for extraterrestrial intelligence-Optical search for extraterrestrial intelligence-Interstellar communication-Laser.

Project Phoenix and beyond. Pesek Lecture.

PubMed

Tarter, J

1997-01-01

Although there are no federally funded projects at this time, SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence) is a vigorous exploratory science. There are currently eight observational programs on telescopes around the world, of which the Phoenix Project is the most comprehensive. Most of these projects are rooted in the conclusions of the pioneering studies of the early 1970's that are summarized in the Cyclops Report. Technology has experienced an exponential growth over the past two and a half decades. It is reasonable to reassess the Cyclops conclusions as SETI enters the next century. Listening for radio signals is still the preferred method of searching, however new technologies are making searches at other wavelengths possible and are modifying the ways in which the radio searches can and should be conducted. It may be economically feasible to undertake the construction of very large telescopes that can simultaneously provide multiple beams on the sky for use by SETI and the radioastronomy community.

Pesek lecture project Phoenix and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarter, Jill

Although there are no federally funded projects at this time, SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence) is a vigorous exploratory science. There are currently eight observational programs on telescopes around the world, of which the Phoenix Project is the most comprehensive. Most of these projects are rooted in the conclusions of the pioneering studies of the early 1970's that are summarized in the Cyclops Report1. Technology has experienced an exponential growth over the past two and a half decades. It is reasonable to reassess the Cyclops conclusions as SETI enters the next century. Listening for radio signals is still the preferred method of searching, however new technologies are making searches at other wavelengths possible and are modifying the ways in which the radio searches can and should be conducted. It may be economically feasible to undertake the construction of very large telescopes that can simultaneously provide multiple beams on the sky for use by SETI and the radioastronomy community.

Aerosol Optical Depth Retrievals from High-Resolution Commercial Satellite Imagery Over Areas of High Surface Reflectance

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer NGA National Geospatial Intelligence Agency POI Principles of...and µ , the cosine of the viewing zenith angle and the effect of the variation of each of these variables on total optical depth. Extraterrestrial ...Eq. (34). Additionally, solar zenith angle also plays a role in the third term on the RHS of Eq. (34) by modifying extraterrestrial spectral solar

#FoundThem-21st Century pre-search and post-detection seti protocols for social and digital media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forgan, Duncan; Scholz, Alexander

2016-09-01

The transmission of news stories in global culture has changed fundamentally in the last three decades. The general public are alerted to breaking stories on increasingly rapid timescales, and the discussion/distortion of facts by writers, bloggers, commenters and Internet users can also be extremely fast. The narrative of a news item no longer belongs to a small cadre of conventional media outlets, but is instead synthesised to some level by the public as they select where and how they consume news. The IAA Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) post-detection protocols, initially drafted in 1989 and updated in 2010, were written to guide SETI scientists in the event of detecting evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, but do not give guidance as to how scientists should prepare to navigate this media maelstrom. The protocols assume communication channels between scientists and the public still resemble those of 1989, which were specifically one-way with a narrative controlled by a select few media outlets. Modern SETI researchers must consider this modern paradigm for consumption of news by the public, using social media and other non-traditional outlets, when planning and executing searches for extraterrestrial intelligence. We propose additions to the post detection protocols as they pertain to the use of the Internet and social media, as well as pre-search protocols. It is our belief that such protocols are necessary if there is to be a well-informed, sane global conversation amongst the world's citizens following the discovery of intelligent life beyond the Earth.

Reactions to receipt of a message from extraterrestrial intelligence: a cross-cultural empirical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, D. A.; Lee, Y.-S.

2000-06-01

If we ever receive a message from extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), the societal impact may be significant. To date, several authors have speculated on factors that may predict people's reactions, but there have been no systematic empirical studies on the range of responses. One obstacle to conducting such studies is that there has been no questionnaire to assess such reactions. In the current study we have designed a psychometrically sound set of scales to assess six beliefs: (1) that extraterrestrial life exists, (2) that ETI would be benevolent and that we should respond to a message, (3) that ETI would be malevolent, (4) that message receipt would be unsettling, (5) that message receipt would be religiously significant and (6) that experts should determine the content of a reply. We report on the construction and use of these new scales, drawing on data gathered from American and Chinese undergraduate students. Respondents also completed measures of alienation, optimism, anthropocentrism and religiosity. This allowed us to predict beliefs about ETI based on personal characteristics and beliefs of the respondents.

Christianity's Response to the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life: Insights from Science and Religion and the Sociology of Religion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertka, Constance M.

The question of whether or not extraterrestrial life exists and its potential impact for religions, especially Christianity, is an ancient one addressed in numerous historical publications. The contemporary discussion has been dominated by a few notable scientists from the SETI and astrobiology communities, and by a few Christian theologians active in the science and religion field. This discussion amounts to scientists outside of the faith tradition predicting the demise of Christianity if extraterrestrial intelligent life is discovered and theologians within the tradition predicting the enrichment and reformulation of Christian doctrine. Missing from this discussion is insight drawn more broadly from the science and religion field and from the sociology of religion. A consideration of how possibilities for relating science and religion are reflected in the US public's varied acceptance of the theory of evolution; the growth of Christianity in the Global South; and a revised theory of secularization which inversely correlates religiosity to existential security, gives credence to the proposal that the response from those outside of academia would be much more varied and uncertain.

Creatures in the Classroom: Preservice Teacher Beliefs About Fantastic Beasts, Magic, Extraterrestrials, Evolution and Creationism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Losh, Susan Carol; Nzekwe, Brandon

2011-05-01

Faculty have long expressed concern about pseudoscience belief among students. Most US research on such beliefs examines evolution-creation issues among liberal arts students, the general public, and occasionally science educators. Because of their future influence on youth, we examined basic science knowledge and several pseudoscience beliefs among 540 female and 123 male upperclass preservice teachers, comparing them with representative samples of comparably educated American adults. Future teachers resembled national adults on basic science knowledge. Their scores on evolution; creationism; intelligent design; fantastic beasts; magic; and extraterrestrials indices depended on the topic. Exempting science education, preservice teachers rejected evolution, accepting Biblical creation and intelligent design accounts. Sizable minorities "awaited more evidence" about fantastic beasts, magic, or extraterrestrials. Although gender, disciplinary major, grade point average, science knowledge, and two religiosity measures related to beliefs about evolution-creation, these factors were generally unassociated with the other indices. The findings suggest more training is needed for preservice educators in the critical evaluation of material evidence. We also discuss the judicious use of pseudoscience beliefs in such training.

Signal coverage approach to the detection probability of hypothetical extraterrestrial emitters in the Milky Way

PubMed Central

Grimaldi, Claudio

2017-01-01

The lack of evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, even the simplest forms of animal life, makes it is difficult to decide whether the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is more a high-risk, high-payoff endeavor than a futile attempt. Here we insist that even if extraterrestrial civilizations do exist and communicate, the likelihood of detecting their signals crucially depends on whether the Earth lies within a region of the galaxy covered by such signals. By considering possible populations of independent emitters in the galaxy, we build a statistical model of the domain covered by hypothetical extraterrestrial signals to derive the detection probability that the Earth is within such a domain. We show that for general distributions of the signal longevity and directionality, the mean number of detectable emitters is less than one even for detection probabilities as large as 50%, regardless of the number of emitters in the galaxy. PMID:28401943

The search for intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coffey, E. J.

1980-12-01

Implications of current understandings of the nature of human intelligence for the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence are discussed. The perceptual theory of intelligence as the manipulation of perceptual images rather than language is introduced, and conditions leading to the ascendancy of man over other hominids with similar conceptual abilities are discussed, including the liberation of the hands from a locomotive function and the evolution of neoteny. It is argued that the specificity of the environmental, behavioral and physiological conditions which lead to the emergence of technologically oriented, and communicative intelligent creatures suggests that any SETI would most likely be fruitless.

SpaceScience@Home: Authentic Research Projects that Use Citizen Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez, B. J. H.

2008-06-01

In recent years, several space science research projects have enlisted the help of large numbers of non-professional volunteers, ``citizen scientists'', to aid in performing tasks that are critical to a project, but require more person-time (or computing time) than a small professional research team can practically perform themselves. Examples of such projects include SETI@home, which uses time from volunteers computers to process radio-telescope observation looking for signals originating from extra-terrestrial intelligences; Clickworkers, which asks volunteers to review images of the surface of Mars to identify craters; Spacewatch, which used volunteers to review astronomical telescopic images of the sky to identify streaks made by possible Near Earth Asteroids; and Stardust@home, which asks volunteers to review ``focus movies'' taken of the Stardust interstellar dust aerogel collector to search for possible impacts from interstellar dust particles. We shall describe these and other similar projects and discuss lessons learned from carrying out such projects, including the educational opportunities they create.

Orbital Debris: Technical and Legal Issues and Solutions

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

States will seek to minimize the creation of space debris. NASA, the intelligence community, and DoD, in cooperation with the private sector, will...205 and accompanying text. 388 Raymond T. Swenson, “Pollution of the Extraterrestrial Environment” (1985) 25 A.F. L. Rev. 70 at 79. “Article IX is...Hastings Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. 125. Swenson, Raymond T. “Pollution of the Extraterrestrial Environment” (1985) 25 A.F. L. Rev. 70. Tan, David

The recognition of extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sagan, C.

1975-01-01

The departure from radiative equilibrium - represented by radio, television and radar technology - in the microwave spectrum of the earth is easily detectable over interstellar distances. Even with a technology no more advanced than our own, a civilization on a planet of a nearby star could easily determine, by auto-correlation techniques, the artificiality of these radio signals. Possible message contents for interstellar discourse of a modulated signal at any accessible frequency include (1) m-dimensional imagery represented by the transmission of numbers which are the products of m prime numbers; and (2) the use of a common mathematics, physics or astronomy to convey a range of information on more difficult subjects. The only direct attempts to date to communicate with extraterrestrial intelligence - the plaques aboard the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft - are discussed briefly.

SETI low-frequency feed design study for DSS 24

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanton, P. H.; Lee, P. R.

1992-01-01

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Sky Survey project requires operation from 1 to 10 GHz on the beam waveguide (BWG) antenna DSS 24. The BWG reflectors are undersized in the 1- to 3.02-GHz range, resulting in poor performance. Horn designs and a method for implementing 1- to 3.02-GHz operation on DSS 24 are presented. A combination of a horn and a shaped feed reflector placed above the main reflector is suggested. The horn and feed reflector could be hidden in the RF shadow of the subreflector and struts. Results from computer analysis of this design indicate that adequate performance could be achieved.

Wide-bandwidth high-resolution search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, Paul

1992-01-01

Research accomplished in the following areas is discussed: the antenna configuration; HEMT low-noise amplifiers; the downconverter; the Fast Fourier Transform Array; the backend array; and the backend and workstation.

The telecommunications and data acquisition report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Progress in the development and operations of the Deep Space Network along with developments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

SETI The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Barrie W.

1991-01-01

Discussed is the search for life on other planets similar to Earth based on the Drake equation. Described are search strategies and microwave searches. The reasons why people are searching are also discussed. (KR)

A SETI Course at University of Western Sydney Macarthur.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhathal, Ragbir

1999-01-01

Describes a course based on the scientific approach to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Explores the biological and technological aspects of the search and the social implications of possible contact. (Author/CCM)

The Biological Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Steven J.

1999-12-01

Throughout the twentieth century, from the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars to the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, otherworldly life has often intrigued and occasionally consumed science and the public. The Biological Universe provides a rich and colorful history of the attempts during the twentieth century to answer questions such as whether "biological law" reigns throughout the universe and whether there are other histories, religions, and philosophies outside those on Earth. Covering a broad range of topics, including the search for life in the solar system, the origins of life, UFOs, and aliens in science fiction, Steven J. Dick shows how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own, a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the universe. This book will fascinate astronomers, historians of science, biochemists, and science fiction readers.

A search strategy for SETI - The search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billingham, J.; Wolfe, J.; Edelson, R.; Gulkis, S.; Olsen, E.; Oliver, B.; Tarter, J.; Seeger, C.

1980-01-01

A search strategy is proposed for the detection of signals of extraterrestrial intelligent origin. It constitutes an exploration of a well defined volume of search space in the microwave region of the spectrum and envisages the use of a combination of sky survey and targeted star approaches. It is predicated on the use of existing antennas equipped with sophisticated multichannel spectrum analyzers and signal processing systems operating in the digital mode. The entire sky would be surveyed between 1 and 10 GHz with resolution bin widths down to 32 Hz. More than 700 nearby solar type stars and other selected interesting directions would be searched between 1 GHz and 3 GHz with bin widths down to 1 Hz. Particular emphasis would be placed on those solar type stars that are within 20 light years of earth.

A Center for Extraterrestrial Engineering and Construction (CETEC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leigh, Gerald G.

1992-01-01

A group of knowledgeable scientists and engineers in New Mexico has recognized the need for such a testing capability and has proposed a project to evelop an extraterrestrial surface simulation facility. A group of universities, national laboratories, and private industrial firms is proposing to establish a Center for Extraterrestrial Engineering and Construction (CETEC) and to develop large extraterrestrial surface simulation facilities in which this needed testing can be realistically performed. The CETEC is envisioned to be both a center of knowledge and data regarding engineering, construction, mining, and material process operations on extraterrestrial bodies and a set of extraterrestrial surface simulation facilities. The primary CETEC facility is proposed to be a large domed building made of steel reinforced concrete with more than one acre of test floor area covered with several feet of simulated lunar soil and dust. Various aspects of the project are presented in viewgraph form.

The telecommunications and data acquisition progress report 42-64

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Progress in the development and operations of the Deep Space Network is reported. Developments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics, and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence are included.

The art and science of interstellar message composition: a report on international workshops to encourage multidisciplinary discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

2011-02-01

Throughout the history of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), there has been widespread recognition of the profound societal implications of detecting intelligence beyond Earth. At the SETI Institute, interstellar message construction serves as the focus of a multidisciplinary attempt to prepare for the cultural impact of signal detection and the critical events that would follow. Interstellar message construction at the SETI Institute builds upon the recommendations of the 1991-1992 Workshops on the Cultural Aspects of SETI, while also exploring opportunities for multidisciplinary contributions on new topics. Through a series of international workshops in Toulouse, Paris, Zagreb, Washington, and Bremen, the SETI Institute and partner organizations have fostered broad-based discussion about some of the most important decisions that would follow detection of extraterrestrial intelligence, including "should we reply?" and if so, " what should we say, and how might we say it?". Several of the themes addressed at these workshops will be highlighted, including the relationship between art and science in designing messages, the value of interactive messages, and the importance of better understanding the nature of language.

Observational program options and system requirements for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence /SETI/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billingham, J.; Wolfe, J. H.; Edelson, R. E.; Gulkis, S.; Sadin, S. R.

1978-01-01

The possibility that intelligent life may be widespread in the universe is now being investigated. A formula for estimating the number of coexisting communicative civilizations has been developed by Drake. A good way of conducting a search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to examine the microwave window of the electromagnetic spectrum for narrow-band signals which such civilizations may be transmitting. Two specific search strategies are described. Both employ existing antennas equipped with sophisticated multichannel spectrum analyzers and pattern recognition devices. The Ames Research Center proposal is a high sensitivity, high-resolution search of nearby promising stars and selected sky areas in the 'water hole' (1400-1727 MHz). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposal is for a survey of most of the sky over a significant portion of the free-space microwave window at lower sensitivities and resolutions. The approaches are complementary and both are being pursued. The consummation of these programs could achieve one of the most profound discoveries in the history of human civilization, or at least will show the way to future efforts.

Publications of the Exobiology Program for 1988: A special bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The 1988 publications resulting from research pursued under the auspices of NASA's Exobiology Program are listed. The Exobiology Program is an integrated program designed to investigate those processes that may have been responsible for or related to the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Research supported by this program is in the areas of cosmic evolution of biogenic compounds, prebiotic evolution, early evolution of life, and evolution of advanced life. Pre-mission and pre-project activities supporting these areas are included in the areas of solar system exploration and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. A planetary protection subject area is also included because of its direct relevance to the Exobiology program.

Research and technology, 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Selected research and technology activities at Ames Research Center, including the Moffett Field site and the Dryden Flight Research Facility, are summarized. These accomplishments exemplify the Center's varied and highly productive research efforts for 1990. The activities addressed are under the directories of: (1) aerospace systems which contains aircraft technology, full-scale aerodynamics research, information sciences, aerospace human factors research, and flight systems and simulation research divisions; (2) Dryden flight research facility which contains research engineering division; (3) aerophysics which contains aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, and thermosciences divisions; and (4) space research which contains advanced life support, space projects, earth system science, life science, and space science divisions, and search for extraterrestrial intelligence and space life sciences payloads offices.

Publications of the exobiology program for 1983: A special bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pleasant, L. G. (Compiler); Devincenzi, D. L. (Compiler)

1984-01-01

A list of 1983 publications resulting from research pursued under the auspices of NASA's Exobiology Program is given. Topics in the fields of biological, chemical, and planetary evolution; geochemistry; and intelligent extraterrestrial life are listed.

Wide-bandwidth high-resolution search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, Paul

1993-01-01

Research accomplished during the third 6-month period is summarized. Research covered the following: dual-horn antenna performance; high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) low-noise amplifiers; downconverters; fast Fourier transform (FFT) array; and backend 'feature recognizer' array.

Galactic punctuated equilibrium: how to undermine Carter's anthropic argument in astrobiology.

PubMed

Cirković, Milan M; Vukotić, Branislav; Dragićević, Ivana

2009-06-01

A new strategy by which to defeat Carter's "anthropic" argument against extraterrestrial life and intelligence is presented. Our approach is based on relaxing hidden uniformitarian assumptions and considering instead a dynamical succession of evolutionary regimes governed by both global (Galaxy-wide) and local (planet- or planetary system-limited) regulation mechanisms. Notably, our increased understanding of the nature of supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and strong coupling between the Solar System and the Galaxy, and the theories of "punctuated equilibria" and "macroevolutionary regimes" are in full accordance with the regulation-mechanism picture. The application of this particular strategy highlights the limits of application of Carter's argument and indicates that, in the real universe, its applicability conditions are not satisfied. We conclude that drawing far-reaching conclusions about the scarcity of extraterrestrial intelligence and the prospects of our efforts to detect it on the basis of this argument is unwarranted.

Would the Discovery of ETI Provoke a Religious Crisis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Ted

Noting how some prophets of crisis forecast that traditional religious traditions are vulnerable to challenge if not collapse upon confirmation of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent beings, this chapter subjects this claim to examination. Citing findings from the Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey, we find evidence that those who affirm religious belief have no difficulty affirming the existence of ETI and incorporating ETI into their respective worldviews. This applies to Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, mainline Protestants, Evangelical Protestants, Jews, Mormons, Buddhists, and to those who self-identify as non-religious. Surprisingly, the self-identified non-religious respondents are the only ones who fear a religious crisis precipitated by contact with extraterrestrials, a crisis expected to happen to others but not to themselves. Turning to the new field of Astrotheology, the question of de-centering both geocentrism and anthropocentrism is raised in light of the prospect of discovering intelligent celestial neighbors.

SETI - The search for extraterrestrial intelligence - Plans and rationale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, J. H.; Billingham, J.; Edelson, R. E.; Crow, R. B.; Gulkis, S.; Olsen, E. T.; Oliver, B. M.; Peterson, A. M.

1981-01-01

The methodology and instrumentation of a 10 yr search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) program by NASA, comprising 5 yr for instrumentation development and 5 yr for observations, is described. A full sky survey in two polarizations between 1.2 and 10 GHz with resolution binwidths down to 32 Hz, and a two polarization can between 1.2-3 GHz with resolution binwidths down to 1 Hz of 700 nearby solar type stars within 20 light years of earth will extend the sensitivity of previous surveys by 300 times and cover 20,000 times more frequency space. EM signals are perceived as the only means for detecting life outside the solar system, and the SETI effort is driven by the empirical experience that once a physical process has been observed to occur, its occurrence elsewhere is assured. Further discussion is given of the history of searches for life in the Universe, the SETI search strategy, instrumentation, and signal identification.

An experiment protocol for a search for radio signals of extraterrestrial intelligent origin in the presence of man-made radio frequency sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edelson, R. E.

1977-01-01

Some aspects of signal extraction in a microwave search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence are examined. Parametric relations are summarized which are applicable to a microwave search of constrained duration that employs FFT spectrum-analyzer receivers, with sensitivity enhancement by spectrum accumulation and detection by a threshold criterion. Three types of natural and man-made false alarms are identified, the probability of false alarm in a single data channel is computed, and the implications of false alarms for a constant-beamwidth sky survey are considered. It is shown that the key to an efficient search is the prompt and unambiguous elimination of false alarms. An experimental protocol is suggested which eliminates spurious signals primarily through procedural techniques involving antenna repointing, delayed repeated observations, and storage of particular historical parameters for suspect signals.

Space biology research development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonting, Sjoerd L.

1993-01-01

The purpose of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute is to conduct and promote research related activities regarding the search for extraterrestrial life, particularly intelligent life. Such research encompasses the broad discipline of 'Life in the Universe', including all scientific and technological aspects of astronomy and the planetary sciences, chemical evolution, the origin of life, biological evolution, and cultural evolution. The primary purpose was to provide funding for the Principal Investigator to collaborate with the personnel of the SETI Institute and the NASA-Ames Research center in order to plan and develop space biology research on and in connection with Space Station Freedom; to promote cooperation with the international partners in the space station; to conduct a study on the use of biosensors in space biology research and life support system operation; and to promote space biology research through the initiation of an annual publication 'Advances in Space Biology and Medicine'.

The SETI episode in the 1967 discovery of pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penny, Alan John

2013-09-01

In the winter of 1967 Cambridge radio astronomers discovered a new type of radio source of such an artificial seeming nature that for a few weeks some members of the group had to seriously consider whether they had discovered an extraterrestrial intelligence. Although their investigations lead them to a natural explanation (they had discovered pulsars), they had discussed the implications if it was indeed an artificial source: how to verify such a conclusion and how to announce it, and whether such a discovery might be dangerous. In this they presaged many of the components of the SETI Detection Protocols and the proposed Reply Protocols which have been used to guide the responses of groups dealing with the detection of an extraterrestrial intelligence. These Protocols were only established some twenty five years later in the 1990s and 2000s. Using contemporary and near-contemporary documentation and later recollections, this paper discusses in detail what happened that winter.

The cosmic gorilla effect or the problem of undetected non terrestrial intelligent signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

G. De la Torre, Gabriel; Garcia, Manuel A.

2018-05-01

This article points to a long lasting problem in space research and cosmology, the problem of undetected signs of non terrestrial life and civilizations. We intentionally avoid the term extraterrestrial as we consider other possibilities that may arise but not fall strictly within the extraterrestrial scope. We discuss the role of new physics including dark matter and string theory in the search for life and other non terrestrial intelligence. A new classification for non terrestrial civilizations with three types and five dimensions is also provided. We also explain how our own neurophysiology, psychology and consciousness can play a major role in this search of non terrestrial civilizations task and how they have been neglected up to this date. To test this, 137 adults were evaluated using the cognitive reflection test, an attention/awareness questionnaire and a visuospatial searching task with aerial view images to determine the presence of inattentional blindness.

The Impact of the Temporal Distribution of Communicating Civilizations on Their Detectability.

PubMed

Balbi, Amedeo

2018-01-01

We used a statistical model to investigate the detectability (defined by the requirement that causal contact has been initiated with us) of communicating civilizations within a volume of the Universe surrounding our location. If the civilizations are located in our galaxy, the detectability requirement imposes a strict constraint on their epoch of appearance and their communicating life span. This, in turn, implies that our ability to gather empirical evidence of the fraction of civilizations within range of detection strongly depends on the specific features of their temporal distribution. Our approach illuminates aspects of the problem that can escape the standard treatment based on the Drake equation. Therefore, it might provide the appropriate framework for future studies dealing with the evolutionary aspects of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Key Words: Astrobiology-Extraterrestrial life-SETI-Complex life-Life detection-Intelligence. Astrobiology 18, 54-58.

Two systems analyses of SETI. [microwave Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Machol, R. E.

1976-01-01

The problem of receiving and identifying a single microwave signal transmitted by extraterrestrial intelligent beings is analyzed in the cases where the signal is designed to catch our attention and the signal is designed for internal purposes of another civilization. Six variables which yield uncertainty as to the exact signal which should be searched for are described: polarization, modulation, flux level, direction, frequency (including bandwidth and drift rate), and time. It is shown that if all reasonable variations of these parameters are to be examined sequentially for 1000 seconds, the search would take over a million times longer than the age of the Universe. Ways to simplify the search are considered, including widening the frequency bin, selecting specific targets, cutting the observation time, using a Fourier transform device for data processing, and building larger antennas as well as better low-noise receivers.

The Problem of Extraterrestrial Civilizations and Extrasolar Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.

2015-07-01

The problem of extraterrestrial intelligence is the best example of multidisciplinary science. Here philosophy and religion, astronomy, radiophysics, spectrography, space flights and astronautics, geology and planetology, astroecology, chemistry and biology, history and archaeology, psychology, sociology, linguistics, diplomacy, UFOs and peculiar phenomena are involved. Among these many-sided studies, astronomers have probably displayed the most progress by discovering thousands of extrasolar planets. At present, a number of search programs are being accomplished, including those with space telescopes, and planets in so-called "habitable zone" are considered as most important ones, for which various orbital and physical parameters are being calculated. As the discovery of extraterrestrial life is the final goal, a special attention is given to Earth-like planets, for the discovery of which most sensitive technical means are necessary.

Dysonian Approach to SETI: A Fruitful Middle Ground?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradbury, R. J.; Cirkovic, M. M.; Dvorsky, G.

We critically assess the prevailing currents in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), embodied in the notion of radio-searches for intentional artificial signals as envisioned by pioneers such as Frank Drake, Philip Morrison, Michael Papagiannis and others. In particular, we emphasize (1) the necessity of integrating SETI into a wider astrobiological and future studies context, (2) the relevance of and lessons to be learnt from the anti-SETI arguments, in particular Fermi's paradox, and (3) a need for complementary approach which we dub the Dysonian SETI. It is meaningfully derived from the inventive and visionary ideas of Freeman J. Dyson and his imaginative precursors, like Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky, Olaf Stapledon, Nikola Tesla or John B. S. Haldane, who suggested macro-engineering projects as the focal points in the context of extrapolations about the future of humanity and, by analogy, other intelligent species. We consider practical ramifications of the Dysonian SETI and indicate some of the promising directions for future work.

The development of extraterrestrial civilizations and physical laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troitskii, V. S.

Consideration is given to the limiting characteristics of extraterrestrial civilizations as allowed by physical laws, and to the possible pathways and levels of development of such civilizations. The concept of an extraterrestrial civilization is defined in terms of the exchange of information, energy and matter both within a community of intelligent beings and between the community and its environment. The possible characteristics of such a civilization are then examined, including amount of populated space, population and population density, energy requirements and supply, information content, transportation capacity and lifetimes, and it is shown that the space occupiable by an extraterrestrial civilization is limited to the space around its star, due to the finite velocity of transport processes. The development of a type II civilization, making use of energy on the order of that put out by its star, is then examined, and constraints on energy production in such a civilization making impossible the establishment of an omnidirectional radio beacon detectable throughout the Galaxy are pointed out.

LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: The 2P1/2 → 2P3/2 laser transition in atomic iodine and the problem of search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutaev, Yu F.; Mankevich, S. K.; Nosach, O. Yu; Orlov, E. P.

2007-07-01

It is proposed to search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) at a wavelength of 1.315 μm of the laser 2P1/2 → 2P3/2 transition in the atomic iodine, which can be used for this purpose as the natural frequency reference. The search at this wavelength is promising because active quantum filters (AQFs) with the quantum sensitivity limit have been developed for this wavelength, which are capable of receiving laser signals, consisting of only a few photons, against the background of emission from a star under study. In addition, high-power iodine lasers emitting diffraction-limited radiation at 1.315 μm have been created, which highly developed ETI also can have. If a ETI sends in our direction a diffraction-limited 10-ns, 1-kJ laser pulse with the beam diameter of 10 m, a receiver with an AQF mounted on a ten-meter extra-atmospheric optical telescope can detect this signal at a distance of up to 300 light years, irrespective of the ETI position on the celestial sphere. The realisation of the projects for manufacturing optical telescopes of diameter 30 m will increase the research range up to 2700 light years. A weak absorption of the 1.315-μm radiation in the Earth atmosphere (the signal is attenuated by less than 20%) allows the search for ETI signals by using ground telescopes equipped with adaptive optical systems.

Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence with the Square Kilometre Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemion, A.; Benford, J.; Cheng-Jin, J.; Chennamangalam, J.; Cordes, J. M.; Falcke, H. D. E.; Garrington, S. T.; Garrett, M. A.; Gurvits, L.; Hoare, M.; Korpela, E.; Lazio, J.; Messerschmitt, D.; Morrison, I.; O'Brien, T.; Paragi, Z.; Penny, A.; Spitler, L.; Tarter, J.; Werthimer, D.

2015-04-01

The vast collecting area of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), harnessed by sensitive receivers, flexible digital electronics and increased computational capacity, could permit the most sensitive and exhaustive search for technologically-produced radio emission from advanced extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) ever performed. For example, SKA1-MID will be capable of detecting a source roughly analogous to terrestrial high-power radars (e.g. air route surveillance or ballistic missile warning radars, EIRP (EIRP = equivalent isotropic radiated power, ~10^17 erg sec^-1) at 10 pc in less than 15 minutes, and with a modest four beam SETI observing system could, in one minute, search every star in the primary beam out to ~100 pc for radio emission comparable to that emitted by the Arecibo Planetary Radar (EIRP ~2 x 10^20 erg sec^-1). The flexibility of the signal detection systems used for SETI searches with the SKA will allow new algorithms to be employed that will provide sensitivity to a much wider variety of signal types than previously searched for. Here we discuss the astrobiological and astrophysical motivations for radio SETI and describe how the technical capabilities of the SKA will explore the radio SETI parameter space. We detail several conceivable SETI experimental programs on all components of SKA1, including commensal, primary-user, targeted and survey programs and project the enhancements to them possible with SKA2. We also discuss target selection criteria for these programs, and in the case of commensal observing, how the varied use cases of other primary observers can be used to full advantage for SETI.

The Theory of Everything and the future of life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karthik, Trishank

2004-10-01

This paper is a philosophical essay on metaphysics, in which we develop a justification for Algorithmic Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence by considering the relationship between the Theory of Everything and the future of life or physical eschatology.

Modeling an Optical and Infrared Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Survey with Exoplanet Direct Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vides, Christina; Macintosh, Bruce; Ruffio, Jean-Baptiste; Nielsen, Eric; Povich, Matthew Samuel

2018-01-01

Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) is a direct high contrast imaging instrument coupled to the Gemini South Telescope. Its purpose is to image extrasolar planets around young (~<100Myr) and relatively close (=< 100 pc) stars in the near infrared. Using a combination of adaptive optics (AO) and image processing techniques, the signal of a planet can be differentiated from diffraction in the images. A coronagraph is vital to achieving high contrast images at small angular separations (=<0.2 arcseconds).With the emergence of OIRSETI (Optical and Infrared Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), we modeled GPI’s capabilities to detect an extraterrestrial continuous wave (CW) laser broadcasted within the H-band have been modeled. By using sensitivity evaluated for actual GPI observations of young target stars, we produced models of the CW laser power as a function of distance from the star that could be detected if GPI were to observe nearby (~ 3-5 pc) planet-hosting G-type stars. We took a variety of transmitters into consideration in producing these modeled values. GPI is known to be sensitive to both pulsed and CW coherent electromagnetic radiation. The results were compared to similar studies and it was found that these values are competitive to other optical and infrared observations.

Where are the dolphins?

PubMed

Cohen, J; Stewart, I

2001-02-22

Interest in extraterrestrial life has tended to focus on a search for extrasolar planets similar to the Earth. But what of forms of intelligent life that are very different from those found on Earth? Some features of life will not be peculiar to our planet, and alien life will resemble ours in such universals. But if intelligent, non-humanoid aliens exist, where might they be? Would they wish to visit Earth and would we know if they did?

A Verification of Optical Depth Retrievals From High Resolution Satellite Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

extraterrestrial solar intensity can be as high as 0.5 in clean atmospheres but can drop to 0.2-0.3 in polluted areas, indicating that ground-level solar... intelligence . Also, lack of temporal resolution can specifically affect time sensitive operations. These early methods and limitations will be...This study showed that panchromatic imagery proved to be quite consistent. Other platforms such as UAVs or other intelligence gathering means

Exobiology and SETI from the lunar farside

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, Jill C.; Rummel, John

1990-01-01

Within the Life Sciences Division of NASA, the Exobiology Program seeks to understand the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe. There are two feasible methods of searching for life beyond the earth. The first is to return to Mars and systematically explore its surface and subsurface with instrumentation capable of identifying extinct as well as extant life. The second is to search for advanced forms of life in other planetary systems that have developed a technology capable of modifying their environment in ways that make it detectable across the vast interstellar distances. The Exobiology Program is currently pursuing both of these options. If NASA's SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Microwave Observing Project of the 1990s fails to detect evidence of radio signals generated by an extraterrestrial technology, what might be the next step? The establishment of a permanent lunar base early in the next century may enable the construction of large aperture radio telescopes that can extend both the sensitivity and the frequency range of SETI observations. A lunar base may also provide the opportunity for construction of optical and IR telescopes intended for the direct detection of extrasolar planetary systems.

Publications of the exobiology program for 1984: A special bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, J. S. (Compiler); Devincenzi, D. L. (Compiler)

1986-01-01

A bibliography of NASA exobiology programs is given. Planetary environments; chemical evolution; organic geochemistry; extraterrestrial intelligence; and the effect of planetary solar and astrophysical phenomena on the evolution of complex life in the universe are among the topics listed.

SETI in the light of cosmic convergent evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores Martinez, Claudio L.

2014-11-01

Theodosius Dobzhansky, one of the founding fathers of the modern evolutionary synthesis, once famously stated that ;nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution;. Here it will be argued that nothing in astrobiology makes sense except in the light of ;Cosmic Convergent Evolution; (CCE). This view of life contends that natural selection is a universal force of nature that leads to the emergence of similarly adapted life forms in analogous planetary biospheres. Although SETI historically preceded the rise of astrobiology that we have witnessed in the recent decade, one of its main tenets from the beginning was the convergence of life on a cosmic scale toward intelligent behavior and subsequent communication via technological means. The question of cultural convergence in terms of symbolic exchange, language and scientific capabilities between advanced interstellar civilizations has been the subject of ongoing debate. However, at the core of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence lies in essence a biological problem since even post-biological extraterrestrial intelligences must have had an origin based on self-replicating biopolymers. Thus, SETI assumes a propensity of the Universe towards biogenesis in accordance with CCE, a new evolutionary concept which posits the multiple emergence of life across the Cosmos. Consequently, we have to wonder about the biophilic properties the Universe apparently exhibits, as well as to try to find an encompassing theory that is able to explain this ;fine-tuning; in naturalistic terms. The aims of this paper are as follows: 1) to emphasize the importance of convergent evolution in astrobiology and ongoing SETI research; 2) to introduce novel and biology-centered cosmological ideas such as the ;Selfish Biocosm Hypothesis; and the ;Evo Devo Universe; as valuable arguments in theorizing about the origin and nature of extraterrestrial intelligence and 3) to synthesize these findings within an emerging post-biological paradigm on which future SETI efforts may be founded.

Carl Sagan and Joseph Shklovsky: Intelligent Life in the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, Vladimir

J. S. Shklovsky and Carl Sagan played an outstanding role in modern astronomy. Their names are well known not only to professional astronomers, but also to millions of educated people in many countries, which are interested in modern state of science research. Among these trends of modern science, which are difficult to define, are such problems, as the creation of Solar system, the origin of life on Earth, the evolution of living organisms on Earth from the simplest viruses to Homo Sapiens, the evolution of intelligence and technology. Finally, both outstanding scientists were deeply interested in the problem of SETI (Search Extraterrestrial Intelligence), i.e. search of extraterrestrial civilizations and methods of making contacts with them. And both scientists were high professionals in their fields. Joseph Shklovsky was a theoretical astronomer in all fields of modern astronomy (geophysics and physics of the upper atmosphere of the Earth, Sun and Solar Corona, Interplanetary Medium and Solar Wind, Interstellar Medium, Supernova and their remnants, the Galaxy and galaxies, Quasars and Cosmology). There is hardly a field in modern astrophysics (except perhaps the theory of the interior structure of stars), where Joseph Shklovsky has not l a bright stamp of his talent…

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1992-01-01

Archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) are provided. In space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio and radar astronomy, it reports on activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) in planning, in supporting research and technology, in implementation, and in operations. Also included is standards activity at JPL for space data and information. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), the TDA Progress Report reports on implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum. Topics covered include tracking and ground-based navigation; communications, spacecraft-ground; station control and system technology; capabilities for new projects; network upgrade and sustaining; network operations and operations support; and TDA program management and analysis.

The NASA SETI sky survey: Recent developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. J.; Gulkis, S.; Olsen, E. T.; Renzetti, N. A.

1989-01-01

NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project utilizes two complementary search strategies: a sky survey and a targeted search. The SETI team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, has primary responsibility to develop and carry out the sky survey part. Described here is progress that has been made developing the major elements of the survey including a 2-million channel wideband spectrum analyzer system that is being designed and constructed by JPL for the Deep Space Network (DSN). The system will be a multiuser instrument; it will serve as a prototype for the SETI sky survey processor. This prototype system will be used to test the signal detection and observational strategies on DSN antennas in the near future.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Laser by Ben Bova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bova, Ben

2000-03-01

Radio astronomers have had no success in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Astronomers are now studying the heavens for signals that intelligent beings might send using lasers. Laser lights have the advantage of directionality, monochromaticity, and coherence. This research, called "optical SETI," looks for optical or infrared pulses with detectors that can pick up a broad spectrum of frequencies. By confining the search to stars similar to the Sun, scientists hope to find evidence of life other than ours.

Verification of Aerosol Optical Depth Retrievals using Cloud Shadows Retrieved from Satellite Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

ASTER imagery used in this investigation were obtained through the National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency via the Commercial Satellite Imagery...Naval Postgraduate School, CA, 5-10, 143-152. Wehrli, C., 1985: Extraterrestrial Solar Spectrum – Publ. 615. Physical Meteorological

Life Beyond Earth and the Evolutionary Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

For many astronomers, the progressive development of life has been seen as a natural occurrence given proper environmental conditions on a planet: even though such beings would not be identical to humans, there would be significant parallels. A striking contrast is seen in writings of nonphysical scientists, who have held more widely differing views. But within this diversity, reasons for differences become more apparent when we see how views about extraterrestrials can be related to the differential emphasis placed on modern evolutionary theory by scientists of various disciplines. One clue to understanding the differences between the biologists, paleontologists, and anthropologists who speculated on extraterrestrials is suggested by noting who wrote on the subject. Given the relatively small number of commentators on the topic, it seems more than coincidental that four of the major contributors to the evolutionary synthesis in the 1930s and 1940s are among them. Upon closer examination it is evident that the exobiological arguments of Theodosius Dobzhansky and George Gaylord Simpson and, less directly, of H. J. Muller and Ernst Mayr are all related to their earlier work in formulating synthetic evolution. By examining the variety of views held by nonphysical scientists, we can see that there were significant disagreements between them about evolution into the 1960s. By the mid-1980s, many believed that "higher" life, particularly intelligent life, probably occurs quite infrequently in the universe; nevertheless, some held out the possibility that convergence of intelligence could occur across worlds. Regardless of the final conclusions these scientists reached about the likely prevalence of extraterrestrial intelligence, the use of evolutionary arguments to support their positions became increasingly common.

An Introduction to Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothery, David A.; Gilmour, Iain; Sephton, Mark A.

2011-08-01

1. Origin of life; 2. Habitable world; 3. Mars; 4. Icy bodies: Europa and elsewhere; 5. Titan; 6. The detection of exoplanets; 7. The nature of exoplanetary systems; 8. How to find life on exoplanets; 9. Extraterrestrial intelligence; Answers and comments; Appendices; Glossary; Further reading; Acknowledgements; Figure references; Index.

The telecommunications and data acquisition report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Progress in the development and operations of the Deep Space Network is reported. Developments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to other research programs are also reported. These programs include geodynamics, astrophysics, and radio searching for extraterrestrial intelligence in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Progress in the development and operations of the Deep Space Network is reported including develoments in Earth-based radio technology as applied to other research programs. These programs are: geodynamics, astrophysics, and the radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

A high-sensitivity search for extraterrestrial intelligence at lambda 18 cm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, J.; Cuzzi, J.; Black, D.; Clark, T.

1980-01-01

A targeted high-sensitivity search for narrow-band signals near a wavelength of 18 cm has been conducted using the 91-m radiotelescope of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The search included 201 nearby solar-type stars and achieved a frequency resolution of 5.5 Hz over a 1.4-MHz bandwidth. This high spectral resolution was obtained through a non-real-time reduction procedure using a Mark I VLBI recording terminal in conjunction with the CDC 7600 computational facility at the NASA-Ames Research Center. This is the first high-resolution search for narrow-band signals in this wavelength regime. To date it is the most sensitive search per unit observing time of any search strategy which does not postulate a unique magic frequency. Data show no evidence for narrow-band signals due to extraterrestrial intelligence at a 12-standard-deviation upper limit on signal strength of 1.1 x 10 to the -23rd W/sq m.

Ultranarrowband searches for extraterrestrial intelligence with dedicated signal-processing hardware.

PubMed

Horowitz, P; Matthews, B S; Forster, J; Linscott, I; Teague, C C; Chen, K; Backus, P

1986-01-01

Multichannel spectroscopy with millihertz resolution constitutes an attractive strategy for a microwave search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), assuming the transmission of a narrow-band radiofrequency beacon. Such resolution matches the properties of the interstellar medium, and the necessary receiver Doppler corrections provide a high degree of interference rejection. We have constructed a frequency-agile swept receiver with an 8,388,608-channel spectrum analyzer, on-line signal recognition, and multithreshold archiving. A search of 250 Sun-like stars at 1.4 and 2.8 GHz has been carried out with the Arecibo 305-m antenna, and a meridian transit search of the northern sky is in progress at the Harvard-Smithsonian 26-m antenna. Successive spectra of 400 kHz at 0.05 Hz resolution are searched for features characteristic of an intentional narrowband beacon transmission. These spectra are centered on guessable ("magic") frequencies (such as the 21-cm hydrogen hyperfine line), referenced successively to the local standard of rest, the galactic barycenter, and the cosmic blackbody rest frame.

Interplanetary and interstellar optical communication between intelligent beings: a historical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemarchand, Guillermo A.

1996-06-01

A review of the different proposals made to establish contact with hypothetical planetary neighbors is done. For almost 100 years (approximately 1822-1921) the dominant paradigm for signaling extraterrestrial beings, were based in the exchange of light beam signals. After the success of wireless transatlantic communications and the discovery of radio signals from the cosmos, the main scientific proposals to contact extraterrestrials were based on radio signals. Nevertheless, the development of lasers and other nonlinear optical devices, led into a new set of proposals to use them for interplanetary and interstellar communication means. A review of these proposals and the detection of extraterrestrial technological activities in the optical domain is made. A summary of the requirements needed to explore the astrophysics of shortest timescales is described, in order to develop the nano and sub-nanosecond detectors that could be used to detect interstellar pulsed laser signals.

A SETI experiment. [Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclaughlin, W. I.

1986-01-01

In order to increase the probability of contact in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), it has been proposed to search more intensively in certain regions of the electromagnetic spectrum ('the water hole'). The present paper describes a similar narrowing of the search in the time domain. Application of this strategy results in the SETI experiments searching for signals from the Tau Ceti system late in 1986 and early in 1987, and from the Epsilon Eridani system in mid 1988.

The {sup 2}P{sub 1/2} {yields} {sup 2}P{sub 3/2} laser transition in atomic iodine and the problem of search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kutaev, Yu F; Mankevich, S K; Nosach, O Yu

2007-07-31

It is proposed to search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) at a wavelength of 1.315 {mu}m of the laser {sup 2}P{sub 1/2} {yields} {sup 2}P{sub 3/2} transition in the atomic iodine, which can be used for this purpose as the natural frequency reference. The search at this wavelength is promising because active quantum filters (AQFs) with the quantum sensitivity limit have been developed for this wavelength, which are capable of receiving laser signals, consisting of only a few photons, against the background of emission from a star under study. In addition, high-power iodine lasers emitting diffraction-limited radiation at 1.315more » {mu}m have been created, which highly developed ETI also can have. If a ETI sends in our direction a diffraction-limited 10-ns, 1-kJ laser pulse with the beam diameter of 10 m, a receiver with an AQF mounted on a ten-meter extra-atmospheric optical telescope can detect this signal at a distance of up to 300 light years, irrespective of the ETI position on the celestial sphere. The realisation of the projects for manufacturing optical telescopes of diameter 30 m will increase the research range up to 2700 light years. A weak absorption of the 1.315-{mu}m radiation in the Earth atmosphere (the signal is attenuated by less than 20%) allows the search for ETI signals by using ground telescopes equipped with adaptive optical systems. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

Experiential Education on the Edge: SETI Activities for the College Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crider, Anthony; Weston, Anthony

2012-01-01

In a sophomore-level, interdisciplinary honors class, we introduced students to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence through assigned readings, student presentations, classroom discussions, and multiple experiential activities. In this paper, we present four of these novel experiential activities. In the first, students suddenly find…

Comments on the frequency of the occurrence of extraterrestrial civilizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shklovskii, I. S.

Arguments in favor of the hypothesis that intelligent life exists nowhere in the universe except on earth are presented, noting the fact of the 'silence' of the universe. These arguments are related to considerations on the place of human beings in the biological hierarchy.

The windows of SETI--frequency and time in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

PubMed

Oliver, B M

1987-01-01

On Earth intelligent life evolved as a natural consequence of the events set in motion when the planet formed over 4 billion years ago. Since chemical evolution and solar-system formation appear to be occurring throughout the universe, we theorize that our universe may be rich with planets populated by intelligent beings who, like us, can search for evidence of other technological civilizations. Terrestrial civilization now has this capability. But if we do not begin the search soon, we'll lose the opportunity to do it from Earth as interfering signals of Earthly origin rapidly close the microwave window.

The windows of SETI - Frequency and time in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, Bernard M.

1987-01-01

Since interstellar travel is not economically possible on the time scale of a human lifetime, communication with extraterrestrials can be achieved only by sending some form of energy or matter across space; photons (electromagnetic waves) are best. Of particular interest to SETI is the region from about 1,000-60,000 MHz known as the free-space microwave window. During the course of NASA's Cyclops program, it was pointed out that the hydrogen and hydroxyl lines bounded a band in which there were no other known lines. The threatened loss of the microwave window to earth-based services is discussed.

The introduction of an additional probability coefficient in evaluating the possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent beings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth, H.

An hypothesis is presented concerning the crucial influence of tides on the evolutionary transition from aquatic to land animal forms. The hypothesis suggests that the evolution of higher forms of life on a planet also depends on the existence of a planet-moon system in which the mass ratio of both constituents must be approximately equal to that of the earth-moon system, which is 81:1. The hypothesis is taken into account in the form of the probability factor fb in Drake's formula for estimating the presumed extraterrestrial civilizations in Milky Way which may conceivably make contact.

Exobiology in Solar System Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carle, Glenn C. (Editor); Schwartz, Deborah E. (Editor); Huntington, Judith L. (Editor)

1992-01-01

A symposium, 'Exobiology in Solar System Exploration,' was held on 24-26 Aug. 1988. The symposium provided an in-depth investigation of the role of Exobiology in solar system exploration. It is expected that the symposium will provide direction for future participation of the Exobiology community in solar system exploration and alert the Planetary community to the continued importance of an Exobiology Flight Program. Although the focus of the symposium was primarily on Exobiology in solar system exploration missions, several ground based and Earth-orbital projects such as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Gas Grain Facility, and Cosmic Dust Collection Facility represent upcoming research opportunities planned to accommodate the goals and objectives of the Exobiology community as well. This report contains papers for all but one of the presentations given at the symposium.

SETI science working group report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, F.; Wolfe, J. H.; Seeger, C. L.

1984-01-01

This report covers the initial activities and deliberations of a continuing working group asked to assist the SETI Program Office at NASA. Seven chapters present the group's consensus on objectives, strategies, and plans for instrumental R&D and for a microwave search for extraterrestrial in intelligence (SETI) projected for the end of this decade. Thirteen appendixes reflect the views of their individual authors. Included are discussions of the 8-million-channel spectrum analyzer architecture and the proof-of-concept device under development; signal detection, recognition, and identification on-line in the presence of noise and radio interference; the 1-10 GHz sky survey and the 1-3 GHz targeted search envisaged; and the mutual interests of SETI and radio astronomy. The report ends with a selective, annotated SETI reading list of pro and contra SETI publications.

Wide-bandwidth high-resolution search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, Paul

1992-01-01

This interim report summarizes the research accomplished during the initial 6-month period of the grant. Activities associated with antenna configurations, the channelizing downconverter, the fast Fourier transform array, the DSP (digital signal processing) array, and the backend and UNIX workstation are discussed. Publications submitted during the reporting period are listed.

Recent Developments in the Scientific Study of UFO's

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salisbury, Frank B.

1975-01-01

Reviews the interest of the last few years, both inside and outside the scientific community, in unidentified flying objects (UFO), placing special emphasis on the extraterrestrial intelligence hypothesis. Cites numerous examples of UFO sightings and urges that the investigation of UFO's proceed in a scientific manner, despite skeptical public…

The telecommunications and data acquisition report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Progress in the development and operations of the Deep Space Network is reported. Developments in Earth based radio technology as applied to geodynamics, astrophysics, and radio astronomy's use of the deep space stations for a radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum are reported.

Second Symposium on Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devincenzi, D. L. (Editor); model. (Editor)

1986-01-01

Recent findings by NASA Exobiology investigators are reported. Scientific papers are presented in the following areas: cosmic evolution of biogenic compounds, prebiotic evolution (planetary and molecular), early evolution of life (biological and geochemical), evolution of advanced life, solar system exploration, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

Second Symposium on Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Devincenzi, D.L.; Dufour, P.A.

1986-05-01

Recent findings by NASA Exobiology investigators are reported. Scientific papers are presented in the following areas: cosmic evolution of biogenic compounds, prebiotic evolution (planetary and molecular), early evolution of life (biological and geochemical), evolution of advanced life, solar system exploration, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

3D Self-Localisation From Angle of Arrival Measurements

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

systems can provide precise position information. However, there are situations where GPS is not adequate such as indoor, underwater, extraterrestrial or...Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence , Vol. 22, No. 6, June 2000, pp 610-622. 7. Torrieri, D.J., "Statistical Theory of Passive Location

Our Sky Now and Then: Searches for Lost Stars and Impossible Effects as Probes of Advanced Extraterrestrial Civilizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villarroel, Beatriz; Imaz, Inigo; Bergstedt, Josefine

2016-09-01

Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence using large survey data often look for possible signatures of astroengineering. We propose searching for physically impossible effects caused by highly advanced technology by carrying out a search for disappearing galaxies and Milky Way stars. We select ˜10 million objects from USNO-B1.0 with low proper motions (μ < 20 mas yr-1) imaged on the sky in two epochs. We search for objects not found at the expected positions in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) by visually examining images of ˜290,000 USNO-B1.0 objects with no counterpart in the SDSS. We identify some spurious targets in the USNO-B1.0. We find one candidate of interest for follow-up photometry, although it is very uncertain. If the candidate eventually is found, it defines the probability of observing a disappearing-object event in the last decade to less than one in one million in the given samples. Nevertheless, because the complete USNO-B1.0 data set is 100 times larger than any of our samples, we propose an easily accessible citizen science project in search of USNO-B1.0 objects that have disappeared from the SDSS.

Is Your Gut Conscious? Is an Extraterrestrial?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vos Post, Jonathan

2011-10-01

This paper speculates on questions intending to be taken scientifically rather than metaphysically: "Can the human gut (enteric nervous system) be conscious?"; "Can your immune system think?"; "Could consciousness be coded in DNA?"; "What do we mean when asserting that an Extraterrestrial is Thinking, or is Conscious? We explore through reference to theory, experiment, and computational models by Christof Koch (Caltech), Barbara Wold (Caltech), and Stuart Kauffman (University of Calgary, Tampere University of Technology, Santa Fe Institute). We use a tentative new definition of thinking, designed to be applicable for humans, cetecea, corvids, artificial intelligences, and extraterrestrial intelligences of any substrate (i.e. Life as We Do Not Know It): "Thinking is the occurrence, transformation, and storage in a mind or brain (or simulation thereof) of information-bearing structures (representations) of one kind or another, such as thoughts, concept, percepts, ideas, impressions, notions, rules, schemas, images, phantasms, or subpersonal representations." We use the framework for Consciousness developed by Francis Crick and Christof Koch. We try to describe scientific goals, but discuss Philosophy sufficient to avoid naïve philosophical category errors (thus are careful not to conflate thought, consciousness, and language) Penrose, Hameroff, and Kauffman speculate (differently) that CNS consciousness is a macroscopic quantum phenomenon. Might intestinal, immune system, or genetic regulatory network dynamics exhibit emergent cooperative quantum effects? The speculations are in the context of Evolution by Natural Selection, presumed to operate throughout the Cosmos, and recent work in the foundations of Computational Biology and Quantum Mechanics.

The Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life for Religion and Theology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Ted

2012-05-01

This paper asks about the future of religion: (1) Will confirmation of ETI cause terrestrial religion to collapse? "No" is the answer based upon a summary of the "Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey." Then three questions are posed to the astrotheologian: (2) What is the scope of God's creation? (3) What can we expect when we encounter ETI? (4) Will contact with more advanced ETI diminish human dignity? The paper's thesis is that contact with extraterrestrial intelligence will expand the existing Christian vision that all of creation — including the 13.7 billion year history of the universe replete with all of God's creatures — is the gift of a loving and gracious God.

Life: Here? There? Elsewhere? The Search for Life on Venus and Mars. Life in the Universe Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1996

This classroom kit, designed by curriculum developers working with teachers and scientists from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, helps teachers guide students in the exploration of life through the multidisciplinary sciences of paleontology and exobiology. It reflects the real-life methods of science: making…

Resource letter ETC-1 - Extraterrestrial civilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuiper, Thomas B. H.; Brin, Glen David

1989-01-01

This resource letter provides a guide to the literature about intelligent life beyond the human sphere of exploration. It offers a starting point for professionals and academics interested in participating in the debate about the existence of other technological civilizations or in SETI. It can also serve as a reference for teaching. Several extensive bibliographies are cited.

Impacts of sociopolitical conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finney, Ben R.

1992-01-01

Space development scenarios and the choice of technologies to carry them out depend upon the future social, economic, and political factors. A brief discussion concerning the impact of sociopolitical conditions on space exploration is presented. Some of the topics mentioned include: space weapons/warfare, international cooperation, NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Program, and superpower rivelry.

Multiple-Feed Design For DSN/SETI Antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slobin, S. D.; Bathker, D. A.

1988-01-01

Frequency bands changed with little interruption of operation. Modification of feedhorn mounting on existing 34-m-diameter antenna in Deep Space Network (DSN) enables antenna to be shared by Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SET) program with minimal interruption of DSN spacecraft tracking. Modified antenna useful in terrestrial communication systems requiring frequent changes of operating frequencies.

Objectives and first results of the NASA SETI sky survey field tests at Goldstone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulkis, S.; Klein, M. J.; Olsen, E. T.; Crow, R. B.; Gosline, R. M.; Downs, G. S.; Quirk, M. P.; Lokshin, A.; Solomon, J.

1986-01-01

Field tests of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) prototype hardware and software began in March 1985 at Goldstone. With emphasis on the sky survey component of the NASA SETI search strategy, the article describes the survey characteristics, the detection strategy, and preliminary results of system tests.

Is mankind unique?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, A. R.; Bond, A.

1983-05-01

The 'Fermi Paradox' - if extraterrestrial intelligent beings exist elsewhere in the Galaxy, then we should see signs of their presence - has remained unresolved for over 35 years. This paper presents some simple arguments which appear to rule out the possibility of a highly populated galaxy, and which suggest instead that mankind may in fact live in an otherwise uninhabited galaxy.

Mapping the Universe: Slices and Bubbles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geller, Margaret J.

1990-01-01

Map making is described in the context of extraterrestrial areas. An analogy to terrestrial map making is used to provide some background. The status of projects designed to map extraterrestrial areas are discussed including problems unique to this science. (CW)

SETI and the media: Views from inside and out

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarter, Donald E.

Results are presented from a detailed questionnaire sent to members of the international SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) community and the international science media. Both groups are compared on the following dimensions: perceived importance of SETI, perceived level of information about SETI available to the media and public, perceived credibility of SETI, and attitudes toward information policy options to govern an announcement of a SETI discovery. The results indicate that SETI is perceived to be an extremely important endeavor, but it enjoys only marginal credibility among the public and the SETI community's professional constituencies. Both the SETI community and the media agree that an erroneous announcement of a discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence could be very damaging. In order to minimize the dangers of false announcement and to bring a degree of order to SETI, a scientific protocol agreement and the establishment of a contact verification committee have been recommended. Both received endorsement from the SETI community and the international science media. The science media feels that from its viewpoint, a contact verification committee would be a more effective way of assuring accurate information about SETI programs and discoveries.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1989-01-01

Archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) are presented. Activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) and its associated Ground Communications Facility (GCF) related to DSN advanced systems, systems implementation, and DSN operations are addressed. In addition, recent developments in the NASA SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) sky survey are summarized.

SETI group let by Barney Oliver, John Wolfe and John Billingham (in middle standing) lead a 1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

SETI group let by Barney Oliver, John Wolfe and John Billingham (in middle standing) lead a 1976 discussion on the best strategies in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Joining the discussion are L-R; Charles Seeger, Dario Black, Mary Connors, (Oliver, Wolfe, Billingham) and Larry Lesyna, (seated) Mark Stull.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1984-01-01

Activities in space communication, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based astronomy are reported. Advanced systems for the Deep Space Network and its Ground-Communications Facility are discussed including station control and system technology. Network sustaining as well as data and information systems are covered. Studies of geodynamics, investigations of the microwave spectrum, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

Thiokol Solid Rocket Motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graves, S. R.

2000-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs on thiokol solid rocket motors. The topics include: 1) Communications; 2) Military and government intelligence; 3) Positioning satellites; 4) Remote sensing; 5) Space burial; 6) Science; 7) Space manufacturing; 8) Advertising; 9) Space rescue space debris management; 10) Space tourism; 11) Space settlements; 12) Hazardous waste disposal; 13) Extraterrestrial resources; 14) Fast package delivery; and 15) Space utilities.

Promoting SETI in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penny, Alan

2013-10-01

MEETING REPORT What does the UK presently do in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and what are the plans for the future? Alan Penny reports on a meeting of UK academics active in SETI, held as sessions in the recent National Astronomy Meeting in Scotland - and the formation of the UK SETI Research Network to promote UK academic work.

Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation.

PubMed

Dyson, F J

1960-06-03

If extraterrestrial intelligent beings exist and have reached a high level of technical development, one by-product of their energy metabolism is likely to be the large-scale conversion of starlight into far-infrared radiation. It is proposed that a search for sources of infrared radiation should accompany the recently initiated search for interstellar radio communications.

Is life what we make of it?

PubMed

Denning, Kathryn

2011-02-13

Although astrobiological or SETI detections are possible, actual invasions of sentient extra-terrestrials or plagues of escaped alien microbes are unlikely. Therefore, an anthropological perspective on the question suggests that in the event of a detection, the vast majority of humanity will be dealing not with extra-terrestrial life itself (whether intelligent or not, local or distant), but with human perceptions and representations of that alien life. These will, inevitably, derive from the powerful influences of culture and individual psychology, as well as from science. It may even be argued that in most detection scenarios, the scientific data (and debates about their interpretation) will be nigh-irrelevant to the unfolding of international public reaction. 'Extra-terrestrial life' will, in short, go wild. From this premise, some key questions emerge, including: what can scientists reasonably do to prepare, and what should their responsibilities be, particularly with respect to information dissemination and public discussions about policy? Then, moving beyond the level of immediate practicalities, we might also ask some more anthropological questions: what are the cultural substrates underneath the inquiries of Western science into extra-terrestrial life? In particular, what are the stories we have been told about discovery of rare life, and about contact with other beings, and do these stories really mean what we think they do? Might a closer look at those narratives help us gain perspective on the quest to find extra-terrestrial life, and on our quest to prepare for the consequences of detection?

Measuring the effect of an astrobiology course on student optimism regarding extraterrestrial life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, David L.

2017-07-01

Students in an introductory undergraduate Astrobiology course were given a pre/post-test based on the Drake Equation in an attempt to measure changes in their perceptions regarding the prevalence of life in the Galaxy after taking the course. The results indicated that, after taking the course, the students were considerably more optimistic, by a 2 to 1 margin or more, about the prospect of habitable planets, the origin of life, and the evolution of intelligence in other planetary systems. The results suggest that, while it may not be the explicit goal of an astrobiology course to change student beliefs about the abundance or rarity of extraterrestrial life, such changes in opinion can and do occur.

Stellivore extraterrestrials? Binary stars as living systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidal, Clément

2016-11-01

We lack signs of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) despite decades of observation in the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Could evidence be buried in existing data? To recognize ETI, we first propose criteria discerning life from non-life based on thermodynamics and living systems theory. Then we extrapolate civilizational development to both external and internal growth. Taken together, these two trends lead to an argument that some existing binary stars might actually be ETI. Since these hypothetical beings feed actively on stars, we call them "stellivores". I present an independent thermodynamic argument for their existence, with a metabolic interpretation of interacting binary stars. The jury is still out, but the hypothesis is empirically testable with existing astrophysical data.

Are transmissions to space dangerous?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shostak, Seth

2013-01-01

We consider the suggestion that, as a matter of caution, the deliberate broadcast of signals to the cosmos should be proscribed. We explore the likely capabilities of extraterrestrial societies that might conceivably pose a threat to our species and show that this suggestion is without merit because even if followed, it would fail to keep our existence secret. In addition, trying to limit signalling activities would be a burden on our descendants, crippling their own activities for the indefinite future. A corollary to these considerations affects the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI): namely, it seems inarguable that technologically advanced beings will assume that other societies are capable of detecting their leakage. Consequently, the premise that SETI should expect to find deliberate beacons from other worlds may be mistaken.

Fermi paradox and alternative strategies for SETI programs - The anthropic principle and the search for close solar analogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fracassini, Massimo; Pasinetti Fracassini, Laura E.; Pasinetti, Antonio L.

1988-07-01

The Anthropic Principle, a new trend of modern cosmology, claims that the origin of life and the development of intelligent beings on the Earth is the result of highly selective biological processes, strictly tuned in the fundamental physical characteristics of the Universe. This principle could account for the failure of some programs of search for extraterrestrial intelligences (SETI) and suggests the search for strict solar analogs as a primary target for SETI strategies. In this connection, the authors have selected 22 solar analogs and discussed their choice.

The Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. I. Background and justification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, J. T.; Mullan, B.; Sigurdsson, S.

We motivate the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. We discuss some philosophical difficulties of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and how communication SETI circumvents them. We review 'Dysonian SETI', the search for artifacts of alien civilizations, and find that it is highly complementary to traditional communication SETI; the two together might succeed where either one alone has not. We discuss the argument of Hart that spacefaring life in the Milky Way should be either galaxy-spanning or non-existent, and examine a portion of his argument that we call the 'monocultural fallacy'. We discuss some rebuttalsmore » to Hart that invoke sustainability and predict long Galaxy colonization timescales. We find that the maximum Galaxy colonization timescale is actually much shorter than previous work has found (<10{sup 9} yr), and that many 'sustainability' counter-arguments to Hart's thesis suffer from the monocultural fallacy. We extend Hart's argument to alien energy supplies and argue that detectably large energy supplies can plausibly be expected to exist because life has the potential for exponential growth until checked by resources or other limitations, and intelligence implies the ability to overcome such limitations. As such, if Hart's thesis is correct, then searches for large alien civilizations in other galaxies may be fruitful; if it is incorrect, then searches for civilizations within the Milky Way are more likely to succeed than Hart argued. We review some past Dysonian SETI efforts and discuss the promise of new mid-infrared surveys, such as that of WISE.« less

The Ĝ Infrared Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations with Large Energy Supplies. I. Background and Justification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, J. T.; Mullan, B.; Sigurdsson, S.; Povich, M. S.

2014-09-01

We motivate the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. We discuss some philosophical difficulties of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and how communication SETI circumvents them. We review "Dysonian SETI," the search for artifacts of alien civilizations, and find that it is highly complementary to traditional communication SETI; the two together might succeed where either one alone has not. We discuss the argument of Hart that spacefaring life in the Milky Way should be either galaxy-spanning or non-existent, and examine a portion of his argument that we call the "monocultural fallacy." We discuss some rebuttals to Hart that invoke sustainability and predict long Galaxy colonization timescales. We find that the maximum Galaxy colonization timescale is actually much shorter than previous work has found (<109 yr), and that many "sustainability" counter-arguments to Hart's thesis suffer from the monocultural fallacy. We extend Hart's argument to alien energy supplies and argue that detectably large energy supplies can plausibly be expected to exist because life has the potential for exponential growth until checked by resources or other limitations, and intelligence implies the ability to overcome such limitations. As such, if Hart's thesis is correct, then searches for large alien civilizations in other galaxies may be fruitful; if it is incorrect, then searches for civilizations within the Milky Way are more likely to succeed than Hart argued. We review some past Dysonian SETI efforts and discuss the promise of new mid-infrared surveys, such as that of WISE.

Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagan, Carl; Agel, Jerome

2000-08-01

Foreword Freeman Dyson; Personal reflections Ann Druyan; Preface; Part I. Cosmic Perspective: 1. A transitional animal; 2. The Unicorn of Cetus; 3. A message from earth; 4. A message to earth; 5. Experiments in utopias; 6. Chauvinism; 7. Space exploration as a human enterprise I. The scientific interest; 8. Space exploration as a human enterprise II. The public interest; 9. Space exploration as a human enterprise III. The historical interest; Part II. The Solar System: 10. On teaching the first grade; 11. 'The ancient and legendary Gods of old'; 12. The Venus detective story; 13. Venus is hell; 14. Science and 'intelligence'; 15. The moons of Barsoom; 16. The mountains of Mars I. Observations from earth; 17. The mountains of Mars II. Observations from space; 18. The canals of Mars; 19. The lost pictures of Mars; 20. The Ice Age and the cauldron; 21. Beginnings and ends of the Earth; 22. Terraforming the plants; 23. The exploration and utlization of the solar system; Part III. Beyond the Solar System: 24. Some of my best friends are dolphins; 25. 'Hello, central casting? Send me twenty extraterrestrials'; 26. The cosmic connection; 27. Extraterrestrial life: an idea whose time has come; 28. Has the Earth been visited?; 29. A search strategy for detecting extraterrestrial intelligence; 30. If we succeed 31. Cables, drums, and seashells; 32. The night freight to the stars; 33. Astroengineering; 34. Twenty questions: a classification of cosmic civilisations; 35. Galactic cultural exchanges; 36. A passage to elsewhere; 37. Starfolk I. A Fable; 38. Starfolk II. A future; 39. Starfolk III. The cosmic Cheshire cats; Epilog David Morrison; Index.

The 'Wow' Signal, Drake Equation and Exoplanet Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheeler, E.

It has been 38 years since the most likely artificial transmission ever recorded from a possible extraterrestrial source was received [1, 2]. Using greatly improved technology, subsequent efforts by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have continued, yet silence from space prevails [3]. This article examines whether the transmission was an artificial signal, and if so why it matters, to include the possibility that the modest technology used by the "Big Ear" receiver could have been accommodated by the source. The transmission and the ensuing long silence may be intended. This paper reconsiders the Drake equation, an estimate for the number of civilizations in our galaxy that may possess technology for interstellar signaling [4, 5], and shows that statement of the current alleged best estimate of two civilizations is not supported [6]. An alternate and original method suggests ~100 civilizations. It importantly relies on experience and detectable events, including recent astronomical evidence about exoplanets as cataloged by the European Exoplanet program and by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Exoplanet Science Institute [7, 8]. In addition it addresses major geological and astronomical occurrences that profoundly affected development of life on Earth and might apply similarly for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI). The alternate approach is not intended to compute ETI precisely but to examine the possibility that, though vastly spread, it likely exists. The discussion anticipates difficulties in communication with an alien civilization, hardly an exercise in science fiction, and explores how international groups can participate in future specific response. One response might be to monitor the electromagnetic radiation spectral line of an element to be determined by consensus.

The Search for Life in the Universe: The Past Through the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, L. A.; Lebofsky, A.; Lebofsky, M.; Lebofsky, N. R.

2003-05-01

``Are we alone?'' This is a question that has been asked by humans for thousands of years. More than any other topic in science, the search for life in the Universe has captured the imagination. Now, for the first time in history, we are on the verge of answering this question. The search for life beyond the Earth can be seen as far back as the 17th century writings of Bishops F. Godwin and J. Wilkins and S. Cyrano de Bergerac to the early 20th century's H. G. Wells. From a scientific perspective, this search led to the formulation of the Drake Equation which in turn has led to a number of projects that are searching for signs of intelligent life beyond the Earth, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. SETI@home reaches millions of users, including thousands of K-12 teachers across the nation. We are developing a project that will enhance the SETI@home web site located at UC Berkeley. The project unites the resources of the SETI@home distributed computing community web site, university settings, and informal science learning centers. It will reach approximately 100,000 learners. The goal is to increase public understanding of math and science and to create and strengthen the connections between informal and formal learning communities. We will present a variety of ways that the Drake Equation and SETI@home can enhance the public and student understanding of the search for life in the Universe, from its roots in literature, to the development (and evolution) of the Drake Equation, to the actual search for life with SETI.

New CCIR report on SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degroot, N. F.

1988-01-01

Since 1978, the reports and recommendations of the Comite Consultatif International des Radiocommunications (CCIR) have included a document describing SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) in the context of radio frequency management. A new report to replace the old one was adopted by a CCIR study group; both reports were written at JPL. Following introductory and background material, the text of the new report is given.

An iconic approach to communicating musical concepts in interstellar messages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

2010-12-01

Some characteristics of terrestrial music may be meaningful to extraterrestrial civilizations by virtue of the connection between acoustics and mathematics—both of which might be known by technologically advanced extraterrestrial intelligence. For example, a fundamental characteristic of terrestrial polyphonic music is found the number of tones used various scales, insofar as the number of tones represents a compromise between competing musical demands; the number of tones in a scale, however, also reflects some of the perceptual characteristics of the species developing that music. Thus, in the process of communicating something about the structure of terrestrial music through interstellar messages, additional information about human perceptual and cognitive processes can also be conveyed. This paper also discusses methods for sending signals that bear information through the form of the very frequencies in which the signals are transmitted. If the challenges of creating intelligible messages are greater than often thought, the advantage of reduced conventionality of encoding the message by using an iconic format of this sort may be of significant value. Such an approach would allow the incremental introduction of musical concepts, somewhat akin to the step-by-step tutorials in mathematics and logic that form the basis of Freudenthal's Lincos.

A Statistical Approach to Illustrate the Challenge of Astrobiology for Public Outreach.

PubMed

Foucher, Frédéric; Hickman-Lewis, Keyron; Westall, Frances; Brack, André

2017-10-26

In this study, we attempt to illustrate the competition that constitutes the main challenge of astrobiology, namely the competition between the probability of extraterrestrial life and its detectability. To illustrate this fact, we propose a simple statistical approach based on our knowledge of the Universe and the Milky Way, the Solar System, and the evolution of life on Earth permitting us to obtain the order of magnitude of the distance between Earth and bodies inhabited by more or less evolved past or present life forms, and the consequences of this probability for the detection of associated biosignatures. We thus show that the probability of the existence of evolved extraterrestrial forms of life increases with distance from the Earth while, at the same time, the number of detectable biosignatures decreases due to technical and physical limitations. This approach allows us to easily explain to the general public why it is very improbable to detect a signal of extraterrestrial intelligence while it is justified to launch space probes dedicated to the search for microbial life in the Solar System.

The search for extraterrestrial life: Recent developments; Proceedings of the Symposium, Boston University, MA, June 18-21, 1984

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papagiannis, M. D.

The conference presents papers on the history of the search for extraterrestrial life, the scientific rationale and methods used in the search for other planetary systems, the detection of distant planets with the Space Telescope, planetary searches using optical astrometric interferometers, and infrared spectral identification of complex organic molecules in interstellar grains. Also considered are universal protein ancestors from hydrogen cyanide and water, astronomical sources of polarized light and their role in determining molecular chirality on earth, the universal diagrams and life in the universe, the precambrian evolution of terrestrial life and a thermodynamic approach to the occurrance and appearance of galactic life forms. Papers are also presented on the Ohio Seti program, lunar reflections of terrestrial radio leakage, the multichannel spectrum analyzer, software implementation of detection algorithms for the MCSA, the Serendip II design, galactic colonization and competition in a young galactic disk, implications of ancient and future migrations, extraterrestrial intelligence, the inevitability and the possible structures of supercivilizations, planetary, interplanetary and interstellar organic matter, and universal aspects of biological evolution.

The search for extraterrestrial life: Recent developments; Proceedings of the Symposium, Boston University, MA, June 18-21, 1984

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papagiannis, M. D. (Editor)

1985-01-01

The conference presents papers on the history of the search for extraterrestrial life, the scientific rationale and methods used in the search for other planetary systems, the detection of distant planets with the Space Telescope, planetary searches using optical astrometric interferometers, and infrared spectral identification of complex organic molecules in interstellar grains. Also considered are universal protein ancestors from hydrogen cyanide and water, astronomical sources of polarized light and their role in determining molecular chirality on earth, the universal diagrams and life in the universe, the precambrian evolution of terrestrial life and a thermodynamic approach to the occurrance and appearance of galactic life forms. Papers are also presented on the Ohio Seti program, lunar reflections of terrestrial radio leakage, the multichannel spectrum analyzer, software implementation of detection algorithms for the MCSA, the Serendip II design, galactic colonization and competition in a young galactic disk, implications of ancient and future migrations, extraterrestrial intelligence, the ineviability and the possible structures of supercivilizations, planetary, interplanetary and interstellar organic matter, and universal aspects of biological evolution.

Positive consequences of SETI before detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tough, A.

Even before a signal is detected, six positive consequences will result from the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence, usually called SETI. (1) Humanity's self-image: SETI has enlarged our view of ourselves and enhanced our sense of meaning. Increasingly, we feel a kinship with the civilizations whose signals we are trying to detect. (2) A fresh perspective: SETI forces us to think about how extraterrestrials might perceive us. This gives us a fresh perspective on our society's values, priorities, laws and foibles. (3) Questions: SETI is stimulating thought and discussion about several fundamental questions. (4) Education: some broad-gage educational programs have already been centered around SETI. (5) Tangible spin-offs: in addition to providing jobs for some people, SETI provides various spin-offs, such as search methods, computer software, data, and international scientific cooperation. (6) Future scenarios: SETI will increasingly stimulate us to think carefully about possible detection scenarios and their consequences, about our reply, and generally about the role of extraterrestrial communication in our long-term future. Such thinking leads, in turn, to fresh perspectives on the SETI enterprise itself.

A Statistical Approach to Illustrate the Challenge of Astrobiology for Public Outreach

PubMed Central

Westall, Frances; Brack, André

2017-01-01

In this study, we attempt to illustrate the competition that constitutes the main challenge of astrobiology, namely the competition between the probability of extraterrestrial life and its detectability. To illustrate this fact, we propose a simple statistical approach based on our knowledge of the Universe and the Milky Way, the Solar System, and the evolution of life on Earth permitting us to obtain the order of magnitude of the distance between Earth and bodies inhabited by more or less evolved past or present life forms, and the consequences of this probability for the detection of associated biosignatures. We thus show that the probability of the existence of evolved extraterrestrial forms of life increases with distance from the Earth while, at the same time, the number of detectable biosignatures decreases due to technical and physical limitations. This approach allows us to easily explain to the general public why it is very improbable to detect a signal of extraterrestrial intelligence while it is justified to launch space probes dedicated to the search for microbial life in the Solar System. PMID:29072614

Who are the SETI sceptics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ćirković, Milan M.

2013-08-01

Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is now more than half a century old and has provoked enough discussion on technical, philosophical, and popular level, much of it critical. Historically, the criticism of SETI has been strong enough to heavily influence the course of research, so that there is a significant interest in discerning the nuances and fine points of critical argumentation. In this paper, I outline the two major forms of SETI scepticism, "fundamentalist" and "instrumentalist," which are often conflated in the published literature, both technical and popular. Precise delineation between these two types of scepticism is important for future research as a part of a wider taxonomic project, the build-up of SETI theory, as well as for smooth joining of SETI with the ongoing astrobiological revolution. Resolving the confusion in this respect is likely to lead to an improved atmosphere and heightened public image of future SETI searches and related activities.

Corpus Linguistics and the Design of a Response Message

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atwell, E.

2002-01-01

Most research related to SETI, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, is focussed on techniques for detection of possible incoming signals from extra-terrestrial intelligent sources (e.g. Turnbull et al. 1999), and algorithms for analysis of these signals to identify intelligent language-like characteristics (e.g. Elliott and Atwell 1999, 2000). However, another issue for research and debate is the nature of our response, should a signal arrive and be detected. The design of potentially the most significant communicative act in history should not be decided solely by astrophysicists; the Corpus Linguistics research community has a contribution to make to what is essentially a Corpus design and implementation project. (Vakoch 1998) advocated that the message constructed to transmit to extraterrestrials should include a broad, representative collection of perspectives rather than a single viewpoint or genre; this should strike a chord with Corpus Linguists for whom a central principle is that a corpus must be "balanced" to be representative (Meyer 2001). One idea favoured by SETI researchers is to transmit an encyclopaedia summarising human knowledge, such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica, to give ET communicators an overview and "training set" key to analysis of subsequent messages. Furthermore, this should be sent in several versions in parallel: the text; page-images, to include illustrations left out of the text-file and perhaps some sort of abstract linguistic representation of the text, using a functional or logic language (Ollongren 1999, Freudenthal 1960). The idea of "enriching" the message corpus with annotations at several levels should also strike a chord with Corpus Linguists who have long known that Natural language exhibits highly complex multi-layering sequencing, structural and functional patterns, as difficult to model as sequences and structures found in more traditional physical and biological sciences. Some corpora have been annotated with several levels or layers of linguistic knowledge, for example the SEC corpus (Taylor and Knowles 1988), the ISLE corpus (Menzel et al. 2000). Tagged and parsed corpus can be used by corpus linguists as a testbed to guide their development of grammars (e.g. Souter and Atwell 1994); and they can be used to train Natural Language Learning or data-mining models of complex sequence data (e.g. Brill 1993, Hughes 1993, Atwell 1996). Corpus linguists have a range of standards and tools for design and annotation of representative corpus resources, and experience of which annotation types are more amenable to Natural Language Learning algorithms. An Advisory panel of corpus linguists could help design and implement an extended Multi-annotated Interstellar Corpus of English, incorporating ideas from Corpus Linguistics such as: - Augment the Encyclopaedia Britannica with a collection of samples representing the diversity of language in real use. - As an additional "key", transmit a dictionary aimed at language learners which has also been a rich source for NLP - Supply our ET communicators with several levels of linguistic annotation, to give them a richer training set for their - Add translations of the English text into other human languages: Humanity should not be represented by English alone, This calls for a large-scale corpus annotation project, requiring an Interstellar Corpus Advisory Panel, analogous to the BNC or MATE advisory panels, to include experts in English grammar and semantics, English language learning, computational Natural language Learning algorithms, and corpus design, implementation, annotation, standardisation, and analysis.

Classification of extraterrestrial civilizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Tong B.; Chang, Grace

1991-06-01

A scheme of classification of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) communities based on the scope of energy accessible to the civilization in question is proposed as an alternative to the Kardeshev (1964) scheme that includes three types of civilization, as determined by their levels of energy expenditure. The proposed scheme includes six classes: (1) a civilization that runs essentially on energy exerted by individual beings or by domesticated lower life forms, (2) harnessing of natural sources on planetary surface with artificial constructions, like water wheels and wind sails, (3) energy from fossils and fissionable isotopes, mined beneath the planet surface, (4) exploitation of nuclear fusion on a large scale, whether on the planet, in space, or from primary solar energy, (5) extensive use of antimatter for energy storage, and (6) energy from spacetime, perhaps via the action of naked singularities.

Which colors would extraterrestrial civilizations use to transmit signals?: The ;magic wavelengths; for optical SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narusawa, Shin-ya; Aota, Tatusya; Kishimoto, Ryo

2018-04-01

In the case of radio SETI, there are predicted frequencies which extraterrestrial beings select to send messages to other civilizations. Those are called ;magic frequencies. Considering the optical region, terrestrial technologies can not transmit arbitrary wavelengths of high-power optical lasers, easily. In this article, we discuss communications among civilizations with the same level of technology as us to enhance the persuasive power. It might be possible to make a reasonable assumption about the laser wavelengths transmitted by extraterrestrial intelligences to benefit optical SETI (OSETI) methods. Therefore, we propose some ;magic wavelengths; for spectroscopic OSETI observations in this article. From the senders point of view, we argue that the most favorable wavelength used for interstellar communication would be the one of YAG lasers, at 1.064 μm or its Second Harmonic Generation (532.1 nm). On the contrary, there are basic absorption lines in the optical spectra, which are frequently observed by astrophysicists on Earth. It is possible that the extraterrestrials used lasers, which wavelengths are tuned to such absorption lines for sending messages. In that case, there is a possibility that SHG and/or Sum Frequency Generation of YAG and YLF lasers are used. We propose three lines at, 393.8 nm (near the Ca K line), 656.5 nm (near the Hα line) and 589.1 nm (Na D2 line) as the magic wavelengths.

Contour Crafting Simulation Plan for Lunar Settlement Infrastructure Build-Up

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khoshnevis, B.; Carlson, A.; Leach N.; Thangavelu, M.

2016-01-01

Economically viable and reliable building systems and tool sets are being sought, examined and tested for extraterrestrial infrastructure buildup. This project focused on a unique architecture weaving the robotic building construction technology with designs for assisting rapid buildup of initial operational capability Lunar and Martian bases. The project aimed to study new methodologies to construct certain crucial infrastructure elements in order to evaluate the merits, limitations and feasibility of adapting and using such technologies for extraterrestrial application. Current extraterrestrial settlement buildup philosophy holds that in order to minimize the materials needed to be flown in, at great transportation costs, strategies that maximize the use of locally available resources must be adopted. Tools and equipment flown as cargo from Earth are proposed to build required infrastructure to support future missions and settlements on the Moon and Mars.

Galactic exploration by directed self-replicating probes, and its implications for the Fermi paradox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barlow, Martin T.

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a long-term scheme for robotic exploration of the galaxy, and then considers the implications in terms of the `Fermi paradox' and our search for extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI). We discuss the `Galactic ecology' of civilizations in terms of the parameters T (time between ET civilizations arising) and L, the lifetime of these civilizations. Six different regions are described.

Archaeology and direct imaging of exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, John B.

The search for extraterrestrial technology effectively began 45 years ago with Frank Drake's Project Ozma and a radioastronomy start to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Eventually searches began for possible interstellar probes in stable orbits in the Solar System, as well as for infrared excesses from possible Dyson spheres round Sun-like stars. Whilst the Cold War was still underway, some scientists looked for evidence of nuclear waste dumps and nuclear wars elsewhere in the Milky Way. None of this work was carried out by archaeologists, even though by their very nature archaeologists are experts in the detection of ancient technologies. The technologies being searched for would have been partly ancient in age though advanced in techniques and science. The development of ESA's Darwin and NASA's TPF for detection and imaging of Earth-like exoplanets in our galactic neighbourhood represents an opportunity for the testing of techniques for detecting signatures of technological activities. Ideally, both Darwin and TPF might be able to provide spectroscopic data on the chemistry and biochemistry of the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets, and thus to detect some of the signs of life. If this can be accomplished successfully, then in theory evidence for pollution and nuclear accidents and wars should be detectable. Some infrared signatures of ETT on or round exoplanets might be detectable. Direct visual imaging of ETT structures will probably not be feasible till we have extremely powerful interstellar telescopes or actually send orbital craft.

Enlivening Introductory Physics With SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobson, Art

2001-04-01

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), popular for years in astronomy courses, is also an excellent topic in physics literacy courses. Space travel, relativity, scientific methodology, pseudoscience, and physics-related societal topics can all be taught within the SETI context. Fermi's question (see Kuiper and Brin, Extraterrestrial Civilization, AAPT 1989, p. 67) is especially appropriate. Enrico Fermi, speculating in 1950 on the number of technological civilizations in our galaxy, concluded that we should have been visited long ago and many times over. Thus one might ask, paraphrasing Fermi, "Where is everybody?" Fermi concluded that either interstellar travel is impossible, or is always judged not to be worth the effort, or technological civilization doesn't last long enough for it to happen. Whether one agrees with Fermi or not, the great physicist's third suggestion is a sobering perspective on the sustainability of Earth-based civilization.

SETI reloaded: Next generation radio telescopes, transients and cognitive computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrett, Michael A.

2015-08-01

The Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) using radio telescopes is an area of research that is now more than 50 years old. Thus far, both targeted and wide-area surveys have yet to detect artificial signals from intelligent civilisations. In this paper, I argue that the incidence of co-existing intelligent and communicating civilisations is probably small in the Milky Way. While this makes successful SETI searches a very difficult pursuit indeed, the huge impact of even a single detection requires us to continue the search. A substantial increase in the overall performance of radio telescopes (and in particular future wide-field instruments such as the Square Kilometre Array - SKA), provide renewed optimism in the field. Evidence for this is already to be seen in the success of SETI researchers in acquiring observations on some of the world's most sensitive radio telescope facilities via open, peer-reviewed processes. The increasing interest in the dynamic radio sky, and our ability to detect new and rapid transient phenomena such as Fast Radio Bursts (FRB) is also greatly encouraging. While the nature of FRBs is not yet fully understood, I argue they are unlikely to be the signature of distant extra-terrestrial civilisations. As astronomers face a data avalanche on all sides, advances made in related areas such as advanced Big Data analytics, and cognitive computing are crucial to enable serendipitous discoveries to be made. In any case, as the era of the SKA fast approaches, the prospects of a SETI detection have never been better.

Fourth Symposium on Chemical Evolution and the Origin and Evolution of Life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wharton, Robert A., Jr. (Editor); Andersen, Dale T. (Editor); Bzik, Sara E. (Editor); Rummel, John D. (Editor)

1991-01-01

This symposium was held at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, July 24-27, 1990. The NASA exobiology investigators reported their recent research findings. Scientific papers were presented in the following areas: cosmic evolution of biogenic compounds, prebiotic evolution (planetary and molecular), early evolution of life (biological and geochemical), evolution of advanced life, solar system exploration, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

Publications of the exobiology program for 1986: A special bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A list of 1986 publications resulting from research pursued under the auspices of NASA's Exobiology Program is contained. Research supported by the program is explored in the areas of cosmic evolution of biogenic compounds, prebiotic evolution, early evolution of life, and evolution of advanced life. Premission and preproject activities supporting these areas are supported in the areas of solar system exploration and search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Radio SETI Observations of the Anomalous Star KIC 8462852

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harp, G. R.; Richards, Jon; Shostak, Seth; Tarter, J. C.; Vakoch, Douglas A.; Munson, Chris

2016-07-01

We report on a search for the presence of signals from extraterrestrial intelligence in the direction of the star system KIC 8462852. Observations were made at radio frequencies between 1 and 10 GHz using the Allen Telescope Array. No narrowband radio signals were found at a level of 180-300 Jy in a 1 Hz channel, or medium band signals above 10 Jy in a 100 kHz channel.

Teaching Planetary Science as Part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margot, Jean-Luc; Greenberg, Adam H.

2017-10-01

In Spring 2016 and 2017, UCLA offered a course titled "EPSS C179/279 - Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and Applications". The course is designed for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students in the science, technical, engineering, and mathematical fields. Each year, students designed an observing sequence for the Green Bank telescope, observed known planetary systems remotely, wrote a sophisticated and modular data processing pipeline, analyzed the data, and presented their results. In 2016, 15 students participated in the course (9U, 5G; 11M, 3F) and observed 14 planetary systems in the Kepler field. In 2017, 17 students participated (15U, 2G; 10M, 7F) and observed 10 planetary systems in the Kepler field, TRAPPIST-1, and LHS 1140. In order to select suitable targets, students learned about planetary systems, planetary habitability, and planetary dynamics. In addition to planetary science fundamentals, students learned radio astronomy fundamentals, collaborative software development, signal processing techniques, and statistics. Evaluations indicate that the course is challenging but that students are eager to learn because of the engrossing nature of SETI. Students particularly value the teamwork approach, the observing experience, and working with their own data. The next offering of the course will be in Spring 2018. Additional information about our SETI work is available at seti.ucla.edu.

The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: 1.1-1.9 GHz Observations of 692 Nearby Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enriquez, J. Emilio; Siemion, Andrew; Foster, Griffin; Gajjar, Vishal; Hellbourg, Greg; Hickish, Jack; Isaacson, Howard; Price, Danny C.; Croft, Steve; DeBoer, David; Lebofsky, Matt; MacMahon, David H. E.; Werthimer, Dan

2017-11-01

We report on a search for engineered signals from a sample of 692 nearby stars using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, undertaken as part of the Breakthrough Listen Initiative search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Observations were made over 1.1-1.9 GHz (L band), with three sets of five-minute observations of the 692 primary targets, interspersed with five-minute observations of secondary targets. By comparing the “ON” and “OFF” observations, we are able to identify terrestrial interference and place limits on the presence of engineered signals from putative extraterrestrial civilizations inhabiting the environs of the target stars. During the analysis, 11 events passed our thresholding algorithm, but a detailed analysis of their properties indicates that they are consistent with known examples of anthropogenic radio-frequency interference. We conclude that, at the time of our observations, none of the observed systems host high-duty-cycle radio transmitters emitting between 1.1 and 1.9 GHz with an Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power of ˜1013 W, which is readily achievable by our own civilization. Our results suggest that fewer than ˜0.1% of the stellar systems within 50 pc possess the type of transmitters searched in this survey.

International law implications of the detection of extraterrestrial intelligent signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopal, Vladimir

This paper first considers whether the present law of outer space, as it has been enshrined in five United Nations treaties and other legal documents concerning outer space, provides a satisfactory basis for SETI/CETI activities. In the author's opinion, these activities may serve "the common interest of all mankind in the progress of the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes," as recognized in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The use of the radio frequency spectrum for SETI/CETI purposes should be in conformity with the legal principles governing this valuable natural resource, as expressed in the International Telecommunication Convention and related documents, and with allocations of the relevant segments of the spectrum by the competent bodies of the International Telecommunication Union. In the second part the author examines the impact that the detection of extraterrestrial intelligent signals may have on the present body of space law. A possible role for the United Nations in this respect is also explored and a timely interest of the world body in discussing questions relating to this subject is recommended. Consideration of these questions could become a tool helping to concentrate the attention of the world community on problems of common concern and thus to strengthen international cooperation. However, the author believes that a law-making process that would aim at elaborating a special regulation of activities in this field would be premature at this stage. It should be initiated only when the boundary between possibilities and realities is crossed. Finally, the paper outlines some likely transformation in our space law thinking that would be the consequence of the detection of extraterrestrial intelligent signals. Elaboration of the principles and norms to govern relations between the international community of our own planet and other intelligent communities in the universe would add a new dimension to the present body of outer space law. At the same time this new approach might exercise a beneficial influence on relations between nations and peoples of the planet Earth. Considerations of legal implications of new phenomena in the world for our life are usually made from two points of view that reflect two basic levels of our thinking. First, we try to establish what exists and then decide what could or should be done. This two-fold approach, known in legal terminology as de lege lata and de lege ferenda, can also be used in the consideration of our present problem, though it seems to be still a rather extraordinary subject.

Seventeen Key Developments in the History of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowe, Michael J.

2010-01-01

The extraterrestrial life debate, rather than beginning in the twentieth century, was already underway in classical antiquity and has continued almost without interruption until the present. This historical presentation, based on the presenter's many years of historical research including visits to over forty research libraries, will survey seventeen of the most significant, exciting, and/or controversial turning points in this debate, involving those associated with such figures as Aristotle, Epicurus, Cusa, Copernicus, Bruno, Kepler, Fontenelle, Huygens, Herschel, Paine, Locke, Whewell, Proctor, Schiaparelli, Lowell, Maunder, Antoniadi, Wallace, Hubble, Brock, and the discoverers of the exoplanets. The discussion will include both astronomical and cultural issues and challenge various historical interpretations that appear in the literature. It will also provide some suggestions concerning the role that non-scientific issues, including metaphysical and religious issues, have at times played in the debate. Among the theses proposed in this talk are: (1) this debate has centered on one of the great questions humanity faces, (2) some of the effects that are predicted to follow if astronomers detect extraterrestrial intelligent beings have already occurred, and (3) not only has astronomy affected the debate, but the debate has had significant impacts on astronomy.

Extraction of volatile and metals from extraterrestrial materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John S.

1990-01-01

Since March 1, 1989, attention was concentrated on the extraction of ilmenite from extraterrestrial materials and on the planning and development of laboratory facilities for carbonyl extraction of ferrous metal alloys. Work under three subcontracts was administered by this project: (1) electrolytic production of oxygen from molten lunar materials; (2) microwave processing of lunar materials; and (3) production of a resource-oriented space science data base.

Broadening and Simplifying the First SETI Protocol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaud, M. A. G.

The Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence, known informally as the First SETI Protocol, is the primary existing international guidance on this subject. During the fifteen years since the document was issued, several people have suggested revisions or additional protocols. This article proposes a broadened and simplified text that would apply to the detection of alien technology in our solar system as well as to electromagnetic signals from more remote sources.

Using the Very Large Array (VLA) and other radio telescopes to perform a parasitic Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, J.

1985-01-01

This paper describes several attempts to utilize various radio telescopes in a manner that we term "parasitic," that is in a manner that does not interrupt or seriously impact the standard astronomical observing programs in progress at the radio observatories. In the extreme case, only recorded astronomical data are accessed off-line, after the fact, without any burden on the observatory at all.

Using the Very Large Array (VLA) and other radio telescopes to perform a parasitic search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, J. C.

1984-01-01

This paper describes several attempts to utilize various radio telescopes in a manner that is termed 'parasitic', that is in a manner that does not interrupt or seriously impact the standard astronomical observing programs in progress at the radio observatories. In the extreme case, only recorded astronomical data are accessed off-line, after the fact, without any burden on the observatory at all.

Using the Very Large Array (VLA) and other radio telescopes to perform a parasitic Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

PubMed

Tarter, J

1985-01-01

This paper describes several attempts to utilize various radio telescopes in a manner that we term "parasitic," that is in a manner that does not interrupt or seriously impact the standard astronomical observing programs in progress at the radio observatories. In the extreme case, only recorded astronomical data are accessed off-line, after the fact, without any burden on the observatory at all.

Radio Searches for Signatures of Advanced Extraterrestrial Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemion, Andrew

Over the last several decades, observational astronomy has produced a flood of discoveries that suggest that the building blocks and circumstances that gave rise to life on Earth may be the rule rather than the exception. It has now been conclusively shown that planets are common and that some 5-15% of FGKM stars host planets existing in their host star's habitable zone. Further, terrestrial biology has demonstrated that life on our own planet can thrive in extraordinarily extreme environments, dramatically extending our notion of what constitutes habitability. The deeper question, yet unanswered, is whether or not life in any form has ever existed in an environment outside of the Earth. As humans, we are drawn to an even more profound question, that of whether or not extraterrestrial life may have evolved a curiosity about the universe similar to our own and the technology with which to explore it. Radio astronomy has long played a prominent role in searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), beginning with the first suggestions by Cocconi and Morrison (1959) that narrow-band radio signals near 1420 MHz might be effective tracers of advanced technology and early experiments along these lines by Frank Drake in 1961, continuing through to more recent investigations searching for several types of coherent radio signals indicative of technology at a wider range of frequencies. The motivations for radio searches for extraterrestrial intelligence have been throughly discussed in the literature, but the salient arguments are the following: 1. coherent radio emission is commonly produced by advanced technology (judging by Earth’s technological development), 2. electromagnetic radiation can convey information at the maximum velocity currently known to be possible, 3. radio photons are energetically cheap to produce, 4. certain types of coherent radio emissions are easily distinguished from astrophysical background sources, especially within the so-called ``terrestrial microwave window'' and 5. these emissions can transit vast regions of interstellar space relatively unaffected by gas, plasma and dust. Our group is conducting a variety of radio SETI at a wide range of frequencies, from 50 MHz to 230 GHz, using several facilities: the Dutch/European Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), Arecibo Observatory, the Green Bank Telescope and the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA). Our experiments employ a variety of strategies, including searches of nearby stars, stars with known exoplanets and the galactic center. We have also developed an observing pipeline that targets systems of multiple exoplanets at epochs in which two or more planets are aligned relative to Earth, which we have dubbed exoplanetary interplanetary communication (EPIC) SETI. Our detection algorithms are sensitive to a wide range of signal types, and we have developed numerous radio interference rejection techniques. Many of our experiments operate ``commensally'' with other science projects, providing thousands of hours of observations with the largest telescopes in the world. Here we present the status of our radio SETI efforts, discuss observations conducted to-date and review the various regions of parameter space probed by each experiment.

Examination of the embargo hypothesis as an explanation for the Great Silence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deardorff, J. W.

1987-08-01

The embargo or quarantine hypothesis for explaining the 'Great Silence' is reviewed and found to be more plausible than the view that, at most, earth might expect to receive radio messages from some distant star. The latter hypothesis is shown to be compatible with extraterrestrial technologies only a few hundred years in advance of those on earth, whereas the embargo hypothesis more reasonably infers that they should be tens of thousands of years in advance and in control of any contact with humanity. Reasons why the embargo hypothesis has received insufficient attention are presented; they involve failure to allow for the application of both greatly advanced technology and high ethical values by maturing societies of extraterrestrial intelligence. The implication of the embargo hypothesis for space development is that planets already harboring diverse biota are ethically off-limits for exploitive colonization.

Extraterrestrial Life as the Great Analogy, Two Centuries Ago and in Modern Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Woodruff T.

Mainstream ideas on the existence of extraterrestrial life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries are examined, with a focus on William Herschel, one of the greatest astronomers of all time. Herschel viewed all of the planets and moons of our solar system as inhabited, and gave logical arguments that even the Sun, and by extension all of the stars, was a giant planet fit for habitation by intelligent beings. The importance for astrobiology both two centuries ago and now of the type of inductive reasoning called "analogy" is emphasized. Analogy is an imperfect tool, but given that we have only one known case of life and of a life-bearing planet, it is very difficult to make progress in astrobiology without resorting to analogy, in particular between known life and possible other life. We cannot overcome the "N = 1 Problem" without resorting to this "Great Analogy" to guide our research.

Fermi's paradox, extraterrestrial life and the future of humanity: a Bayesian analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verendel, Vilhelm; Häggström, Olle

2017-01-01

The Great Filter interpretation of Fermi's great silence asserts that Npq is not a very large number, where N is the number of potentially life-supporting planets in the observable universe, p is the probability that a randomly chosen such planet develops intelligent life to the level of present-day human civilization, and q is the conditional probability that it then goes on to develop a technological supercivilization visible all over the observable universe. Evidence suggests that N is huge, which implies that pq is very small. Hanson (1998) and Bostrom (2008) have argued that the discovery of extraterrestrial life would point towards p not being small and therefore a very small q, which can be seen as bad news for humanity's prospects of colonizing the universe. Here we investigate whether a Bayesian analysis supports their argument, and the answer turns out to depend critically on the choice of prior distribution.

Astrobiological complexity with probabilistic cellular automata.

PubMed

Vukotić, Branislav; Ćirković, Milan M

2012-08-01

The search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence constitutes one of the major endeavors in science, but has yet been quantitatively modeled only rarely and in a cursory and superficial fashion. We argue that probabilistic cellular automata (PCA) represent the best quantitative framework for modeling the astrobiological history of the Milky Way and its Galactic Habitable Zone. The relevant astrobiological parameters are to be modeled as the elements of the input probability matrix for the PCA kernel. With the underlying simplicity of the cellular automata constructs, this approach enables a quick analysis of large and ambiguous space of the input parameters. We perform a simple clustering analysis of typical astrobiological histories with "Copernican" choice of input parameters and discuss the relevant boundary conditions of practical importance for planning and guiding empirical astrobiological and SETI projects. In addition to showing how the present framework is adaptable to more complex situations and updated observational databases from current and near-future space missions, we demonstrate how numerical results could offer a cautious rationale for continuation of practical SETI searches.

NASA SETI microwave observing project: Sky Survey element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. J.

1991-01-01

The SETI Sky Survey Observing Program is one of two complimentary strategies that NASA plans to use in its microwave Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The primary objective of the sky survey is to search the entire sky over the frequency range of 1.0 to 10.0 GHz for evidence of narrow band signals of extraterrestrial intelligent origin. Frequency resolutions of 30 Hz or narrower will be used across the entire band. Spectrum analyzers with upwards of ten million channels are required to keep the survey time approximately 6 years. Data rates in excess of 10 megabits per second will be generated in the data taking process. Sophisticated data processing techniques will be required to determine the ever changing receiver baselines, and to detect and archive potential SETI signals. Existing radio telescopes, including several of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) 34 meter antennas located at Goldstone, CA and Tidbinbilla, Australia will be used for the observations. The JPL has the primary responsibility to develop and carry out the sky survey. In order to lay the foundation for the full scale SETI Sky Survey, a prototype system is being developed at the JPL. The system will be installed at the new 34-m high efficiency antenna at the Deep Space Station (DSS) 13 research and development station, Goldstone, CA, where it will be used to initiate the observational phase of the NASA SETI Sky Survey. It is anticipated that the early observations will be useful to test signal detection algorithms, scan strategies, and radio frequency interference rejection schemes. The SETI specific elements of the prototype system are: (1) the Wide Band Spectrum Analyzer (WBSA); a 2-million channel fast Fourier transformation (FFT) spectrum analyzer which covers an instantaneous bandpass of 40 MHz; (2) the signal detection processor; and (3) the SETI Sky Survey Manager, a network-based C-language environment that provides observatory control, performs data acquisition and analysis algorithms. A high level description of the prototype hardware and software systems will be given and the current status of the system development will be reported.

A New Empirical Constraint on the Prevalence of Technological Species in the Universe.

PubMed

Frank, A; Sullivan, W T

2016-05-01

In this article, we address the cosmic frequency of technological species. Recent advances in exoplanet studies provide strong constraints on all astrophysical terms in the Drake equation. Using these and modifying the form and intent of the Drake equation, we set a firm lower bound on the probability that one or more technological species have evolved anywhere and at any time in the history of the observable Universe. We find that as long as the probability that a habitable zone planet develops a technological species is larger than ∼10(-24), humanity is not the only time technological intelligence has evolved. This constraint has important scientific and philosophical consequences. Life-Intelligence-Extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology 2016, 359-362.

Intelligent Design, A Young Universe, Astrology, UFO's, and More: Tackling Astronomical Pseudo-science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraknoi, A.

2008-11-01

During IYA educators and scientists will interact with the public in many ways. There will likely be public questions at IYA events about pseudo-scientific topics. While the particular pseudo-sciences that are in vogue change with time, these days popular astronomical pseudo-science includes creationism and intelligent design (and their denial of the age of the universe), astrology, UFO's as extra-terrestrial spaceships, selling star names, the ``face'' on Mars, the claim that the moon landings were a hoax, etc. We discuss some of the recent surveys of belief in pseudo-science and some ways to respond to questions about these topics. A separate resource guide to help answer questions about astronomical pseudoscience is also included in this volume.

Exobiology and the solar system: the Cassini mission to Titan.

PubMed

Raulin, F; Gautier, D; Ip, W H

1984-01-01

The recent Voyager mission and the simulation experiments in the laboratory suggest that a complex nitrogen-organic chemistry is occuring at the periphery of Titan. Thus, this satellite of Saturn appears as a privileged place in the solar system for the study of extraterrestrial organic chemistry which can be considered as part of Exobiology. Projects of space mission relating to Titan are already under investigation, in particular with the "CASSINI" proposal. The CASSINI project is a combination of a Saturn orbiter and a Titan probe mission. Such a mission would allow the first study "in situ" of a complex extraterrestrial organic chemistry in atmospheric phase.

A critical review of the state of foreign space technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grey, J.; Gerard, M.

1978-01-01

A conference was held to exchange technical information in the area of space technology. Soviet system capability and technology both in Intersputnik and in the domestic Ekran system was discussed in detail. The thermonic power conversion system used in the Soviet Topaz nuclear power reactor was described in detail. Other areas of examination included: (1) Bioastronautics; (2) Space based industry; (3) Propulsion; (4) Astrodynamics; (5) Contact with extraterrestrial intelligence; and (6) Space rescue and safety.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Progress in the development and operations of the Deep Space Network is reported including developments in Earth based radio technology as applied to other research programs. These programs include application of radio interferometry at microwave frequencies to geodetic measurements and geodynamics, use of deep space stations individually and in pairs as an interferometer by radio astronomers for astrophysics research by direct observations of radio sources, and radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Identification, Characterization, and Exploration of Environments for Life on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acevedo, Sara E.

2002-01-01

A bibliography (18 references) listing the publications during the current grant period of The Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, part of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute is presented. The publications, from the Period of Performance September 1, 2000 to February 28, 2002, primarily cover Mars and its potential for life, as well as extreme environments and primitive life forms on Earth. One of the publications covers Europa and the Galileo spacecraft.

Ultranarrowband searches for extraterrestrial intelligence with dedicated signal-processing hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, P.; Matthews, B. S.; Forster, J.; Linscott, I.; Teague, C. C.; Chen, K.; Backus, P.

1986-01-01

An evaluation is made of the prospects for SETI applications of multichannel spectroscopy, assuming narrowband RF beacon transmission, with a mHz resolution that matches interstellar medium properties. Receiver Doppler corrections must furnish substantial interference rejection. Results are presented from an Arecibo antenna search of 250 sunlike stars at 1.4 and 2.8 GHz. A meridian transit search of the northern sky is also in progress with the Harvard-Smithsonian 26-m antenna.

The Convergence of Intelligences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diederich, Joachim

Minsky (1985) argued an extraterrestrial intelligence may be similar to ours despite very different origins. ``Problem- solving'' offers evolutionary advantages and individuals who are part of a technical civilisation should have this capacity. On earth, the principles of problem-solving are the same for humans, some primates and machines based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques. Intelligent systems use ``goals'' and ``sub-goals'' for problem-solving, with memories and representations of ``objects'' and ``sub-objects'' as well as knowledge of relations such as ``cause'' or ``difference.'' Some of these objects are generic and cannot easily be divided into parts. We must, therefore, assume that these objects and relations are universal, and a general property of intelligence. Minsky's arguments from 1985 are extended here. The last decade has seen the development of a general learning theory (``computational learning theory'' (CLT) or ``statistical learning theory'') which equally applies to humans, animals and machines. It is argued that basic learning laws will also apply to an evolved alien intelligence, and this includes limitations of what can be learned efficiently. An example from CLT is that the general learning problem for neural networks is intractable, i.e. it cannot be solved efficiently for all instances (it is ``NP-complete''). It is the objective of this paper to show that evolved intelligences will be constrained by general learning laws and will use task-decomposition for problem-solving. Since learning and problem-solving are core features of intelligence, it can be said that intelligences converge despite very different origins.

Might Astrobiological Findings Evoke a Religious Crisis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, T.; Froehlig, J. L.

2009-12-01

What might be the likely impact of confirmed discovery of extraterrestrial life—microbial or intelligent life—on terrestrial religion? Many have speculated that the anthropo-centrism and earth-centrism which allegedly have characterized our religious traditions would be confronted with a crisis. Would new knowledge that we are not alone in the universe lead to a collapse of traditional religious belief? This presentation will summarize the results of the Peters Religious Crisis Survey of 1325 respondents. This survey shows that the majority of adherents to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism demonstrate little or no anxiety regarding the prospect of contact with extraterrestrial life, even if they express some doubts regarding their respective religious tradition and the traditions of others. This presentation will also show that theological speculation regarding other worlds has sparked lively debate beginning as far back as the middle ages and continuing into our present era. Ted Peters is a research and teaching scholar with the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He is co-editor of the journal, Theology and Science, and author of the books, The Evolution of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Life (Pandora 2008) and Playing God? Genetic Determinism and Human Freedom (Routledge, rev. ed., 2003).

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, Ulmschneider

Looking at the nature, origin, and evolution of life on Earth is one way of assessing whether extraterrestrial life exists on Earth-like planets elsewhere (see Chaps. 5 and 6). A more direct approach is to search for favorable conditions and traces of life on other celestial bodies, both in the solar system and beyond. Clearly, there is little chance of encountering nonhuman intelligent beings in the solar system. But there could well be primitive life on Mars, particularly as in the early history of the solar system the conditions on Mars were quite similar to those on Earth. In addition, surprisingly favorable conditions for life once existed on the moons of Jupiter. Yet even if extraterrestrial life is not encountered in forthcoming space missions, it would be of utmost importance to recover fossils of past organisms as such traces would greatly contribute to our basic understanding of the formation of life. In addition to the planned missions to Mars and Europa, there are extensive efforts to search for life outside the solar system. Rapid advances in the detection of extrasolar planets, outlined in Chap. 3, are expected to lead to the discovery of Earth-like planets in the near future. But how can we detect life on these distant bodies?

Regolith-Derived Heat Shield for Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogue, Michael D.; Mueller, Robert P.; Sibille, Laurent; Hintze, Paul E.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's Grand Challenges involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Heat shields fabricated in-situ can provide a thermal protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. Fabricating the heat shield from extraterrestrial regolith will avoid the costs of launching the heat shield mass from Earth. This project will investigate three methods to fabricate heat shield using extraterrestrial regolith.

Communication with aliens, as an opening of the horizon of a scientific Humanity. A philosopher's reflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petit, J.-L.

2013-07-01

In this article, we reflect on the motives underlying the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life (SETI) with a view to show that far from turning away from humanity it is profoundly rooted in human aspirations. We suggest that those motives derive their driving force from the fact that they combine two powerful aspirations of humanity. On the one hand, there is the transcendental motive that drives history of science, the human enterprise that claims to escape any communitarian closure of horizon and brings our humanity to transcend itself toward the other, which was formerly referred to under the title Universal Reason. On the other hand, there is the anthropological motive by virtue of which the human being tends to project on the other and even in inanimate nature a double of himself. The mixture of both motives is deemed responsible for a remarkable bias in the current understanding of the SETI programme. Despite the fact that such a programme might well be aimed at any biological formation which could be arbitrarily different from all known forms, it is focused instead on a very special kind of being: beings that possess both the natural property of the type of mentality we identify with: intelligence, and the ideal one of being possible co-subjects for a Science of Nature.

An Earth-Based Equivalent Low Stretch Apparatus to Assess Material Flammability for Microgravity and Extraterrestrial Fire-Safety Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, S. L.; Beeson, H.; Haas, J. P.

2003-01-01

The objective of this project is to modify the standard oxygen consumption (cone) calorimeter (described in ASTM E 1354 and NASA STD 6001 Test 2) to provide a reproducible bench-scale test environment that simulates the buoyant or ventilation flow that would be generated by or around a burning surface in a spacecraft or extraterrestrial gravity level. This apparatus will allow us to conduct normal gravity experiments that accurately and quantitatively evaluate a material's flammability characteristics in the real-use environment of spacecraft or extra-terrestrial gravitational acceleration. The Equivalent Low Stretch Apparatus (ELSA) uses an inverted cone geometry with the sample burning in a ceiling fire configuration that provides a reproducible bench-scale test environment that simulates the buoyant or ventilation flow that would be generated by a flame in a spacecraft or extraterrestrial gravity level. Prototype unit testing results are presented in this paper. Ignition delay times and regression rates for PMMA are presented over a range of radiant heat flux levels and equivalent stretch rates which demonstrate the ability of ELSA to simulate key features of microgravity and extraterrestrial fire behavior.

Publications of the exobiology program for 1990: A special bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The Exobiology Program is an integrated program designed to investigate and understand those processes related to the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. The Exobiology Program is broad in scope, covering the following subject areas: cosmic evolution of biogenic compounds; prebiotic evolution; early evolution of life; evolution of advanced life; solar system exploration; search for extraterrestrial intelligence; planetary protection; and advanced programs in biological systems research. A listing of the 1990 publications resulting from research supported by the Exobiology Program is presented.

Lasers revisited - Their superior utility for interstellar beacons, communications, and travel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rather, John D. G.

1991-01-01

This paper demonstrates reasons why research supporting SETI and Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence should be broadened to optical wavelengths rather than focusing almost entirely upon microwave wavelengths and technologies. New perceptions regarding the feasibility of laser technologies, along with reassessments of signal-to-noise considerations, show both the desirability and feasibility of optical interstellar transmissions, especially at IR and visible wavelengths. It is shown that utilization of the large bandwidths available at optical wavelengths greatly improves the possible use of such endeavors.

A search for life on Earth from the Galileo spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sagan, C.; Thompson, W. R.; Carlson, R.; Gurnett, D.; Hord, C.

1993-01-01

In its December 1990 fly-by of Earth, the Galileo spacecraft found evidence of abundant gaseous oxygen, a widely distributed surface pigment with a sharp absorption edge in the red part of the visible spectrum, and atmospheric methane in extreme thermodynamic disequilibrium; together, these are strongly suggestive of life on Earth. Moreover, the presence of narrow-band, pulsed, amplitude-modulated radio transmission seems uniquely attributable to intelligence. These observations constitute a control experiment for the serach for extraterrestrial life by modern interplanetary spacecraft.

A critical examination of factors that might encourage secrecy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tough, Allen

1987-10-01

Seven factors that may encourage a government to keep secret a signal from extraterrestrial intelligence are critically examined. These factors are: (1) belief that people may panic; (2) fear of a negative impact on religion, science, and culture; (3) embarrassment; (4) individual and national competitive urges; (5) avoiding a harmful premature reply; (6) a national trade or military advantage; and (7) fear of a Trojan horse. Steps that can be taken to alleviate the most significant of these factors are considered.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (Isaacson+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaacson, H.; Siemion, A. P. V.; Marcy, G. W.; Lebofsky, M.; Price, D. C.; MacMahon, D.; Croft, S.; Deboer, D.; Hickish, J.; Werthimer, D.; Sheikh, S.; Hellbourg, G.; Enriquez, J. E.

2017-08-01

The stellar sample is defined by two selection criteria. The first is a volume-limited sample of stars within 5pc of the Sun. The second is a spectral class complete sample consisting of stars across the main sequence and some giant branch stars, all within 50pc. We combined the two sub-samples (5pc and 5-50pc) to produce the final set of 1709 target stars that are listed in Table 1. (1 data file).

A search for life on Earth from the Galileo spacecraft.

PubMed

Sagan, C; Thompson, W R; Carlson, R; Gurnett, D; Hord, C

1993-10-21

In its December 1990 fly-by of Earth, the Galileo spacecraft found evidence of abundant gaseous oxygen, a widely distributed surface pigment with a sharp absorption edge in the red part of the visible spectrum, and atmospheric methane in extreme thermodynamic disequilibrium; together, these are strongly suggestive of life on Earth. Moreover, the presence of narrow-band, pulsed, amplitude-modulated radio transmission seems uniquely attributable to intelligence. These observations constitute a control experiment for the serach for extraterrestrial life by modern interplanetary spacecraft.

Automated site characterization for robotic sample acquisition systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholl, Marija S.; Eberlein, Susan J.

1993-04-01

A mobile, semiautonomous vehicle with multiple sensors and on-board intelligence is proposed for performing preliminary scientific investigations on extraterrestrial bodies prior to human exploration. Two technologies, a hybrid optical-digital computer system based on optical correlator technology and an image and instrument data analysis system, provide complementary capabilities that might be part of an instrument package for an intelligent robotic vehicle. The hybrid digital-optical vision system could perform real-time image classification tasks using an optical correlator with programmable matched filters under control of a digital microcomputer. The data analysis system would analyze visible and multiband imagery to extract mineral composition and textural information for geologic characterization. Together these technologies would support the site characterization needs of a robotic vehicle for both navigational and scientific purposes.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and Whether to send 'Messages' (METI): A Case for Conversation, Patience and Due Diligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brin, D.

Understanding the controversy over "Messages to Extra Terrestrial Intelligence" or METI requires a grounding in the history and rationale of SETI (Search for ETI). Insights since the turn of the century have changed SETI's scientific basis. Continued null results from the radio search do not invalidate continuing effort, but they do raise questions about long-held assumptions. Modified search strategies are discussed. The Great Silence or Fermi Paradox is appraised, along with the disruptive plausibility of interstellar travel. Psychological motivations for METI are considered. With this underpinning, we consider why a small cadre of SETI-ist radio astronomers have resisted the notion of international consultations before humanity takes a brash and irreversible step into METI, shouting our presence into the cosmos.

Why Von Neumann interstellar probes could not exist: nonoptical reflections on modern analytic philosophy, bad arguments, and unutilised data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodall, Clive

1993-08-01

A decisive and lethal response to a naive radical skepticism concerning the prospects for the existence of Extraterrestrial Intelligence is derivable from core areas of Modern Analytic Philosophy. The naive skeptical view is fundamentally flawed in the way it oversimplifies certain complex issues, failing as it does, to recognize a special class of conceptual problems for what they really are and mistakenly treating them instead as empirical issues. Specifically, this skepticism is based upon an untenable oversimplifying mode of the 'mind-brain' relation. Moreover, independent logical considerations concerning the mind-brain relation provide evidential grounds for why we should in fact expect a priori that an Alien Intelligence will face constraints upon, and immense difficulties in, making its existence known by non- electromagnetic means.

Media reaction to a SETI success.

PubMed

Shostak, G S

1997-01-01

Consideration of the reaction to a SETI detection by the media, and the effect this will have on the public, is more than mere sociological speculation. An accurate forecast of the media's interest can lead to actions that will help ensure that correct and comprehensible information reaches the public. This is most critical in the first few weeks following a discovery. While a widely accepted protocol for dealing with a detection exists in the "Declaration of Principles Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence," it gives scant consideration to the fact that the actual situation will be chaotic and not subject to easy control. The 1996 story about the possible discovery of martian microfossils has provided a useful precedent for what will happen if astronomers uncover the existence of alien intelligence.

Ethical issues in astrobiology: a Christian perspective (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randolph, R. O.

2009-12-01

With its focus on the origin, extent, and future of life, Astrobiology raises exciting, multidisciplinary questions for science. At the same time, Astrobiology raises important questions for the humanities. For instance, the prospect of discovering extraterrestrial life - either intelligent or unintelligent - raises questions about humans’ place in the universe and our relationship with nature on planet Earth. Fundamentally, such questions are rooted in our understanding of what it means to be human. From a Christian perspective, the foundational claim about human nature is that all persons bear the "imago dei", the image of God. This concept forms the basis for how humans relate to one another (dignity) and how humans relate to nature (stewardship). For many Christians the "imago dei" also suggests that humans are at the center of the universe. The discovery of extraterrestrial life would be another scientific development - similar to evolution - that essentially de-centers humanity. For some Christian perspectives this de-centering may be problematic, but I will argue that the discovery of extraterrestrial life would actually offer a much needed theological corrective for contemporary Christians’ understanding of the "imago dei". I will make this argument by examining two clusters of ethical issues confronting Astrobiology: 1. What ethical obligations would human explorers owe to extraterrestrial life? Are there ethical obligations to protect extraterrestrial ecosystems from harm or exploitation by human explorers? Do our ethical considerations change, if the extraterrestrial life is a “second genesis;” in other words a form of life completely different and independent from the carbon-based life that we know on Earth? 2. Do we have an ethical obligation to promote life as much as we can? If human explorers discover extraterrestrial life and through examination determine that it is struggling to survive, do we have an ethical obligation to assist that ecological community to become stronger? If after a thorough investigation we determine that no life exists and that a planet is nothing more than a lifeless body of rocks and dust, do we have an ethical obligation to attempt the creation of life through a process called planetary ecosynthesis? Or, do we have the opposite obligation to respect the rocks and dust for what they are, and refrain from any attempts to engineer life on a lifeless planet? While these two clusters of issues pose new ethical questions, I will argue that from a Christian perspective the framework for responding to these challenges would remain the Genesis Creation stories and the concept of the "imago dei". However, the new ethical challenges posed by Astrobiology require a re-framing of the "imago dei" that is closer to the intent of the original scriptures and that predicts simultaneously the presence of extraterrestrial life and the de-centering of humanity.

Regolith-Derived Heat Shield for Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogue, Michael D.; Mueller, Robert P.; Sibille, Laurent; Hintze, Paul E.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's Grand Challenges involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Heat shields fabricated in-situ can provide a thermal protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. Fabricating the heat shield from extraterrestrial regolith will avoid the costs of launching the heat shield mass from Earth. This project investigated three methods to fabricate heat shield using extraterrestrial regolith and performed preliminary work on mission architectures.

Until the sun dies. [Book on origin of universe, life and intelligence on earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jastrow, R.

1977-01-01

This book gives a popular account of the forces that have shaped human beings into their present form and created the power of human intelligence, and considers the prospects for intelligent life on other planets in the solar system and elsewhere in the universe. The chain of events leading from the big bang to the origin of life on earth is reviewed together with the observations that established the expansion of the universe. Philosophical difficulties with the concept of a universe that has both a beginning and an end are pondered, steady-state cosmology is briefly explained, and the discovery of the relict microwave background is discussed. The formation of the solar system is recounted along with the scientific view of the origin of terrestrial life. Attention is given to the origin of cells and the evolution of oxygen-breathing life, multicelled creatures, armored animals, fishes, amphibians, early reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammals. The development of mammalian intelligence is traced from the early tree dwellers through monkeys, apes, ape men, humanoid tool makers, and primitive members of the genus Homo, to Homo sapiens. Possible evidence for the existence of life on Mars is evaluated together with prospects for communication or other contact with extraterrestrial intelligence.

Carl Sagan's Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terzian, Yervant; Bilson, Elizabeth

1997-10-01

Preface; Carl Sagan at sixty; Part I. Planetary Exploration: 1. On the occasion of Carl Sagan's sixtieth birthday Wesley T. Huntress, Jr.; 2. The search for the origins of life: U.S. Solar system exploration, 1962-1994 Edward C. Stone; 3. Highlights of the Russian planetary program Roald Sageev; 4. From the eyepiece to the footpad: The search for life on Mars Bruce Murray; Part II. Life in the Cosmos: 5. Environments of Earth and other worlds Owen B. Toon; 6. The origin of life in a cosmic context Christopher F. Chyba; 7. Impacts and life: Living in a risky planetary system David Morrison; 8. Extraterrestrial intelligence: The significance of the search Frank D. Drake; 9. Extraterrestrial intelligence: The search programs Paul Horowitz; 10. Do the laws of physics permit wormholes for interstellar travel and machines for time travel? Kip S. Thorne; Public Address: 11. The age of exploration Carl Sagan; Part III. Science Education: 12. Does science need to be popularized? Ann Druyen; 13. Science and pseudo-science James Randi; 14. Science education in a democracy Philip Morrison; 15. The visual presentation of science Jon Lomberg; 16. Science and the press Walter Anderson; 17. Science and teaching Bill G. Aldridge; Part IV. Science, Environment and Public Policy: 18. The relationship of science and power Richard L. Garwin; 19. Nuclear-free world? Georgi Arbatov; 20. Carl Sagan and nuclear winter Richard P. Turco; 21. Public understanding of global climate change James Hansen; 22. Science and religion Joan B. Campbell; 23. Speech in honor of Carl Sagan Frank Press.

Virulence as a model for interplanetary and interstellar colonization - parasitism or mutualism?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starling, Jonathan; Forgan, Duncan H.

2014-01-01

In the light of current scientific assessments of human-induced climate change, we investigate an experimental model to inform how resource-use strategies may influence interplanetary and interstellar colonization by intelligent civilizations. In doing so, we seek to provide an additional aspect for refining the famed Fermi Paradox. The model described is necessarily simplistic, and the intent is to simply obtain some general insights to inform and inspire additional models. We model the relationship between an intelligent civilization and its host planet as symbiotic, where the relationship between the symbiont and the host species (the civilization and the planet's ecology, respectively) determines the fitness and ultimate survival of both organisms. We perform a series of Monte Carlo Realization simulations, where civilizations pursue a variety of different relationships/strategies with their host planet, from mutualism to parasitism, and can consequently `infect' other planets/hosts. We find that parasitic civilizations are generally less effective at survival than mutualist civilizations, provided that interstellar colonization is inefficient (the maximum velocity of colonization/infection is low). However, as the colonization velocity is increased, the strategy of parasitism becomes more successful, until they dominate the `population'. This is in accordance with predictions based on island biogeography and r/K selection theory. While heavily assumption dependent, we contend that this provides a fertile approach for further application of insights from theoretical ecology for extraterrestrial colonization - while also potentially offering insights for understanding the human-Earth relationship and the potential for extraterrestrial human colonization.

An Opportunistic Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) with the Murchison Widefield Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tingay, S. J.; Tremblay, C.; Walsh, A.; Urquhart, R.

2016-08-01

A spectral line image cube generated from 115 minutes of MWA data that covers a field of view of 400 sq, deg. around the Galactic Center is used to perform the first Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). Our work constitutes the first modern SETI experiment at low radio frequencies, here between 103 and 133 MHz, paving the way for large-scale searches with the MWA and, in the future, the low-frequency Square Kilometre Array. Limits of a few hundred mJy beam-1 for narrowband emission (10 kHz) are derived from our data, across our 400 sq. deg. field of view. Within this field, 45 exoplanets in 38 planetary systems are known. We extract spectra at the locations of these systems from our image cube to place limits on the presence of narrow line emission from these systems. We then derive minimum isotropic transmitter powers for these exoplanets; a small handful of the closest objects (10 s of pc) yield our best limits of order 1014 W (Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power). These limits lie above the highest power directional transmitters near these frequencies currently operational on Earth. A SETI experiment with the MWA covering the full accessible sky and its full frequency range would require approximately one month of observing time. The MWA frequency range, its southern hemisphere location on an extraordinarily radio quiet site, its very large field of view, and its high sensitivity make it a unique facility for SETI.

Predicting what extra-terrestrials will be like: and preparing for the worst.

PubMed

Morris, Simon Conway

2011-02-13

It is difficult to imagine evolution in alien biospheres operating in any manner other than Darwinian. Yet, it is also widely assumed that alien life-forms will be just that: strange, un-nerving and probably repulsive. There are two reasons for this view. First, it is assumed that the range of habitable environments available to extra-terrestrial life is far wider than on Earth. I suggest, however, that terrestrial life is close to the physical and chemical limits of life anywhere. Second, it is a neo-Darwinian orthodoxy that evolution lacks predictability; imagining what extra-terrestrial life would look like in any detail is a futile exercise. To the contrary, I suggest that the outcomes of evolution are remarkably predictable. This, however, leads us to consider two opposites, both of which should make our blood run cold. The first, and actually extremely unlikely, is that alien biospheres will be strikingly similar to our terrestrial equivalent and that in such biospheres intelligence will inevitably emerge. The reasons for this revolve around the ubiquity of evolutionary convergence, the determinate structure of the Tree of Life and molecular inherency. But if something like a human is an inevitability, why do I also claim that the first possibility is 'extremely unlikely'? Simply because the other possibility is actually the correct answer. Paradoxically, we and our biosphere are completely alone. So which is worse? Meeting ourselves or meeting nobody?

How do people feel about contact with ETIs?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabadell, Miguel A.; Salamero, Fernando J.

1996-06-01

'Astronomers find ET civilization.' In the opinion of many, this newspaper headline could reflect what would be the most exciting, challenging and profound discovery not only of the century but of human history. The idea of a plurality of inhabited worlds in the universe is as old as our civilization. It was a religious heresy in pre-Renaissance times; Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 because of this belief. A slow but steady increase in the number of papers on the possible existence of other beings distinct from us has been appearing since then. The rapid progress in science and technology, our although poor understanding of the mechanisms of the cosmic evolution, the consolidation of the Darwinian hypothesis and, most importantly, the tenacious work of SETI pioneers have made possibly that the scientific community took seriously the possibility of life in other places of the universe and to search for it. There are different SETI projects running in the world. The unequivocal detection of an ETI signal is the goal. This could take many forms, all of them unpredictable. Some authors notice that the unambiguous confirmation that the signal is of extraterrestrial intelligence origin would be a hard work (Boyce 1990, Tarter 1991). But of most significance is the impact on our society of such a contact. How should we react? With fear and panic because advanced ETIs would quickly destroy the human spirit? Waiting a golden age? Imagine an extraterrestrial spaceship landing somewhere in our planet. What should we do? In both cases, will human behavior be influenced by the incontestable knowledge of the existence of ETIs? As John Billingham point out 'there has been little activity on those cultural aspects of SETI other than science and engineering.'

A tale of two analogues: learning at a distance from the ancient greeks and maya and the problem of deciphering extraterrestrial radio transmissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finney, Ben; Bentley, Jerry

The transmission of ancient Greek learning and science to medieval western Europe via the translation of Greek and Arab texts is often cited as a terrestrial example of "learning at a distance" that could occur by means of the decipherment of radio messages from advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. However, the translation between such closely related languages as Greek, Latin and Arabic and the decipherment of radio messages from an extraterrestrial civilization to the point where humans could understand them are only nominally analogous tasks. A terrestrial example of such "learning at a distance" from an ancient civilization that perhaps better prepares us for thinking about the immense task inherent in any interstellar knowledge transmission is provided by the lengthy and troubled efforts of western scholars to decipher the inscriptions left by the ancient Maya and to learn from them about this ancient civilization. Only recently, with the rejection of the ideographic fallacy that Maya glyphs symbolized ideas directly without the mediation of language and with the application of linguistic knowledge of Maya languages has it been possible to decipher the Maya inscriptions and learn from them about their science and culture. This experience suggests that without any knowledge of languages in which extraterrestrial messages might be composed, their decipherment could be most problematic. The Maya case is also relevant to the common suggestion that advanced extraterrestrials would deliberately compose messages not in their own natural languages but in artificial ones using logic, numbers, and scientific constants presumably shared among all intelligent civilizations, or at least those in their radio-communicative phases. Numbers and calendrical dating system were the first parts of the Mayan inscriptions to be translated, albeit with the aid of partial "Rosetta stones" left by the Spanish conquerors. This success served, however, to reinforce the ideographic fallacy, and led to rather fantastic notions that the inscriptions dealt only with mathematical, astronomical and mystical domains, when in fact most deal with dynastic history. Examination of the Maya case suggests that if we are to employ terrestrial examples to help us think about extraterrestrial knowledge transmission, we should explore the range of human experience and not just focus upon those examples which support our hopes.

Extraterrestrial Life in the Microbial Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gronstal, Aaron L.

Humankind has long been fascinated with the potential for alien civilizations within the Solar System and beyond (e.g., Crowe and Dowd 2013; Sullivan 2013). Despite the early optimism for life beyond Earth, humankind has yet to make first contact with an alien race. Historical discourse on the topic of alien life can provide some useful input into questions about how the people of Earth today might respond to contact with alien life (e.g., Dick 2013). However, this discourse is primarily devoted to understanding humankind's response to intelligent life. We must recognize that the search for life's potential beyond Earth has dramatically changed since the dawn of the Space Age. We now know that advanced civilizations are not common on planets in our solar system. The search for life on nearby worlds is now limited to non-intelligent, microbial life. Any chance we have of contacting intelligent life lies in receiving transmissions from distant worlds, and contact with such cultures would be greatly limited by the vast expanse of space. This chapter discusses the need for more attention paid to the possible social, economic, and legal ramifications that the discovery of non-intelligent, alien microbial life might bring.

The Physical Study of Atmospheric Luminous Anomalies and the SETV Hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2002-04-01

On the basis of statistical calculations on galactic migration which bring the necessity of insertion of a new parameter inside the Drake formula, the work-hypothesis named SETV predicts that exogenous vehicles and/or probes may have reached the Solar System too, including Earth. The technology which is now available is able to allow sensing operations both in the extreme borders of the solar system and on our own planet. The possible presence of probes of possible extraterrestrial origin on our planet may be ascertained by using a network of sensing stations which are placed in critical areas. One of them is the norwegian area of Hessdalen, where the two scientific explorative missions of `Project EMBLA' have carried out measurements which demonstrate the existence of all the anomalies of the luminous phenomenon which is present there. At present nothing proves scientifically that our planet is being visited by alien intelligences, nevertheless the remarkable peculiarity which was learnt in some areas of recurrence demonstrate that the verified phenomenology, of extreme importance for fundamental physics, presents characteristics which deserve a further investigation with highly sophisticated instrumentation.

A Half-century of SETI Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuch, H. Paul

We begin our journey with a brief review of half a century of SETI science. The material in this introductory chapter is offered for the benefit of those educated laypersons whose enthusiasm for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence exceeds their detailed knowledge of the relevant technologies. It is my hope that readers of this volume will better appreciate the material which follows if they first have a basic understanding of SETI concepts. Hence, I offer an overview, which is intended not to be exhaustive, but rather representative. Together, we will explore the nature of radio telescopes, experimental design strategies, SETI instrumentation, signal analysis, and the hallmarks of artificiality that allow us to differentiate between natural astrophysical emissions and intelligent interstellar transmissions. If you are already a technical specialist in these areas, feel free to bypass this introduction, and proceed directly to the subsequent chapters.

EnEx-RANGE - Robust autonomous Acoustic Navigation in Glacial icE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinen, Dirk; Eliseev, Dmitry; Henke, Christoph; Jeschke, Sabina; Linder, Peter; Reuter, Sebastian; Schönitz, Sebastian; Scholz, Franziska; Weinstock, Lars Steffen; Wickmann, Stefan; Wiebusch, Christopher; Zierke, Simon

2017-03-01

Within the Enceladus Explorer Initiative of the DLR Space Administration navigation technologies for a future space mission are in development. Those technologies are the basis for the search for extraterrestrial life on the Saturn moon Enceladus. An autonomous melting probe, the EnEx probe, aims to extract a liquid sample from a water reservoir below the icy crust. A first EnEx probe was developed and demonstrated in a terrestrial scenario at the Bloodfalls, Taylor Glacier, Antarctica in November 2014. To enable navigation in glacier ice two acoustic systems were integrated into the probe in addition to conventional navigation technologies. The first acoustic system determines the position of the probe during the run based on propagation times of acoustic signals from emitters at reference positions at the glacier surface to receivers in the probe. The second system provides information about the forefield of the probe. It is based on sonographic principles with phased array technology integrated in the probe's melting head. Information about obstacles or sampling regions in the probe's forefield can be acquired. The development of both systems is now continued in the project EnEx-RANGE. The emitters of the localization system are replaced by a network of intelligent acoustic enabled melting probes. These localize each other by means of acoustic signals and create the reference system for the EnEx probe. This presentation includes the discussion of the intelligent acoustic network, the acoustic navigation systems of the EnEx probe and results of terrestrial tests.

Equidistant map projections of a triaxial ellipsoid with the use of reduced coordinates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pędzich, Paweł

2017-12-01

The paper presents a new method of constructing equidistant map projections of a triaxial ellipsoid as a function of reduced coordinates. Equations for x and y coordinates are expressed with the use of the normal elliptic integral of the second kind and Jacobian elliptic functions. This solution allows to use common known and widely described in literature methods of solving such integrals and functions. The main advantage of this method is the fact that the calculations of x and y coordinates are practically based on a single algorithm that is required to solve the elliptic integral of the second kind. Equations are provided for three types of map projections: cylindrical, azimuthal and pseudocylindrical. These types of projections are often used in planetary cartography for presentation of entire and polar regions of extraterrestrial objects. The paper also contains equations for the calculation of the length of a meridian and a parallel of a triaxial ellipsoid in reduced coordinates. Moreover, graticules of three coordinates systems (planetographic, planetocentric and reduced) in developed map projections are presented. The basic properties of developed map projections are also described. The obtained map projections may be applied in planetary cartography in order to create maps of extraterrestrial objects.

Proceedings of the Astrobiology Science Conference 2010. Evolution and Life: Surviving Catastrophes and Extremes on Earth and Beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

The Program of the 2010 Astrobiology Science Conference: Evolution and Life: Surviving Catastrophes and Extremes on Earth and Beyond, included sessions on: 50 Years of Exobiology and Astrobiology: Greatest Hits; Extraterrestrial Molecular Evolution and Pre-Biological Chemistry: From the Interstellar Medium to the Solar System I; Human Exploration, Astronaut Health; Diversity in Astrobiology Research and Education; Titan: Past, Present, and Future; Energy Flow in Microbial Ecosystems; Extraterrestrial Molecular Evolution and Prebiological Chemistry: From the Interstellar Medium to the Solar System II; Astrobiology in Orbit; Astrobiology and Interdisciplinary Communication; Science from Rio Tinto: An Acidic Environment; Can We Rule Out Spontaneous Generation of RNA as the Key Step in the Origin of Life?; How Hellish Was the Hadean Earth?; Results from ASTEP and Other Astrobiology Field Campaigns I; Prebiotic Evolution: From Chemistry to Life I; Adaptation of Life in Hostile Space Environments; Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets I: Formation and Composition; Collaborative Tools and Technology for Astrobiology; Results from ASTEP and Other Astrobiology Field Campaigns II; Prebiotic Evolution: From Chemistry to Life II; Survival, Growth, and Evolution of Microrganisms in Model Extraterrestrial Environments; Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets II: Habitability and Life; Planetary Science Decadal Survey Update; Astrobiology Research Funding; Bioessential Elements Through Space and Time I; State of the Art in Life Detection; Terrestrial Evolution: Implications for the Past, Present, and Future of Life on Earth; Psychrophiles and Polar Environments; Life in Volcanic Environments: On Earth and Beyond; Geochronology and Astrobiology On and Off the Earth; Bioessential Elements Through Space and Time II; Origins and Evolution of Genetic Systems; Evolution of Advanced Life; Water-rich Asteroids and Moons: Composition and Astrobiological Potential; Impact Events and Evolution; A Warm, Wet Mars?; Titan Versus Europa - Potential for Astrobiology; Habitability Potential of Mars; Biosignatures: Tools and Development I; Origins of Molecular Asymmetry, Homochirality, and Life Detection; Deserts and Evaporite Basins and Associated Microbialite Systems; Ancient Life and Synthetic Biology: Crossroad of the Past and Future; Biosignatures: Tools and Development II; Free Oxygen: Proxies, Causes, and Consequences; Life in Modern Microbialite Systems - Function and Adaptation; Hydrothermal Systems and Organosynthesis Processes: Origin and Evolution of Life; Where Should We Go on Mars to Seek Signs of Life?; Search for Intelligent Life I. Innovative SETI Observing Programs and Future Directions; Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community; Education in Astrobiology in K-12; Search for Intelligent Life II. Global Engagement and Interstellar Message Construction; Poster sessions included: Extraterrestrial Molecular Evolution and Pre-Biological Chemistry; Prebiotic Evolution: From Chemistry to Life; RNA World; Terrestrial Evolution: Implications for the Past, Present, and Future of Life on Earth; Hydrothermal Systems and Organosynthesis Processes: Origin and Evolution of Life; Virology and Astrobiology; Horizontal Genetic Transfer and Properties of Ancestral Organisms; Life in Volcanic Environments: On Earth and Beyond; Impact Events and Evolution; Evolution of Advanced Life; Evolution of Intelligent Life; Education in Astrobiology in K-12; Origins of Molecular Asymmetry, Homochirality, and Life Detection; Astrobiology and Interdisciplinary Communication; Diversity in Astrobiology Research and Education; Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community; Policy and Societal Issues: Dealing with Potential Bumps in the Astrobiology Road Ahead; Results from ASTEP and Other Astrobiology Field Campaigns; Energy Flow in Microbial Ecosystems; Psychrophiles and Polar Environments; Deserts and Evaporite Basins and Associated Microbialite stems; Life in Modern Microbialite Systems - Function and Adaptation; Free Oxygen: Proxies, Causes, and Consequences; Bioessential Elements Through Space and Time; Water-rich Asteroids and Moons: Composition and Astrobiological Potential; Biosignatures: Tools and Developments; Robotics and Instrumentation for Astrobiology; State of the Art in Life Detection; Astrobiology in Orbit; Survival, Growth, and Evolution of Microrganisms in Model Extraterrestrial Evolution; Search for Intelligent Life; Habitability Potential of Mars; How and Where Should We Seek Signs of Life on Mars?; Titan: Past, Present, and Future; Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets: Formation, Composition, Diversity, Habitability and Life; Human Exploration, Astronaut Health; Science from Rio Tinto: An Acidic Environment and Adaptation of Life in Hostile Space Environments;

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) are provided. Activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) in space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio astronomy are reported. Also included are the plans, supporting research and technology, implementation and operations for the Ground Communications Facility (GCF). In geodynamics, the publication reports on the application of radio interferometry at microwave frequencies for geodynamic measurements. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), it reports on implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum.

Space ethics to test directed panspermia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makukov, Maxim A.; shCherbak, Vladimir I.

2014-10-01

The hypothesis that Earth was intentionally seeded with life by a preceding extraterrestrial civilization is believed to be currently untestable. However, analysis of the situation where humans themselves embark on seeding other planetary systems motivated by survival and propagation of life reveals at least two ethical issues calling for specific solutions. Assuming that generally intelligence evolves ethically as it evolves technologically, the same considerations might be applied to test the hypothesis of directed panspermia: if life on Earth was seeded intentionally, the two ethical requirements are expected to be satisfied, what appears to be the case.

SETI-3: the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence. A selection of papers from 1987-1990 Symposia of the International Academy of Astronautics held during the 38th-41st Congress (Brighton, Bangalore, Malaga, Dresden) of the International Astronautical Federation.

PubMed

1992-01-01

This special issue of Acta Astronautica is a compilation of selected papers presented at Review Meetings on SETI at the 1987-1990 International Academy of Astronautics Congresses. Papers are drawn from seven areas: bioastronomical context, SETI technology, SETI searches, radio frequency interferences, possibilities for newer instrumentation, interdisciplinary connections, and public relations. Two papers presented at the Pesek Lecture are included.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, Edward C. (Editor)

1991-01-01

A compilation is presented of articles on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition. In space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground based radio and radar astronomy, activities of the Deep Space Network are reported in planning, in supporting research and technology, in implementation, and in operations. Also included is standards activity at JPL for space data and information systems and reimbursable DSN work performed for other space agencies through NASA. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), implementation and operations are reported for searching the microwave spectrum.

Searching for extraterrestrial artifacts.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitas, R. A.

The Fermi Paradox, attributed to a famous question from physicist Enrico Fermi in 1943, asks: if there are intelligent beings elsewhere then, in time, they must achieve the technology of nuclear power and space flight and would explore and colonize the Galaxy. Thus, they should have been able to travel to Earth, but we see no evidence of such visitations. Ergo, they cannot exist. The author, of the Xenology Research Institute in California, discusses this viewpoint and suggests how and where we might be able to detect an alien presence in the Solar System.

Seeking Contact: Issues to Consider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaud, M.

Seeking contact with extraterrestrial intelligence is a species enterprise that should be conducted with our shared interests in mind. We must reflect on the full range of possible outcomes; we cannot opt out of the potential consequences of actions taken by small numbers of our fellow humans. Until we have empirical evidence about alien technological civilizations, we can reason about them only by analogy with our own history and behaviour. Given that record, some degree of prudence is in order. To conduct this debate more rationally, we must free our thinking of excessively binary stereotypes.

Policy model for space economy infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komerath, Narayanan; Nally, James; Zilin Tang, Elizabeth

2007-12-01

Extraterrestrial infrastructure is key to the development of a space economy. Means for accelerating transition from today's isolated projects to a broad-based economy are considered. A large system integration approach is proposed. The beginnings of an economic simulation model are presented, along with examples of how interactions and coordination bring down costs. A global organization focused on space infrastructure and economic expansion is proposed to plan, coordinate, fund and implement infrastructure construction. This entity also opens a way to raise low-cost capital and solve the legal and public policy issues of access to extraterrestrial resources.

Present situation and trend of precision guidance technology and its intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Zhengguo; Liu, Tiandong

2017-11-01

This paper first introduces the basic concepts of precision guidance technology and artificial intelligence technology. Then gives a brief introduction of intelligent precision guidance technology, and with the help of development of intelligent weapon based on deep learning project in foreign: LRASM missile project, TRACE project, and BLADE project, this paper gives an overview of the current foreign precision guidance technology. Finally, the future development trend of intelligent precision guidance technology is summarized, mainly concentrated in the multi objectives, intelligent classification, weak target detection and recognition, intelligent between complex environment intelligent jamming and multi-source, multi missile cooperative fighting and other aspects.

AN OPPORTUNISTIC SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE (SETI) WITH THE MURCHISON WIDEFIELD ARRAY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tingay, S. J.; Tremblay, C.; Walsh, A.

A spectral line image cube generated from 115 minutes of MWA data that covers a field of view of 400 sq, deg. around the Galactic Center is used to perform the first Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). Our work constitutes the first modern SETI experiment at low radio frequencies, here between 103 and 133 MHz, paving the way for large-scale searches with the MWA and, in the future, the low-frequency Square Kilometre Array. Limits of a few hundred mJy beam{sup −1} for narrowband emission (10 kHz) are derived from our data, across our 400more » sq. deg. field of view. Within this field, 45 exoplanets in 38 planetary systems are known. We extract spectra at the locations of these systems from our image cube to place limits on the presence of narrow line emission from these systems. We then derive minimum isotropic transmitter powers for these exoplanets; a small handful of the closest objects (10 s of pc) yield our best limits of order 10{sup 14} W (Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power). These limits lie above the highest power directional transmitters near these frequencies currently operational on Earth. A SETI experiment with the MWA covering the full accessible sky and its full frequency range would require approximately one month of observing time. The MWA frequency range, its southern hemisphere location on an extraordinarily radio quiet site, its very large field of view, and its high sensitivity make it a unique facility for SETI.« less

The game of active search for extra-terrestrial intelligence: breaking the `Great Silence'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vladar, Harold P.

2013-01-01

The search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) has been performed principally as a one-way survey, listening of radio frequencies across the Milky Way and other galaxies. However, scientists have engaged in an active messaging only rarely. This suggests the simple rationale that if other civilizations exist and take a similar approach to ours, namely listening but not broadcasting, the result is a silent universe. A simple game theoretical model, the prisoner's dilemma, explains this situation: each player (civilization) can passively search (defect), or actively search and broadcast (cooperate). In order to maximize the payoff (or, equivalently, minimize the risks) the best strategy is not to broadcast. In fact, the active search has been opposed on the basis that it might be dangerous to expose ourselves. However, most of these ideas have not been based on objective arguments, and ignore accounting of the possible gains and losses. Thus, the question stands: should we perform an active search? I develop a game-theoretical framework where civilizations can be of different types, and explicitly apply it to a situation where societies are either interested in establishing a two-way communication or belligerent and in urge to exploit ours. The framework gives a quantitative solution (a mixed-strategy), which is how frequent we should perform the active SETI. This frequency is roughly proportional to the inverse of the risk, and can be extremely small. However, given the immense amount of stars being scanned, it supports active SETI. The model is compared with simulations, and the possible actions are evaluated through the San Marino scale, measuring the risks of messaging.

Extending Galactic Habitable Zone Modeling to Include the Emergence of Intelligent Life.

PubMed

Morrison, Ian S; Gowanlock, Michael G

2015-08-01

Previous studies of the galactic habitable zone have been concerned with identifying those regions of the Galaxy that may favor the emergence of complex life. A planet is deemed habitable if it meets a set of assumed criteria for supporting the emergence of such complex life. In this work, we extend the assessment of habitability to consider the potential for life to further evolve to the point of intelligence--termed the propensity for the emergence of intelligent life, φI. We assume φI is strongly influenced by the time durations available for evolutionary processes to proceed undisturbed by the sterilizing effects of nearby supernovae. The times between supernova events provide windows of opportunity for the evolution of intelligence. We developed a model that allows us to analyze these window times to generate a metric for φI, and we examine here the spatial and temporal variation of this metric. Even under the assumption that long time durations are required between sterilizations to allow for the emergence of intelligence, our model suggests that the inner Galaxy provides the greatest number of opportunities for intelligence to arise. This is due to the substantially higher number density of habitable planets in this region, which outweighs the effects of a higher supernova rate in the region. Our model also shows that φI is increasing with time. Intelligent life emerged at approximately the present time at Earth's galactocentric radius, but a similar level of evolutionary opportunity was available in the inner Galaxy more than 2 Gyr ago. Our findings suggest that the inner Galaxy should logically be a prime target region for searches for extraterrestrial intelligence and that any civilizations that may have emerged there are potentially much older than our own.

A decade of SETI observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dixon, R. S.

1986-01-01

A full time dedicated search for extraterrestrial radio signals of intelligent origin has been in progress at the Ohio State University Radio Observatory since 1973. The radio telescope has a collecting area of 2200 square meters, which is equivalent to a circular dish 175 feet in diameter. The search concentrates on a 500 kHz bandwidth centered on the 1420 MHz hydrogen line, Doppler corrected to the galactic standard of rest. A large portion of the sky visible from Ohio was searched, with particulat emphasis on the galactic center region and the M31 Andromeda galaxy. The survey is largely computer automated, and all data reduction is done in real time. Two distinct populations of signals were detected. The first is a relatively small number of signals which persist for over a minute and which are clearly extraterrestrial in origin. The second is the large number of signals which persist less than 10 seconds whose locations are anticorrelated with the galactic plane but show clumps along the galactic axis. None of these signals were observed to recur, despite repeated observations. The cause of these signals were not determined.

An explanation for the absence of extraterrestrials on earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, M. H.

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.

NASA Space Engineering Research Center for utilization of local planetary resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramohalli, Kumar; Lewis, John S.

1990-01-01

The University of Arizona and NASA have joined to form the UA/NASA Space Engineering Research Center. The purpose of the Center is to discover, characterize, extract, process, and fabricate useful products from the extraterrestrial resources available in the inner solar system (the moon, Mars, and nearby asteroids). Individual progress reports covering the center's research projects are presented and emphasis is placed on the following topics: propellant production, oxygen production, ilmenite, lunar resources, asteroid resources, Mars resources, space-based materials processing, extraterrestrial construction materials processing, resource discovery and characterization, mission planning, and resource utilization.

A Search for Brief Optical Flashes Associated with the SETI Target KIC 8462852

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abeysekara, A. U.; Archambault, S.; Archer, A.; Benbow, W.; Bird, R.; Buchovecky, M.; Buckley, J. H.; Byrum, K.; Cardenzana, J. V.; Cerruti, M.;

Life beyond the solar system.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sagan, C.

1972-01-01

Review of some of the highlights and more recent developments in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The first major problem is one of the generality of the formation of planetary systems. Observations of the nearest stars which are not members of binary or multiple stars indicates that fully half have companions of planetary mass. The presence of organic compounds in meteorites, probably in Jovian planets, in comets, in the interstellar medium, and in cool stars implies that the production of organic compounds essential for the origin of life should be pervasive throughout the universe. Possibilities of interstellar communication are discussed.

A Search for Brief Optical Flashes Associated with the SETI Target KIC 8462852

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeysekara, A. U.; Archambault, S.; Archer, A.; Benbow, W.; Bird, R.; Buchovecky, M.; Buckley, J. H.; Byrum, K.; Cardenzana, J. V.; Cerruti, M.; Chen, X.; Christiansen, J. L.; Ciupik, L.; Cui, W.; Dickinson, H. J.; Eisch, J. D.; Errando, M.; Falcone, A.; Fegan, D. J.; Feng, Q.; Finley, J. P.; Fleischhack, H.; Fortin, P.; Fortson, L.; Furniss, A.; Gillanders, G. H.; Griffin, S.; Grube, J.; Gyuk, G.; Hütten, M.; Håkansson, N.; Hanna, D.; Holder, J.; Humensky, T. B.; Johnson, C. A.; Kaaret, P.; Kar, P.; Kelley-Hoskins, N.; Kertzman, M.; Kieda, D.; Krause, M.; Krennrich, F.; Kumar, S.; Lang, M. J.; Lin, T. T. Y.; Maier, G.; McArthur, S.; McCann, A.; Meagher, K.; Moriarty, P.; Mukherjee, R.; Nieto, D.; O'Brien, S.; O'Faoláin de Bhróithe, A.; Ong, R. A.; Otte, A. N.; Park, N.; Perkins, J. S.; Petrashyk, A.; Pohl, M.; Popkow, A.; Pueschel, E.; Quinn, J.; Ragan, K.; Ratliff, G.; Reynolds, P. T.; Richards, G. T.; Roache, E.; Santander, M.; Sembroski, G. H.; Shahinyan, K.; Staszak, D.; Telezhinsky, I.; Tucci, J. V.; Tyler, J.; Vincent, S.; Wakely, S. P.; Weiner, O. M.; Weinstein, A.; Williams, D. A.; Zitzer, B.

2016-02-01

The F-type star KIC 8462852 has recently been identified as an exceptional target for search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) observations. We describe an analysis methodology for optical SETI, which we have used to analyze nine hours of serendipitous archival observations of KIC 8462852 made with the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory between 2009 and 2015. No evidence of pulsed optical beacons, above a pulse intensity at the Earth of approximately 1 {photon} {{{m}}}-2, is found. We also discuss the potential use of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays in searching for extremely short duration optical transients in general.

The intelligence paradox; will ET get the metabolic syndrome? Lessons from and for Earth.

PubMed

Nunn, Alistair V W; Guy, Geoffrey W; Bell, Jimmy D

2014-01-01

Mankind is facing an unprecedented health challenge in the current pandemic of obesity and diabetes. We propose that this is the inevitable (and predictable) consequence of the evolution of intelligence, which itself could be an expression of life being an information system driven by entropy. Because of its ability to make life more adaptable and robust, intelligence evolved as an efficient adaptive response to the stresses arising from an ever-changing environment. These adaptive responses are encapsulated by the epiphenomena of "hormesis", a phenomenon we believe to be central to the evolution of intelligence and essential for the maintenance of optimal physiological function and health. Thus, as intelligence evolved, it would eventually reach a cognitive level with the ability to control its environment through technology and have the ability remove all stressors. In effect, it would act to remove the very hormetic factors that had driven its evolution. Mankind may have reached this point, creating an environmental utopia that has reduced the very stimuli necessary for optimal health and the evolution of intelligence - "the intelligence paradox". One of the hallmarks of this paradox is of course the rising incidence in obesity, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. This leads to the conclusion that wherever life evolves, here on earth or in another part of the galaxy, the "intelligence paradox" would be the inevitable side-effect of the evolution of intelligence. ET may not need to just "phone home" but may also need to "phone the local gym". This suggests another possible reason to explain Fermi's paradox; Enrico Fermi, the famous physicist, suggested in the 1950s that if extra-terrestrial intelligence was so prevalent, which was a common belief at the time, then where was it? Our suggestion is that if advanced life has got going elsewhere in our galaxy, it can't afford to explore the galaxy because it has to pay its healthcare costs.

The intelligence paradox; will ET get the metabolic syndrome? Lessons from and for Earth

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Mankind is facing an unprecedented health challenge in the current pandemic of obesity and diabetes. We propose that this is the inevitable (and predictable) consequence of the evolution of intelligence, which itself could be an expression of life being an information system driven by entropy. Because of its ability to make life more adaptable and robust, intelligence evolved as an efficient adaptive response to the stresses arising from an ever-changing environment. These adaptive responses are encapsulated by the epiphenomena of “hormesis”, a phenomenon we believe to be central to the evolution of intelligence and essential for the maintenance of optimal physiological function and health. Thus, as intelligence evolved, it would eventually reach a cognitive level with the ability to control its environment through technology and have the ability remove all stressors. In effect, it would act to remove the very hormetic factors that had driven its evolution. Mankind may have reached this point, creating an environmental utopia that has reduced the very stimuli necessary for optimal health and the evolution of intelligence – “the intelligence paradox”. One of the hallmarks of this paradox is of course the rising incidence in obesity, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. This leads to the conclusion that wherever life evolves, here on earth or in another part of the galaxy, the “intelligence paradox” would be the inevitable side-effect of the evolution of intelligence. ET may not need to just “phone home” but may also need to “phone the local gym”. This suggests another possible reason to explain Fermi’s paradox; Enrico Fermi, the famous physicist, suggested in the 1950s that if extra-terrestrial intelligence was so prevalent, which was a common belief at the time, then where was it? Our suggestion is that if advanced life has got going elsewhere in our galaxy, it can’t afford to explore the galaxy because it has to pay its healthcare costs. PMID:25089149

THE PROJECT: an Observatory / Transport Spaceship for Discovering and Populating Habitable Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilston, S.

1998-12-01

Recent extrasolar planet discoveries and related progress in astrophysics have refined our knowledge of the implications of the Drake equation. The Space Interferometry Mission and the planned Terrestrial Planet Finder will deepen this understanding, and begin pointing the way to places we need to explore at closer range. If the correct resolution of the Fermi paradox regarding intelligent extraterrestrials (``where are they?") is found to lie in the actual scarcity of such beings, it may turn out that we are more advanced than most other life-forms in our galaxy. In this case, a main purpose in finding planets may be to find places for us to go: astronomy will once again play a major role in human navigation and migration. We describe a strawman design concept for an astronomical observatory ship designed for launch beyond our solar system within several hundred years. This ship design would employ plausible physics, biology, technology, sociology, and economics to carry one million passengers in a one-G environment shielded from space radiation. A cruising speed under 0.01 c, slower than in many science-fiction concepts, minimizes power requirements and the danger from collisional impacts. The ship would contain all subsystems needed to sustain multi-generational life on a voyage of thousands of years, as well as the observatories to identify for human settlement a habitable extrasolar planet. Even the modestly advanced technology described here could spread intelligent life throughout our galaxy within 40 million years, a very small fraction of the galaxy's age. Motivation for such an ambitious project is three-fold: expanding our knowledge of the universe, enlisting the efforts and enthusiasms of humankind toward a very grand goal which will stimulate progress in all aspects of our cultures and technologies, and participating in the process of spreading life so its survivability and fruition are enhanced.

EURO-CARES as Roadmap for a European Sample Curation Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brucato, J. R.; Russell, S.; Smith, C.; Hutzler, A.; Meneghin, A.; Aléon, J.; Bennett, A.; Berthoud, L.; Bridges, J.; Debaille, V.; Ferrière, L.; Folco, L.; Foucher, F.; Franchi, I.; Gounelle, M.; Grady, M.; Leuko, S.; Longobardo, A.; Palomba, E.; Pottage, T.; Rettberg, P.; Vrublevskis, J.; Westall, F.; Zipfel, J.; Euro-Cares Team

2018-04-01

EURO-CARES is a three-year multinational project funded under the European Commission Horizon2020 research program to develop a roadmap for a European Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Facility for samples returned from solar system missions.

The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: A Wideband Data Recorder System for the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacMahon, David H. E.; Price, Danny C.; Lebofsky, Matthew; Siemion, Andrew P. V.; Croft, Steve; DeBoer, David; Enriquez, J. Emilio; Gajjar, Vishal; Hellbourg, Gregory; Isaacson, Howard; Werthimer, Dan; Abdurashidova, Zuhra; Bloss, Marty; Brandt, Joe; Creager, Ramon; Ford, John; Lynch, Ryan S.; Maddalena, Ronald J.; McCullough, Randy; Ray, Jason; Whitehead, Mark; Woody, Dave

2018-04-01

The Breakthrough Listen Initiative is undertaking a comprehensive search for radio and optical signatures from extraterrestrial civilizations. An integral component of the project is the design and implementation of wide-bandwidth data recorder and signal processing systems. The capabilities of these systems, particularly at radio frequencies, directly determine survey speed; further, given a fixed observing time and spectral coverage, they determine sensitivity as well. Here, we detail the Breakthrough Listen wide-bandwidth data recording system deployed at the 100 m aperture Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. The system digitizes up to 6 GHz of bandwidth at 8 bits for both polarizations, storing the resultant 24 GB s‑1 of data to disk. This system is among the highest data rate baseband recording systems in use in radio astronomy. A future system expansion will double recording capacity, to achieve a total Nyquist bandwidth of 12 GHz in two polarizations. In this paper, we present details of the system architecture, along with salient configuration and disk-write optimizations used to achieve high-throughput data capture on commodity compute servers and consumer-class hard disk drives.

A near-infrared SETI experiment: instrument overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Shelley A.; Werthimer, Dan; Treffers, Richard R.; Maire, Jérôme; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Stone, Remington P. S.; Drake, Frank; Meyer, Elliot; Dorval, Patrick; Siemion, Andrew

2014-07-01

We are designing and constructing a new SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) instrument to search for direct evidence of interstellar communications via pulsed laser signals at near-infrared wavelengths. The new instrument design builds upon our past optical SETI experiences, and is the first step toward a new, more versatile and sophisticated generation of very fast optical and near-infrared pulse search devices. We present our instrumental design by giving an overview of the opto-mechanical design, detector selection and characterization, signal processing, and integration procedure. This project makes use of near-infrared (950 - 1650 nm) discrete amplification Avalanche Photodiodes (APD) that have > 1 GHz bandwidths with low noise characteristics and moderate gain (~104). We have investigated the use of single versus multiple detectors in our instrument (see Maire et al., this conference), and have optimized the system to have both high sensitivity and low false coincidence rates. Our design is optimized for use behind a 1m telescope and includes an optical camera for acquisition and guiding. A goal is to make our instrument relatively economical and easy to duplicate. We describe our observational setup and our initial search strategies for SETI targets, and for potential interesting compact astrophysical objects.

MeerKAT Science: On the Pathway to the SKA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MeerKAT Science: On the Pathway to the SKA. MeerKAT is a next generation radio telescope under construction on the African SKA central site in the Karoo plateau of South Africa. When completed in 2017 MeerKAT will be a 64-element array of 13.5-m parabolic antennas distributed over an area with a diameter of 8 km. With a combination of wide bandwidth and field of view, with the large number of antennas and total collecting area, MeerKAT will be one of the world’s most powerful imaging telescopes operating at GHz frequencies. MeerKAT is a science and technology precursor of the SKA mid-frequency dish array, and following several years of operation as a South African telescope will be incorporated into the SKA phase-one facility. The MeerKAT science program will consist of a combination of key science, legacy-style, large survey projects, and smaller projects based on proposals for open time. This workshop, which took place in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, was held to discuss and plan the broad range of scientific investigations that will be undertaken during the pre-SKA phase of MeerKAT. Topics covered included: technical development and roll out of the MeerKAT science capabilities, details of the large survey projects presented by the project teams, science program concepts for open time, commensal programs such as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and the impact of MeerKAT on global Very Long Baseline Interferometry. These proceedings serve as a record of the scientific vision of MeerKAT in the year before its completion, foreshadowing a new era of radio astronomy on the African continent.

Can Collimated Extraterrestrial Signals be Intercepted?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forgan, D. H.

2014-06-01

The Optical Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (OSETI) attempts to detect collimated, narrow-band pulses of electromagnetic radiation. These pulses may either consist of signals intentionally directed at the Earth, or signals between two star systems with a vector that unintentionally intersects the Solar System, allowing Earth to intercept the communication. But should we expect to be able to intercept these unintentional signals? And what constraints can we place upon the frequency of intelligent civilisations if we do? We carry out Monte Carlo Realisation simulations of interstellar communications between civilisations in the Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) using collimated beams. We measure the frequency with which beams between two stars are intercepted by a third. The interception rate increases linearly with the fraction of communicating civilisations, and as the cube of the beam opening angle, which is somewhat stronger than theoretical expectations, which we argue is due to the geometry of the GHZ. We find that for an annular GHZ containing 10,000 civilisations, intersections are unlikely unless the beams are relatively uncollimated. These results indicate that optical SETI is more likely to find signals deliberately directed at the Earth than accidentally intercepting collimated communications. Equally, civilisations wishing to establish a network of communicating species may use weakly collimated beams to build up the network through interception, if they are willing to pay a cost penalty that is lower than that meted by fully isotropic beacons. Future SETI searches should consider the possibility that communicating civilisations will attempt to strike a balance between optimising costs and encouraging contact between civilisations, and look for weakly collimated pulses as well as narrow-beam pulses directed deliberately at the Earth.

Critical issues in the history, philosophy, and sociology of astrobiology.

PubMed

Dick, Steven J

2012-10-01

Fifty years after serious scientific research began in the field of exobiology, and forty years after serious historical research began on the subject of extraterrestrial life, this paper identifies and examines some of the most important issues in the history, philosophy, and sociology of what is today known as astrobiology. As in the philosophy of science in general, and in the philosophies of particular sciences, critical issues in the philosophy and sociology of astrobiology are both stimulated and illuminated by history. Among those issues are (1) epistemological issues such as the status of astrobiology as a science, the problematic nature of evidence and inference, and the limits of science; (2) metaphysical/scientific issues, including the question of defining the fundamental concepts of life, mind, intelligence, and culture in a universal context; the role of contingency and necessity in the origin of these fundamental phenomena; and whether or not the universe is in some sense fine-tuned for life and perhaps biocentric; (3) societal issues such as the theological, ethical, and worldview impacts of the discovery of microbial or intelligent life; and the question of whether the search for extraterrestrial life should be pursued at all, and with what precautions; and (4) issues related to the sociology of scientific knowledge, including the diverse attitudes and assumptions of different scientific communities and different cultures to the problem of life beyond Earth, the public "will to believe," and the formation of the discipline of astrobiology. All these overlapping issues are framed by the concept of cosmic evolution-the 13.7 billion year Master Narrative of the Universe-which may result in a physical, biological, or postbiological universe and determine the long-term destiny of humanity.

Using Astrobiology case studies to bring science decision making into the classroom: Mars sample return, exobiology and SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Race, Margaret

As citizens and decision makers of the future, today's students need to understand the nature of science and the implications of scientific discoveries and activities in a broad societal context. Astrobiology provides an opportunity to introduce students to real world decision-making involving cutting edge, multidisciplinary research topics that involve Earth, the solar system and beyond. Although textbooks and curricular materials may take years to develop, teachers can easily bring the latest astrobiological discoveries and hypotheses into the classroom in the form of case studies to complement science classes. For example, using basic biological, geological and chemical information from Earth and other planets, students can discuss the same questions that experts consider when planning a Mars Sample Return mission. How would you recognize extraterrestrial life? What would be the impact of bringing martian life to Earth? How should martian samples be handled and tested to determine whether they pose hazards to Earth's biota and ecosystems? If truly martian life exists, what are the implications for future human missions or colonies on the planet? What are the ethical and societal implications of discovering extraterrestrial life, whether in the solar system or beyond? What difference world it make if the extraterrestrial life is microbial and simple vs. intelligent and advanced? By integrating basic science concepts, up-to-date research findings, and information about laws, societal concerns, and public decision making, students can experience first-hand the kind of questions and challenges we're likely to face in the years ahead.

Search for Signatures of Life in the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Race, M.; Schwehm, G.; Arnould, J.; Dawson, S.; Devore, E.; Evans, D.; Ferrazzani, M.; Shostak, S.

The search for evidence of extraterrestrial life is an important scientific theme that fascinates the public and encourages interest in space exploration, both within the solar system and beyond. The rapid pace of mass media communication allows the public to share mission results and new discoveries almost simultaneously with the scientific community. The public can read about proposed sample return missions to Mars, listen as scientists debate about in situ exploration of the oceans on Europa, learn about the growing number of extrasolar planets, or use their personal computers to participate in searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). As the science community continues its multi-pronged efforts to detect evidence of extraterrestrial life, it must be mindful of more than just science and technology. It is important to understand public perceptions, misperceptions, beliefs, concerns and potential complications associated with the search for life beyond our home planet. This panel is designed to provide brief overviews of some important non-scientific areas with the potential to impact future astrobiological exploration. The presentations will be followed by open discussion and audience participation. Invited panelists and their topical areas include: SCIENCE FICTION AND MISPERCEPTIONS: Seth Shostak, Dylan EvansBattling Pseudo-Science, Hollywood and Alien Abductions LEGAL ISSUES: Marcus FerrazzaniLooming Complications for Future Missions and Exploration RISK COMMUNICATION: Sandra DawsonEngaging the Public, Explaining the Risks, and Encouraging Long-Term Interestin Mission Science EDUCATION: Edna DeVoreUsing the Search for Life as a Motivating Theme in Teaching Basic Science andCritical Thinking. ETHICAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS: Jacques ArnouldWhat Will it Mean if We Find "ET"? PANEL MODERATORS: Margaret Race, Gerhard Schwehm

Implementation of Multiple Intelligences Supported Project-Based Learning in EFL/ESL Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bas, Gokhan

2008-01-01

This article deals with the implementation of Multiple Intelligences supported Project-Based learning in EFL/ESL Classrooms. In this study, after Multiple Intelligences supported Project-based learning was presented shortly, the implementation of this learning method into English classrooms. Implementation process of MI supported Project-based…

Cultural Evolution and SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, S. J.

2009-12-01

The Drake Equation for the number of radio communicative technological civilizations in the Galaxy encompasses three components of cosmic evolution: astronomical, biological and cultural. Of these three, cultural evolution totally dominates in terms of the rapidity of its effects. Yet, SETI scientists do not take cultural evolution into account, perhaps for understandable reasons, since cultural evolution is not well-understood even on Earth and is unpredictable in its outcome. But the one certainty for technical civilizations billions, millions, or even thousands of years older than ours is that they will have undergone cultural evolution. Cultural evolution potentially takes place in many directions, but this paper argues that its central driving force is the maintenance, improvement and perpetuation of knowledge and intelligence, and that to the extent intelligence can be improved, it will be improved. Applying this principle to life in the universe, extraterrestrials will have sought the best way to improve their intelligence. One possibility is that they may have long ago advanced beyond flesh-and-blood to artificial intelligence, constituting a postbiological universe. Although this subject has been broached, it has not been given the attention it is due from its foundation in cultural evolution. Nor has the idea of a postbiological universe been carried to its logical conclusion, including a careful analysis of the implications for SETI. SETI scientists, social scientists, and experts in AI should consider the strengths and weaknesses of this new paradigm.

Comparison of artificial intelligence methods and empirical equations to estimate daily solar radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehdizadeh, Saeid; Behmanesh, Javad; Khalili, Keivan

2016-08-01

In the present research, three artificial intelligence methods including Gene Expression Programming (GEP), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) as well as, 48 empirical equations (10, 12 and 26 equations were temperature-based, sunshine-based and meteorological parameters-based, respectively) were used to estimate daily solar radiation in Kerman, Iran in the period of 1992-2009. To develop the GEP, ANN and ANFIS models, depending on the used empirical equations, various combinations of minimum air temperature, maximum air temperature, mean air temperature, extraterrestrial radiation, actual sunshine duration, maximum possible sunshine duration, sunshine duration ratio, relative humidity and precipitation were considered as inputs in the mentioned intelligent methods. To compare the accuracy of empirical equations and intelligent models, root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute relative error (MARE) and determination coefficient (R2) indices were used. The results showed that in general, sunshine-based and meteorological parameters-based scenarios in ANN and ANFIS models presented high accuracy than mentioned empirical equations. Moreover, the most accurate method in the studied region was ANN11 scenario with five inputs. The values of RMSE, MAE, MARE and R2 indices for the mentioned model were 1.850 MJ m-2 day-1, 1.184 MJ m-2 day-1, 9.58% and 0.935, respectively.

The Miocene Extraterrestrial Dust Deposition Event Tracked by Helium, Neon, Chromium and Extraterrestrial Insoluble Organic Matter at the Monte Dei Corvi Beach Section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, M. M. M.; Steele, R. C. J.; Schmitz, B.; Piani, L.; Maden, C.; Plant, A. A.; Schönbächler, M.; Busemann, H.

2017-12-01

A temporarily increased flux of extraterrestrial dust to Earth can lead to tell-tale clues in sediments of the same age. A common example is peaks of 3He in sediments, which occur because extraterrestrial material is rich in implanted solar wind that has a high 3He/4He ratio compared to the atmosphere. One of two known 3He-peaks in Cenozoic sediments is found within the Miocene, at an age of about 8 Ma (Tortonian stage). This peak has been tied to the asteroid break-up event which formed the Veritas family (Farley et al., Nature, 2006). The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Tortonian is located near Monte Dei Corvi, in Ancona, Italy. It has previously been well characterized using both magneto- and cyclostratigraphy (Hüsing et al., EPSL, 2009), and can thus provide excellent time-constraints on the age of the event, now dated to have started at 8.47±0.05 Ma (Montanari et al., GSA Bulletin, 2017). In this project, we study these sediments with the primary goal of determining the meteoritic type of the extraterrestrial dust. We have been following three different avenues towards that goal: (1) light noble gas (He, Ne) analyses of bulk sediments (Meier et al., Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, 2016), which are used as tracers of dust flux. The measured He vs. Ne allows us to characterize the preservation state of the extraterrestrial noble gases in the sediments (see Chavrit et al., EPSL, 2016); (2) Cr abundance and isotope analysis of bulk sediments and residues, which should allow us to determine the meteoritic type of the deposited dust (e.g., Rotaru et al., Nature, 1992); (3) an attempt to isolate and characterize potentially surviving meteoritic organic matter in the bulk sediments from Monte Dei Corvi. Insoluble organic matter, which contributes 1-2% of the mass in some carbonaceous chondrites (tied to C- and D-type asteroids, like the ones found abundantly in the Veritas family; Ziffer et al., Icarus, 2011) is strongly acid- and temperature-resistant, and shows D/H and 14N/15N isotopic anomalies (e.g., Piani et al., EPSL, 2015). It thus has potential as a new tracer for dust deposition events from carbonaceous chondrite parent asteroids. We will provide an update for all three projects at the conference.

A language based on analogy to communicate cultural concepts in SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musso, Paolo

2011-02-01

The present paper is a synthesis of three presentation given by myself at the Toulouse IAC 2001 ( Analogy as a tool to communicate abstract concepts in SETI), the Bremen IAC 2003 ( From maths to culture: towards an effective message), and the Vancouver IAC 2004 ( Philosophical and religious implications of extraterrestrial intelligent life). Its aim is to find a way to make our cultural concepts understandable to hypothetical extraterrestrials (ETs) in a SETI communication. First of all, I expose the reasons why I think that analogy could be a good tool for this purpose. Then, I try to show that this is possible only in the context of an integrated language, using both abstract symbols and pictures, also sketching two practical examples about some basic concepts of our moral and religious tradition. Further studies are required to determine whether this method could be extended to the higher-level abstract concepts in the other fields of our culture. Finally, I discuss the possible role of mathematics, logic and natural science in the construction of an analogy-based language for interstellar messages with a cultural content and a possible way of managing this matter from a social point of view.

OPTICAL SETI OBSERVATIONS OF THE ANOMALOUS STAR KIC 8462852

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schuetz, Marlin; Vakoch, Douglas A.; Shostak, Seth

To explore the hypothesis that KIC 8462852's aperiodic dimming is caused by artificial megastructures in orbit, rather than a natural cause such as cometary fragments in a highly elliptical orbit, we searched for electromagnetic signals from KIC 8462852 indicative of extraterrestrial intelligence. The primary observations were in the visible optical regime using the Boquete Optical SETI Observatory in Panama. In addition, as a recommended preparatory exercise for the possible future detection of a candidate signal, three of six observing runs simultaneously searched radio frequencies at the Allen Telescope Array in California. No periodic optical signals greater than 67 photons m{supmore » −2} within a time frame of 25 ns were seen. If, for example, any inhabitants of KIC 8462852 were targeting our solar system with 5 MJ laser pulses, locally illuminating an approximately 3 au diameter disk, the signal could have been detected at the Boquete Observatory. The limits on narrowband radio signals were 180–300 Jy Hz at 1 and 8 GHz, respectively. While the power requirement for a detectable, isotropic narrowband radio transmission from KIC 8462852 is quite high, even modest targeting on the part of the putative extraterrestrials can lower this power substantially.« less

Optical SETI Observations of the Anomalous Star KIC 8462852

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuetz, Marlin; Vakoch, Douglas A.; Shostak, Seth; Richards, Jon

2016-07-01

To explore the hypothesis that KIC 8462852's aperiodic dimming is caused by artificial megastructures in orbit, rather than a natural cause such as cometary fragments in a highly elliptical orbit, we searched for electromagnetic signals from KIC 8462852 indicative of extraterrestrial intelligence. The primary observations were in the visible optical regime using the Boquete Optical SETI Observatory in Panama. In addition, as a recommended preparatory exercise for the possible future detection of a candidate signal, three of six observing runs simultaneously searched radio frequencies at the Allen Telescope Array in California. No periodic optical signals greater than 67 photons m-2 within a time frame of 25 ns were seen. If, for example, any inhabitants of KIC 8462852 were targeting our solar system with 5 MJ laser pulses, locally illuminating an approximately 3 au diameter disk, the signal could have been detected at the Boquete Observatory. The limits on narrowband radio signals were 180-300 Jy Hz at 1 and 8 GHz, respectively. While the power requirement for a detectable, isotropic narrowband radio transmission from KIC 8462852 is quite high, even modest targeting on the part of the putative extraterrestrials can lower this power substantially.

Discovery of extra-terrestrial life: assessment by scales of its importance and associated risks.

PubMed

Almár, Iván; Race, Margaret S

2011-02-13

The Rio Scale accepted by the SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics in 2002 is intended for use in evaluating the impact on society of any announcement regarding the discovery of evidence of extra-terrestrial (ET) intelligence. The Rio Scale is mathematically defined using three parameters (class of phenomenon, type of discovery and distance) and a δ factor, the assumed credibility of a claim. This paper proposes a new scale applicable to announcements alleging evidence of ET life within or outside our Solar System. The London Scale for astrobiology has mathematical structure and logic similar to the Rio Scale, and uses four parameters (life form, nature of phenomenon, type of discovery and distance) as well as a credibility factor δ to calculate a London Scale index (LSI) with values ranging from 0 to 10. The level of risk or biohazard associated with a purported discovery is evaluated independently of the LSI value and may be ranked in four categories. The combined information is intended to provide a scalar assessment of the scientific importance, validity and potential risks associated with putative evidence of ET life discovered on Earth, on nearby bodies in the Solar System or in our Galaxy.

Astrobiology in culture: the search for extraterrestrial life as "science".

PubMed

Billings, Linda

2012-10-01

This analysis examines the social construction of authority, credibility, and legitimacy for exobiology/astrobiology and, in comparison, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), considering English-language conceptions of these endeavors in scientific culture and popular culture primarily in the United States. The questions that define astrobiology as a scientific endeavor are multidisciplinary in nature, and this endeavor is broadly appealing to public audiences as well as to the scientific community. Thus, it is useful to examine astrobiology in culture-in scientific culture, official culture, and popular culture. A researcher may explore science in culture, science as culture, by analyzing its rhetoric, the primary means that people use to construct their social realities-their cultural environment, as it were. This analysis follows this path, considering scientific and public interest in astrobiology and SETI and focusing on scientific and official constructions of the two endeavors. This analysis will also consider whether and how scientific and public conceptions of astrobiology and SETI, which are related but at the same time separate endeavors, converge or diverge and whether and how these convergences or divergences affect the scientific authority, credibility, and legitimacy of these endeavors.

A stochastic process approach of the drake equation parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glade, Nicolas; Ballet, Pascal; Bastien, Olivier

2012-04-01

The number N of detectable (i.e. communicating) extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy is usually calculated by using the Drake equation. This equation was established in 1961 by Frank Drake and was the first step to quantifying the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) field. Practically, this equation is rather a simple algebraic expression and its simplistic nature leaves it open to frequent re-expression. An additional problem of the Drake equation is the time-independence of its terms, which for example excludes the effects of the physico-chemical history of the galaxy. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the main shortcoming of the Drake equation is its lack of temporal structure, i.e., it fails to take into account various evolutionary processes. In particular, the Drake equation does not provides any error estimation about the measured quantity. Here, we propose a first treatment of these evolutionary aspects by constructing a simple stochastic process that will be able to provide both a temporal structure to the Drake equation (i.e. introduce time in the Drake formula in order to obtain something like N(t)) and a first standard error measure.

AIAA/MSFC Symposium on Space Industrialization: Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Current and projected technologies required for utilizing extraterrestrial environments to produce energy, information, or materials and provide services of value on Earth or to Earth are discussed. Topics include: space habitats, space transportation, materials processing, solar space power, and exoindustrial management concepts.

Demonstrations of Extraterrestrial Life Detection Techniques in the High School Biology Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saltinski, Ronald

1969-01-01

Discusses the experimental procedures and equipment for exobiology projects at the high school level. An interdisciplinary approach involving electronic equipment and micro-biological laboratory techniques is used. Photographs and diagrams of equipment are included. Bibliography. (LC)

NASA's Exobiology Program.

PubMed

DeVincenzi, D L

1984-01-01

The goal of NASA's Exobiology Program is to understand the origin, evolution, and distribution of life, and life-related molecules, on Earth and throughout the universe. Emphasis is focused on determining how the rate and direction of these processes were affected by the chemical and physical environment of the evolving planet, as well as by planetary, solar, and astrophysical phenomena. This is accomplished by a multi-disciplinary program of research conducted by over 60 principal investigators in both NASA and university laboratories. Major program thrusts are in the following research areas: biogenic elements; chemical evolution; origin of life; organic geochemistry; evolution of higher life forms; solar system exploration; and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, Edward C. (Editor)

1992-01-01

This quarterly publication provides archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) Office. In the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), the TDA Progress Report reports on implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum. In solar system radar, it reports on the uses of the Goldstone Solar System Radar for scientific exploration of the planets, their rings and satellites, asteroids, and comets. In radio astronomy, the areas of support include spectroscopy, very long baseline interferometry, and astrometry. These three programs are performed for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) with the Office of Space Operations for funding DSN operational support.

A real-time KLT implementation for radio-SETI applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melis, Andrea; Concu, Raimondo; Pari, Pierpaolo; Maccone, Claudio; Montebugnoli, Stelio; Possenti, Andrea; Valente, Giuseppe; Antonietti, Nicoló; Perrodin, Delphine; Migoni, Carlo; Murgia, Matteo; Trois, Alessio; Barbaro, Massimo; Bocchinu, Alessandro; Casu, Silvia; Lunesu, Maria Ilaria; Monari, Jader; Navarrini, Alessandro; Pisanu, Tonino; Schilliró, Francesco; Vacca, Valentina

2016-07-01

SETI, the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence, is the search for radio signals emitted by alien civilizations living in the Galaxy. Narrow-band FFT-based approaches have been preferred in SETI, since their computation time only grows like N*lnN, where N is the number of time samples. On the contrary, a wide-band approach based on the Kahrunen-Lo`eve Transform (KLT) algorithm would be preferable, but it would scale like N*N. In this paper, we describe a hardware-software infrastructure based on FPGA boards and GPU-based PCs that circumvents this computation-time problem allowing for a real-time KLT.

OAST Space Theme Workshop 1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadin, S. R.

1977-01-01

Papers that provide a technical foundation including research and technology base candidates for each of six space themes - space power, space industrialization, search for extraterrestrial intelligence, exploration of the solar system, global service, and advanced transportation systems - are presented. The material is mainly intended for further use by workshop participants and NASA elements concerned with space research and technology. While the data presented do not represent official plans or positions, they are part of the process of evolving such plans and positions. The information contained reflects the efforts of workshop participants and should be an aid in the successful implementation and execution of the Agency's near- and far-term advanced technology program.

A wideband, high-resolution spectrum analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quirk, M. P.; Wilck, H. C.; Garyantes, M. F.; Grimm, M. J.

1988-01-01

A two-million-channel, 40 MHz bandwidth, digital spectrum analyzer under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described. The analyzer system will serve as a prototype processor for the sky survey portion of NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program and for other applications in the Deep Space Network. The analyzer digitizes an analog input, performs a 2 (sup 21) point Discrete Fourier Transform, accumulates the output power, normalizes the output to remove frequency-dependent gain, and automates simple signal detection algorithms. Due to its built-in frequency-domain processing functions and configuration flexibility, the analyzer is a very powerful tool for real-time signal analysis.

A wide-band high-resolution spectrum analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quirk, Maureen P.; Garyantes, Michael F.; Wilck, Helmut C.; Grimm, Michael J.

1988-01-01

A two-million-channel, 40 MHz bandwidth, digital spectrum analyzer under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described. The analyzer system will serve as a prototype processor for the sky survey portion of NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program and for other applications in the Deep Space Network. The analyzer digitizes an analog input, performs a 2 (sup 21) point Discrete Fourier Transform, accumulates the output power, normalizes the output to remove frequency-dependent gain, and automates simple detection algorithms. Due to its built-in frequency-domain processing functions and configuration flexibility, the analyzer is a very powerful tool for real-time signal analysis.

Field test results with the targeted search MCSA. [multi-channel spectrum analyzer for SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, J. C.

1988-01-01

In April 1985, a 74,000 channel prototype of the multichannel spectrum analyzer (MCSA) that NASA plans to use in a systematic search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) was installed at DSS13, a 26 meter R&D antenna facility at the Goldstone Deep Space Network (DSN) site. Since that time the instrumentation has been used to validate the performance of signal detection algorithms using locally injected signals and the weak carriers from distant spacecraft. This paper describes results from the Goldstone Field Tests and plans to move the prototype equipment to other sites where SETI may be conducted in the future.

Tables of square-law signal detection statistics for Hann spectra with 50 percent overlap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deans, Stanley R.; Cullers, D. Kent

1991-01-01

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, currently being planned by NASA, will require that an enormous amount of data be analyzed in real time by special purpose hardware. It is expected that overlapped Hann data windows will play an important role in this analysis. In order to understand the statistical implication of this approach, it has been necessary to compute detection statistics for overlapped Hann spectra. Tables of signal detection statistics are given for false alarm rates from 10(exp -14) to 10(exp -1) and signal detection probabilities from 0.50 to 0.99; the number of computed spectra ranges from 4 to 2000.

Exoplanets and SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Jason T.

The discovery of exoplanets has both focused and expanded the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The consideration of Earth as an exoplanet, the knowledge of the orbital parameters of individual exoplanets, and our new understanding of the prevalence of exoplanets throughout the galaxy have all altered the search strategies of communication SETI efforts, by inspiring new "Schelling points" (i.e. optimal search strategies for beacons). Future efforts to characterize individual planets photometrically and spectroscopically, with imaging and via transit, will also allow for searches for a variety of technosignatures on their surfaces, in their atmospheres, and in orbit around them. In the near-term, searches for new planetary systems might even turn up free-floating megastructures.

Lick Observatory Optical SETI: targeted search and new directions.

PubMed

Stone, R P S; Wright, S A; Drake, F; Muñoz, M; Treffers, R; Werthimer, D

2005-10-01

Lick Observatory's Optical SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) program has been in regular operation for 4.5 years. We have observed 4,605 stars of spectral types F-M within 200 light-years of Earth. Occasionally, we have appended objects of special interest, such as stars with known planetary systems. We have observed 14 candidate signals ("triple coincidences"), all but one of which are explained by transient local difficulties. Additional observations of the remaining candidate have failed to confirm arriving pulse events. We now plan to proceed in a more economical manner by operating in an unattended drift scan mode. Between operational and equipment modifications, efficiency will more than double.

A wide-band high-resolution spectrum analyzer.

PubMed

Quirk, M P; Garyantes, M F; Wilck, H C; Grimm, M J

1988-12-01

This paper describes a two-million-channel 40-MHz-bandwidth, digital spectrum analyzer under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The analyzer system will serve as a prototype processor for the sky survey portion of NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program and for other applications in the Deep Space Network. The analyzer digitizes an analog input, performs a 2(21)-point, Discrete Fourier Transform, accumulates the output power, normalizes the output to remove frequency-dependent gain, and automates simple signal detection algorithms. Due to its built-in frequency-domain processing functions and configuration flexibility, the analyzer is a very powerful tool for real-time signal analysis and detection.

The Silence of the Universe as Challenge to our Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efremov, Yuri N.

SETI has much more implications than just search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This is the issue of ourselves, on what we are and if we are able to understand the Universe. Comparing the age of the Universe, some 15 Gyrs, with the time scale of the exponential growth of our science and technology, some 100 years, the greatest paradox of the contemporary Knowledge arises - this is just the absence of any evidence of activity of superpower civilizations. This was interpreted by Shklovsky (1984) as prove of our loneliness owing to the death of a civilization after the development of both science and military technology. Implicitly, only for this case of our solicitude in the Universe, all variations of anthropic principle were considered until now. This concerns the idea (Harrison 1995) that there is the natural selection of universes containing the intelligent life the clever enough to produce the universe of the next generation. The possibility of non-biological ETI opens other ways, however.

Exponential evolution: implications for intelligent extraterrestrial life.

PubMed

Russell, D A

1983-01-01

Some measures of biologic complexity, including maximal levels of brain development, are exponential functions of time through intervals of 10(6) to 10(9) yrs. Biological interactions apparently stimulate evolution but physical conditions determine the time required to achieve a given level of complexity. Trends in brain evolution suggest that other organisms could attain human levels within approximately 10(7) yrs. The number (N) and longevity (L) terms in appropriate modifications of the Drake Equation, together with trends in the evolution of biological complexity on Earth, could provide rough estimates of the prevalence of life forms at specified levels of complexity within the Galaxy. If life occurs throughout the cosmos, exponential evolutionary processes imply that higher intelligence will soon (10(9) yrs) become more prevalent than it now is. Changes in the physical universe become less rapid as time increases from the Big Bang. Changes in biological complexity may be most rapid at such later times. This lends a unique and symmetrical importance to early and late universal times.

The conventionality of pictorial representation in interstellar messages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, D. A.

2000-06-01

Pictorial messages have previously been advocated for interstellar communication because such messages are presumed to be capable of presenting information in a non-arbitrary and easily intelligible manner. In contrast to this view, pictorial messages actually represent information in a partially conventional way. This point is demonstrated by examining pictorial representations of human beings from a range of cultures. While such representations may be understood quite readily by individuals familiar with the conventions of a particular culture, to the uninitiated outsider, such representations can be unintelligible. In spite of the partially arbitrary nature of pictorial representation, we may be able to construct messages that would teach extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) some of the conventions by which we view pictures. One such approach is to pair numerical information about geometrical objects with pictorial representations of the same objects. Problems of conventionality can also be addressed in part through use of (1) multiple representations of the same object, (2) contextual cues, (3) three- and four-dimensional representations and (4) non-visual representations.

Games and Machine Learning: A Powerful Combination in an Artificial Intelligence Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Scott A.; McCartney, Robert; Russell, Ingrid

2010-01-01

Project MLeXAI [Machine Learning eXperiences in Artificial Intelligence (AI)] seeks to build a set of reusable course curriculum and hands on laboratory projects for the artificial intelligence classroom. In this article, we describe two game-based projects from the second phase of project MLeXAI: Robot Defense--a simple real-time strategy game…

Spectra and Photochemistry of Relevance to Icy Outer Solar System Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernstein, M. P.; Sandford, S. A.; Allamandola, L. J.; Fonda, Mark (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The Astrochemistry Lab at NASA Ames (www.astrochem.org) has an interest in the organic photochemistry of extraterrestrial ices, having traditionally performed experiments under interstellar conditions. We have recently embarked on projects for PG\\&G to measure spectra and elucidate the photochemistry of ices relevant to outer Solar System objects. 1) We will report on the determination of real and imaginary indicies of refraction of H2O and N2 dominated ices containing simple, common, extraterrestrial molecules such as NH3, HCN, formaldehyde, \\& methanol. 2) We will compare and contrast the photochemistry of H2O ices containing organic molecules at 100 K with previously reported work at 15 K.

Crystallographic Characterization of Extraterrestrial Materials by Energy-Scanning X-ray Diffraction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagiya, Kenji; Mikouchi, Takashi; Ohsumi, Kazumasa; Terada, Yasuko; Yagi, Naoto; Komatsu, Mutsumi; Yamaguchi, Shoki; Hirata, Arashi; Kurokawa, Ayaka; Zolensky, Michael E. (Principal Investigator)

2016-01-01

We have continued our long-term project using X-ray diffraction to characterize a wide range of extraterrestrial samples. The stationary sample method with polychromatic X-rays is advantageous because the irradiated area of the sample is always same and fixed, meaning that all diffraction spots occur from the same area of the sample, however, unit cell parameters cannot be directly obtained by this method though they are very important for identification of mineral and for determination of crystal structures. In order to obtain the cell parameters even in the case of the sample stationary method, we apply energy scanning of a micro-beam of monochromatic SR at SPring-8.

Extraterrestrial Studies Using Nuclear Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reedy, Robert C.

2003-01-01

Cosmogenic nuclides were used to study the recent histories of the aubrite Norton County and the pallasite Brenham using calculated production rates. Calculations were done of the rates for making cosmogenic noble-gas isotopes in the Jovian satellite Europa by the interactions of galactic cosmic rays and especially trapped Jovian protons. Cross sections for the production of cosmogenic nuclides were reported and plans made to measure additional cross sections. A new code, MCNPX, was used to numerically simulate the interactions of cosmic rays with matter and the subsequent production of cosmogenic nuclides. A review was written about studies of extraterrestrial matter using cosmogenic radionuclides. Several other projects were done. Results are reviewed here with references to my recent publications for details.

14 CFR § 1216.311 - Emergency responses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... would collect extraterrestrial materials from solar system bodies and return them to Earth. 3. NASA Senior Environmental Official—The Senior NASA Headquarters Official responsible for providing executive... Projects/Programs—Those NASA actions that develop products intended for use in space and/or that support...

Life Among the Stars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MOSAIC, 1977

1977-01-01

Explores possibility of extra-terrestrial life, reviewing current hypotheses regarding where in space life would most likely occur. Discusses astrometry and spectroscopy as methods for determining stellar motions. Describes United States and Soviet projects for receiving stellar communications. Relates origin of life on earth to observed high…

Multiple Intelligences: Curriculum and Assessment Project. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyland, Aine, Ed.

2011-01-01

The "Multiple Intelligences, Curriculum and Assessment Project" at University College Cork was a collaborative project carried out between 1995 and 1999. The key research question focused on whether Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences could be applied to, and enhance, aspects of curriculum and assessment at primary and…

Solar radiation measurement project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ioup, J. W.

1981-01-01

The Xavier solar radiation measurement project and station are described. Measurements of the total solar radiation on a horizontal surface from an Eppley pyranometer were collected into computer data files. Total radiation in watt hours was converted from ten minute intervals to hourly intervals. Graphs of this total radiation data are included. A computer program in Fortran was written to calculate the total extraterrestrial radiation on a horizontal surface for each day of the month. Educational and social benefits of the project are cited.

Searching for extraterrestrial civilizations.

PubMed

Kuiper, T B; Morris, M

1977-05-06

We have argued that planning for a search for extraterrestrial intelligence should involve a minimum number of assumptions. In view of the feasibility (at our present level of understanding) of using nuclear fusion to effect interstellar travel at a speed of 0.1c, it appears unwarranted (at this time) to assume that it would not occur for at least some technologically advanced civilizations. One cannot even conclude that humans would not attempt this within the next few centuries. On the contrary, the most likely future situation, given the maintenance of technological growth and the absence of extraterrestrial interference, is that our civilization will explore and colonize our galactic neighborhood. A comparison of the time scales of galactic evolution and interstellar travel leads to the conclusion that the galaxy is either essentially empty with respect to technological civilizations or extensively colonized. In the former instance, a SETI would be unproductive. In the latter, a SETI could be fruitful if a signal has been deliberately directed at the earth or at an alien outpost, probe, or communication relay station in our solar system. In the former case, an existing antenna would probably be sufficient to detect the signal. In the latter case, success would depend on the way in which the communications were coded. Failure to detect a signal could permit any of the following conclusions: (i) the galaxy is devoid of technological civilizations, advanced beyond our own, (ii) such civilizations exist, but cannot (for some reason which is presently beyond our ken) engage in interstellar colonization, or (iii) such civilizations are not attempting overt contact with terrestrial civilizations and their intercommunications, if present, are not coded in a simple way. To plan at this time for a high-cost, large-array SETI based on the last two possibilities appears to be rather premature.

Artificial Intelligence Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

Artifcial Intelligence Project at The University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Austin, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory AITR84-01. Novak...Texas at Austin, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory A187-52, April 1987. Novak, G. "GLISP: A Lisp-Based Programming System with Data Abstraction...of Texas at Austin, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory AITR85-14.) Rim, Hae-Chang, and Simmons, R. F. "Extracting Data Base Knowledge from Medical

The G-HAT Search for Advanced Extraterrestrial Civilizations: The Reddest Extended WISE Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado, Jessica; Povich, Matthew S.; Wright, Jason; Griffith, Roger; Sigurdsson, Steinn; Mullan, Brendan L.

2015-01-01

Freeman Dyson (1960) theorized how to identify possible signatures of advanced extra-terrestrial civilizations by their waste heat, an inevitable byproduct of a civilization using a significant fraction of the luminosity from their host star. If a civilizations could tap the starlight throughout their host galaxy their waste heat would be easily detectable by recent infrared surveys. The Glimpsing Heat from Alien Technologies (G-HAT) pilot project aims to place limits on the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations at pan-galactic scales. We present results from the G-HAT cleaned catalog of 563 extremely red, extended high Galactic latitude (|b| ≥ 10) sources from the WISE All-Sky Catalog. Our catalog includes sources new to the scientific literature along with well-studied objects (e.g. starburst galaxies, AGN, and planetary nebulae) that exemplify extreme WISE colors. Objects of particular interest include a supergiant Be star (48 Librae) surrounded by a resolved, mid-infrared nebula, possibly indicating dust in the stellar wind ejecta, and a curious cluster of seven extremely red WISE sources (associated with IRAS 04287+6444) that have no optical counterparts.

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) : program and projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-07-01

This is a brief outline of the current projects and programs related to the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) initiatives, formerly known as Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS), being planned, developed, or implemented by the Michigan D...

Taming the Data Deluge to Unravel the Mysteries of the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston-Hollitt, M.

2017-04-01

Modern Astrophysics is one of the most data intensive research fields in the world and is driving many of the required innovations in the "big data" space. Foremost in astronomy in terms of data generation is radio astronomy, and in the last decade an increase in global interest and investment in the field had led to a large number of new or upgraded facilities which are each currently generating petabytes of data per annum. The peak of this so-called 'radio renaissance' will be the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) - a global observatory designed to uncover the mysteries of the Universe. The SKA will create the highest resolution, fastest frame rate movie of the evolving Universe ever and in doing so will generate 160 terrabytes of data a second, or close to 5 zettabytes of data per annum. Furthermore, due to the extreme faintness of extraterrestrial radio signals, the telescope elements for the SKA must be located in radio quite parts of the world with very low population density. Thus the project aims to build the most data intensive scientific experiment ever, in some of the most remote places on Earth. Generating and serving scientific data products of this scale to a global community of researchers from remote locations is just the first of the "big data" challenges the project faces. Coordination of a global network of tiered data resources will be required along with software tools to exploit the vast sea of results generated. In fact, to fully realize the enormous scientific potential of this project, we will need not only better data distribution and coordination mechanisms, but also improved algorithms, artificial intelligence and ontologies to extract knowledge in an automated way at a scale not yet attempted in science. In this keynote I will present an overview of the SKA project, outline the "big data" challenges the project faces and discuss some of the approaches we are taking to tame the astronomical data deluge we face.

The Search for Life in the Universe: The Past Through the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, L. A.; Lebofsky, A.; Lebofsky, M.; Lebofsky, N. R.

2003-05-01

``Are we alone?" This is a question that has been asked by humans for thousands of years. More than any other topic in science, the search for life in the Universe has captured everyone's imagination. Now, for the first time in history, we are on the verge of answering this question. The search for life beyond the Earth can be seen as far back as the 16th century writings of J. Kepler, Bishops F. Godwin and J. Wilkins, and S. Cyrano de Bergerac to the early 20th century's H. G. Wells. From a scientific perspective, this search led to the formulation of the Drake Equation which in turn has led to a number of projects that are searching for signs of intelligent life beyond the Earth, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intellegence. SETI@home reaches millions of users, including thousands of K-12 teachers across the nation. We are developing a project that will enhance the SETI@home web site located at UC Berkeley. The project unites the resources of the SETI@home distributed computing community web site , university settings, and informal science learning centers. It will reach approximately 100,000 learners. The goal is to increase public understanding of math and science and to create and strengthen the connections between informal and formal learning communities. We will present a variety of ways that the Drake Equation and SETI@home can enhance the public and student understanding of the search for life in the Universe, from its roots in literature, to the development (and evolution) of the Drake Equation, to the actual search for life with SETI.

Contact: Releasing the news

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinotti, Roberto

The problem of mass behavior after man's future contacts with other intelligences in the universe is not only a challenge for social scientists and political leaders all over the world, but also a cultural time bomb as well. In fact, since the impact of CETI (Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence) on human civilization, with its different cultures, might cause a serious socio-anthropological shock, a common and predetermined worldwide strategy is necessary in releasing the news after the contact, in order to keep possible manifestations of fear, panic and hysteria under control. An analysis of past studies in this field and of parallel historical situations as analogs suggests a definite "authority crisis" in the public as a direct consequence of an unexpected release of the news, involving a devastating "chain reaction" process (from both the psychological and sociological viewpoints) of anomie and maybe the collapse of today's society. The only way to prevent all this is to prepare the world's public opinion concerning contact before releasing the news, and to develop a long-term strategy through the combined efforts of scientists, political leaders, intelligence agencies and the mass media, in order to create the cultural conditions in which a confrontation with ETI won't affect mankind in a traumatic way. Definite roles and tasks in this multi-level model are suggested.

The Breakthrough Listen Initiative and the Future of the Search for Intelligent Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enriquez, J. Emilio; Siemion, Andrew; Croft, Steve; Hellbourg, Greg; Lebofsky, Matt; MacMahon, David; Price, Danny; DeBoer, David; Werthimer, Dan

2017-05-01

Unprecedented recent results in the fields of exoplanets and astrobiology have dramatically increased the interest in the potential existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy. Additionally, the capabilities of modern Searches for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have increased tremendously. Much of this improvement is due to the ongoing development of wide bandwidth radio instruments and the Moore's Law increase in computing power over the previous decades. Together, these instrumentation improvements allow for narrow band signal searches of billions of frequency channels at once.The Breakthrough Listen Initiative (BL) was launched on July 20, 2015 at the Royal Society in London, UK with the goal to conduct the most comprehensive and sensitive search for advanced life in humanity's history. Here we detail important milestones achieved during the first year and a half of the program. We describe the key BL SETI surveys and briefly describe current facilities, including the Green Bank Telescope, the Automated Planet Finder and the Parkes Observatory. We also mention the ongoing and potential collaborations focused on complementary sciences, these include pulse searches of pulsars and FRBs, as well as astrophysically powered radio emission from stars targeted by our program.We conclude with a brief view towards future SETI searches with upcoming next-generation radio facilities such as SKA and ngVLA.

All-source Information Management and Integration for Improved Collective Intelligence Production

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Intelligence (ELINT) • Open Source Intelligence ( OSINT ) • Technical Intelligence (TECHINT) These intelligence disciplines produce... intelligence , measurement and signature intelligence , signals intelligence , and open - source data, in the production of intelligence . All- source intelligence ...All- Source Information Integration and Management) R&D Project 3 All- Source Intelligence

23 CFR 940.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS § 940.3 Definitions. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS... projects or groups of projects. Systems engineering is a structured process for arriving at a final design...

23 CFR 940.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS § 940.3 Definitions. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS... projects or groups of projects. Systems engineering is a structured process for arriving at a final design...

23 CFR 940.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS § 940.3 Definitions. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS... projects or groups of projects. Systems engineering is a structured process for arriving at a final design...

The intelligent user interface for NASA's advanced information management systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, William J.; Short, Nicholas, Jr.; Rolofs, Larry H.; Wattawa, Scott L.

1987-01-01

NASA has initiated the Intelligent Data Management Project to design and develop advanced information management systems. The project's primary goal is to formulate, design and develop advanced information systems that are capable of supporting the agency's future space research and operational information management needs. The first effort of the project was the development of a prototype Intelligent User Interface to an operational scientific database, using expert systems and natural language processing technologies. An overview of Intelligent User Interface formulation and development is given.

Provocative radio transients and base rate bias: A Bayesian argument for conservatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hair, Thomas W.

2013-10-01

Most searches for alien radio transmissions have focused on finding omni-directional or purposefully earth-directed beams of enduring duration. However, most of the interesting signals so far detected have been transient and non-repeatable in nature. These signals could very well be the first data points in an ever-growing data base of such signals used to construct a probabilistic argument for the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. This paper looks at the effect base rate bias could have on deciding which signals to include in such an archive based upon the likely assumption that our ability to discern natural from artificial signals will be less than perfect.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1990-01-01

Archival reports are given on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA), including space communications, radio navigation, radio science, ground-based radio and radar astronomy, and the Deep Space Network (DSN) and its associated Ground Communications Facility (GCF) in planning, supporting research and technology, implementation, and operations. Also included is TDA-funded activity at JPL on data and information systems and reimbursable DSN work performed for other space agencies through NASA. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum are reported. Use of the Goldstone Solar System Radar for scientific exploration of the planets, their rings and satellites, asteroids, and comets are discussed.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, Edward C. (Editor)

1992-01-01

Archival reports on developments in programs managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL's) Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) are published in the TDA Progress Report. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), the TDA Progress Report reports on implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum. In solar system radar, it reports on the uses of the Goldstone Solar System Radar for scientific exploration of the planets, their rings and satellites, asteroids, and comets. In radio astronomy, the areas of support include spectroscopy, very long baseline interferometry, and astrometry. These three programs are performed for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA), with the Office of Space Operations funding DSN operational support.

Life in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, John B.

1992-01-01

The scope of space life sciences and current research on the physiology of man in space are reviewed by examining Spacelab SLS-1. Milestones of space life sciences are discussed, with emphasis on the Skylab facility, the Space Shuttle program, and the Soviet Mir space station. Attention is given to the topic of the origins of life as it relates to space life sciences. The discovery of amino acids in meteorites and the question of whether the earth was seeded with life from space are discussed. A brief overview of efforts in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is presented. Consideration is also given to the effects of gravity on cells, the effects of radiation, plant biology, CELSS, and the effects of gravity on humans.

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence/high resolution microwave survey team member

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steffes, Paul G.

1993-01-01

This semiannual status report describes activities conducted by the Principal Investigator during the first half of this third year of the NASA High Resolution Microwave Survey (HRMS) Investigator Working Group (IWG). As a (HRMS) Team Member with primary interest in the Sky Survey activity, this investigator attended IWG meetings at NASA/Ames and U.C.-Santa Cruz in Apr. and Aug. 1992, and has traveled independently to NRAO/Kitt Peak, Arizona (April 1993) and Woodbury, Georgia (July 1993). During the July 1993 visit to the Georgia Tech Research Corporation/Woodbury Research Facility, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of interference from C-band (3.7 - 4.2 GHz) geostationary spacecraft on the Sky Survey operation in that band. At the first IWG meeting in April of this year, results of a SETI observation conducted at the 203 GHz positronium hyperfine resonance using the NRAO facility at Kitt Peak, AZ, were presented, as well as updates on the development of the spaceborne RFI data bases developed for the project. At the second meeting, results of the study of interference from C-band geostationary spacecraft were presented. Likewise, a presentation was made at the accompanying 1993 Bioastronomy Symposium describing the SETI observation at the positronium hyperfine resonance.

Observational Research on Star and Planetary System Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Janet P.

1998-01-01

Institute scientists collaborate with a number of NASA Ames scientists on observational studies of star and planetary system formation to their mutual benefit. As part of this collaboration, SETI scientists have, from 1988 to the present: (1) contributed to the technical studies at NASA Ames of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), an infrared 2.5 meter telescope in a Boeing 747, which will replace the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), a 0.9 meter telescope in a Lockheed C-141. SOFIA will be an important facility for the future exploration of the formation of stars and planetary systems, and the origins of life, and as such will be an important future facility to SETI scientists; (2) worked with the Laboratory Astrophysics Group at Ames, carrying out laboratory studies of the spectroscopic properties of ices and pre-biotic organics, which could be formed in the interstellar or interplanetary media; (3) helped develop a photometric approach for determining the Frequency of Earth-Sized Inner Planets (FRESIP) around solar-like stars, a project (now called Kepler) which complements the current efforts of the SETI Institute to find evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence; and (4) carried out independent observational research, in particular research on the formation of stars and planetary systems using both ground-based telescopes as well as the KAO.

Observational Research on Star and Planetary System Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, Janet P.

1998-07-01

Institute scientists collaborate with a number of NASA Ames scientists on observational studies of star and planetary system formation to their mutual benefit. As part of this collaboration, SETI scientists have, from 1988 to the present: (1) contributed to the technical studies at NASA Ames of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), an infrared 2.5 meter telescope in a Boeing 747, which will replace the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), a 0.9 meter telescope in a Lockheed C-141. SOFIA will be an important facility for the future exploration of the formation of stars and planetary systems, and the origins of life, and as such will be an important future facility to SETI scientists; (2) worked with the Laboratory Astrophysics Group at Ames, carrying out laboratory studies of the spectroscopic properties of ices and pre-biotic organics, which could be formed in the interstellar or interplanetary media; (3) helped develop a photometric approach for determining the Frequency of Earth-Sized Inner Planets (FRESIP) around solar-like stars, a project (now called Kepler) which complements the current efforts of the SETI Institute to find evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence; and (4) carried out independent observational research, in particular research on the formation of stars and planetary systems using both ground-based telescopes as well as the KAO.

A strategic 'viewfinder' for SETI research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, Massimo

2014-12-01

One of the most important reasons why unsuccessful results have been obtained so far by the SETI Project is due to the fact that no sure targets to aim at have been available up-to the present state of research. All-sky surveys, even if very accurate and complete, might result to be time-consuming. SETI needs at least one effective 'viewfinder' in order that a true targeted research is carried out with a possible success. The best foundation to get this can be identified with the search for the evidence of extraterrestrial astro-engineering activity in form of the Dyson spheres predicted by theory. The existence of such stellar objects can be ascertained by finding the evidence of two main signatures in stars of solar spectral type: infrared excess and anomalous light curves due to transiting artificial objects. These are probably the most powerful viewfinders in order to allow SETI techniques for intelligent signal search to be aimed at more appropriate targets. This paper is not intended to be a research paper but rather a review paper whose goal is not to present calculations and/or operational research but rather to be a research proposal for a more focused research in SETI just using Dyson Spheres as crucial markers.

Wide-bandwidth high-resolution search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, Paul

1995-01-01

Research was accomplished during the third year of the grant on: BETA architecture, an FFT array, a feature extractor, the Pentium array and workstation, and a radio astronomy spectrometer. The BETA (this SETI project) system architecture has been evolving generally in the direction of greater robustness against terrestrial interference. The new design adds a powerful state-memory feature, multiple simultaneous thresholds, and the ability to integrate multiple spectra in a flexible state-machine architecture. The FFT array is reported with regards to its hardware verification, array production, and control. The feature extractor is responsible for maintaining a moving baseline, recognizing large spectral peaks, following the progress of previously identified interesting spectral regions, and blocking signals from regions previously identified as containing interference. The Pentium array consists of 21 Pentium-based PC motherboards, each with 16 MByte of RAM and an Ethernet interface. Each motherboard receives and processes the data from a feature extractor/correlator board set, passing on the results of a first analysis to the central Unix workstation (through which each is also booted). The radio astronomy spectrometer is a technological spinoff from SETI work. It is proposed to be a combined spectrometer and power-accumulator, for use at Arecibo Observatory to search for neutral hydrogen emission from condensations of neutral hydrogen at high redshift (z = 5).

World Ships: The Solar-Photon Sail Option

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matloff, G. L.

The World Ship, a spacecraft large enough to simulate a small-scale terrestrial internal environment, may be the best feasible option to transfer members of a technological civilization between neighboring stars. Because of the projected size of these spacecraft, journey durations of ~1,000 years seem likely. One of the propulsion options for World Ships is the hyper-thin, likely space-manufactured solar-photon sail, unfurled as close to the migrating civilization's home star as possible. Because the sail and associated structure can be wound around the habitat while not in use, it represents the only known ultimately feasible interstellar propulsion system that can be applied for en route galactic-cosmic ray shielding as well as acceleration/ deceleration. This paper reviews the three suggested sail configurations that can be applied to world ship propulsion: parachute, hollow-body and hoop sails. Possible existing and advanced sail and structure materials and the predicted effects on the sail of the near-Sun space environment are reviewed. Consideration of solar-photon-sail World Ships also affects SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Can we detect such craft in flight? When in a star's lifetime is migration using such craft likely? What classes of stars are good candidates for solar-sail World-Ship searches?

Towards Modernizing the Electrical Grid

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

Project is building four t t b t th t illpro o ype ro o s a w someday operate on extraterrestrial surfaces. The project coordinates four NASA ...Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a...Rivers’s PBRT (Proton Beam Radiation Therapy) system zaps tumors with accelerated protons. The treatment must be continuous for 30-40 days; downtime

Artificial intelligence in astronomy - a forecast.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adorf, H. M.

Since several years artificial intelligence techniques are being actively used in astronomy, particularly within the Hubble Space Telescope project. This contribution reviews achievements, analyses some problems of using artificial intelligence in an astronomical environment, and projects current AI programming trends into the future.

If technological intelligent extraterrestrials exist, what biological traits are de rigueur

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, E. R.

2018-05-01

If extraterrestrials exist in the depths of cosmic space, and are capable of interstellar communications, even space flight, there is no requirement that they be humanoid in form. However, certain humanoid capabilities would be advantageous for tool fashioning and critical to operating space craft as well as functioning under the disparate extreme conditions under which they may be forced to operate. They would have to be "gas breathing". The reasonable assumption that life based upon the same elements as Earth life requiring water stems from the unique properties of water that no other similar low molecular weight nonmetal hydride offers. Only water offers the diversity of chemical properties and reactivity, including the existence of the three common physical states within a limited temperature range of service to life, avoiding the issues presented by any alternatives. They must, like us, possess a large, abstract-thinking brain, and probably possess at least all the fundamental senses that humankind possess. They would also be carbon-based life, using oxygen as the electron sink of their biochemistry for the reasons considered. They most likely are homeothermic as us, though they may not necessarily be mammalian as we are. Their biochemistry could differ some from ours, perhaps presenting contact hazards for both species as discussed.

Impact of Extraterrestrial Life Discovery for Third World Societies: Anthropological and Public Health Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, M. Margaret; Coe, Kathryn

In this chapter we focus on the strategies developed by humans, living around the world, to prevent the injuries and death that can occur when confronted by random, but not totally unanticipated disasters. While the occurrence of events such as tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, drought, and hostility from a distant tribe may be forgotten, the ancestral memory of these events, and strategies for coping with them, are retained in such things as stories and rituals. These seemingly unimportant cultural strategies made it possible for individuals to respond to such events with immediate and appropriate actions, thus providing those people with significant survival advantages. We begin by outlining some of the strategies honed by humans over centuries and millennia that proved to be successful in responding to potentially threatening events and that informed future generations about these events and the strategies needed to address them. These strategies, which continue to be practiced in traditional groups, include the use of such things as stories, parables, song and dance. We then apply this thinking to develop a research design for studying the response of individuals living in developing countries to information about possible contact with extraterrestrial complex or intelligent life. We conclude this chapter by outlining a justification for such a study.

Religion in SETI Communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pay, R.

The prospect of millions of civilizations in the Galaxy raises the probability of receiving communications in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). However, much depends on the average lifetime of planetary civilizations. For a lifetime of 500 years, an optimistic forecast would predict about 65 civilizations in the Galaxy at any one time, separated by 5,000 light years. No prospect of communication. For a lifetime of 10 million years, over a million civilizations would be spaced 180 light years apart. Communication among them is feasible. This indicates that extraterrestrial communications depend on civilizations achieving long term stability, probably by evolving a global religion that removes sources of religious strife. Stability also requires an ethic supporting universal rights, nonviolence, empathy and cooperation. As this ethic will be expressed in the planet-wide religion, it will lead to offers of support to other civilizations struggling to gain stability. As stable civilizations will be much advanced scientifically, understanding the religious concepts that appear in their communications will depend on how quantum mechanics, biological evolution, and the creation of the universe at a point in time are incorporated into their religion. Such a religion will view creation as intentional rather than accidental (the atheistic alternative) and will find the basis for its natural theology in the intention revealed by the physical laws of the universe.

The Machine Intelligence Hex Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalup, Stephan K.; Mellor, Drew; Rosamond, Fran

2005-01-01

Hex is a challenging strategy board game for two players. To enhance students' progress in acquiring understanding and practical experience with complex machine intelligence and programming concepts we developed the Machine Intelligence Hex (MIHex) project. The associated undergraduate student assignment is about designing and implementing Hex…

Multiple Intelligences Centers and Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Carolyn; Freeman, Lynn

Based upon Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, this book guides elementary school teachers through the process of using classroom learning centers and projects by providing choices for students. The guide is divided into two sections, providing the theoretical background and information on how to develop multiple intelligences learning…

Science From Beyond: NASA's Pioneer Plaque and the History of Interstellar Communication, 1957- 1972

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macauley, William

2012-05-01

In the late twentieth century, science and technology facilitated exploration beyond the Solar System and extended human knowledge through messages comprised of pictures and mathematical symbols, transmitted from radio telescopes and inscribed on material artifacts attached to spacecraft. ‘Interstellar communication' refers to collective efforts by scientists and co-workers to detect and transmit intelligible messages between humans and supposed extraterrestrial intelligence in remote star systems. Interstellar messages are designed to communicate universal knowledge without recourse to text, human linguistic systems or anthropomorphic content because it is assumed that recipients have no prior knowledge of humankind or the planet we inhabit. Scientists must therefore imagine how extraterrestrials will relate to human knowledge and culture. The production and transmission of interstellar messages became interdisciplinary design problems that involved collaboration and exchange of ideas between scientists, visual artists, and others. My proposed paper will review sociocultural aspects of interstellar communication since the late 1950s and focus on key issues regarding conception, design and production of a specific interstellar message launched into space during the early 1970s - NASA's Pioneer plaque. The paper will explore how research on the history of interstellar communication relates to previous historical and sociological studies on rhetorical aspects of visual representation and mathematics in scientific practice. In particular, I will explain how the notion of ‘inscription' is an appropriate conceptual tool for analyzing how scientists have used pictures to articulate and validate knowledge claims and scientific facts. I argue that scientific knowledge carried on interstellar messages such as the Pioneer plaque is constituted in material practices and inscription technologies that translate natural objects, agency and culture into legible forms. Graphical techniques for creating pictorial interstellar messages are enmeshed with contemporaneous methods for creating displays and images in routine scientific work, in fields such as radio astronomy and planetary science.

An Intelligent Pinger Network for Solid Glacier Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schönitz, S.; Reuter, S.; Henke, C.; Jeschke, S.; Ewert, D.; Eliseev, D.; Heinen, D.; Linder, P.; Scholz, F.; Weinstock, L.; Wickmann, S.; Wiebusch, C.; Zierke, S.

2016-12-01

This talk presents a novel approach for an intelligent, agent-based pinger network in an extraterrestrial glacier environment. Because of recent findings of the Cassini spacecraft, a mission to Saturn's moon Enceladus is planned in order search for extraterrestrial life within the ocean beneath Enceladus' ice crust. Therefore, a maneuverable melting probe, the EnEx probe, was developed to melt into Enceladus' ice and take liquid samples from water-filled crevasses. Hence, the probe collecting the samples has to be able to navigate in ice which is a hard problem, because neither visual nor gravitational methods can be used. To enhance the navigability of the probe, a network of autonomous pinger units (APU) is in development that is able to extract a map of the ice environment via ultrasonic soundwaves. A network of these APUs will be deployed on the surface of Enceladus, melt into the ice and form a network to help guide the probe safely to its destination. The APU network is able to form itself fully autonomously and to compensate system failures of individual APUs. The agents controlling the single APU are realized by rule-based expert systems implemented in CLIPS. The rule-based expert system evaluates available information of the environment, decides for actions to take to achieve the desired goal (e.g. a specific network topology), and executes and monitors such actions. In general, it encodes certain situations that are evaluated whenever an APU is currently idle, and then decides for a next action to take. It bases this decision on its internal world model that is shared with the other APUs. The optimal network topology that defines each agents position is iteratively determined by mixed-integer nonlinear programming. Extensive simulations studies show that the proposed agent design enables the APUs to form a robust network topology that is suited to create a reliable 3D map of the ice environment.

The Order of the Dolphin: Origins of SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Temming, Maria; Crider, Anthony

2016-01-01

In 1961, the National Academy of Sciences organized a meeting on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. The ten scientists who attended, including future SETI icons such as Frank Drake and Carl Sagan, represented a variety of scientific fields. At the conclusion of the meeting, the attendees adopted the moniker "The Order of the Dolphin," in honor of participant John Lilly's work on interspecies communication. Since this seminal meeting, researchers in each of the attendees' fields have contributed in some way to the search for intelligent life. This study investigates the circumstances that led to each attendee's invitation to Green Bank and explores SETI as the legacy of this meeting. We will focus in this talk on the SETI connections of two attendees, astronomer Otto Struve and physicist Philip Morrison, both in regards to their personal contributions to SETI and the influence of their work on subsequent SETI research. Specifically, we will examine proposals by Otto Struve for exoplanet discovery methods, and Philip Morrison for radio searches that laid the groundwork for modern SETI.

Field evaluation of roller integrated intelligent compaction monitoring

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-01

DOTD conducted a demonstration : project to evaluate intelligent compaction (IC). The : project developed specifications, which allo : wed and incorporated : the IC rollers on the : project. The specification went through th : e competitive bidding p...

NASA-SETI microwave observing project: Targeted Search Element (TSE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, L. D.

1991-01-01

The Targeted Search Element (TSE) performs one of two complimentary search strategies of the NASA-SETI Microwave Observing Project (MOP): the targeted search. The principle objective of the targeted search strategy is to scan the microwave window between the frequencies of one and three gigahertz for narrowband microwave emissions eminating from the direction of 773 specifically targeted stars. The scanning process is accomplished at a minimum resolution of one or two Hertz at very high sensitivity. Detectable signals will be of a continuous wave or pulsed form and may also drift in frequency. The TSE will possess extensive radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation and verification capability as the majority of signals detected by the TSE will be of local origin. Any signal passing through RFI classification and classifiable as an extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) candidate will be further validated at non-MOP observatories using established protocol. The targeted search will be conducted using the capability provided by the TSE. The TSE provides six Targeted Search Systems (TSS) which independently or cooperatively perform automated collection, analysis, storage, and archive of signal data. Data is collected in 10 megahertz chunks and signal processing is performed at a rate of 160 megabits per second. Signal data is obtained utilizing the largest radio telescopes available for the Targeted Search such as those at Arecibo and Nancay or at the dedicated NASA-SETI facility. This latter facility will allow continuous collection of data. The TSE also provides for TSS utilization planning, logistics, remote operation, and for off-line data analysis and permanent archive of both the Targeted Search and Sky Survey data.

User modeling for distributed virtual environment intelligent agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, Sheila B.; Stytz, Martin R.

1999-07-01

This paper emphasizes the requirement for user modeling by presenting the necessary information to motivate the need for and use of user modeling for intelligent agent development. The paper will present information on our current intelligent agent development program, the Symbiotic Information Reasoning and Decision Support (SIRDS) project. We then discuss the areas of intelligent agents and user modeling, which form the foundation of the SIRDS project. Included in the discussion of user modeling are its major components, which are cognitive modeling and behavioral modeling. We next motivate the need for and user of a methodology to develop user models to encompass work within cognitive task analysis. We close the paper by drawing conclusions from our current intelligent agent research project and discuss avenues of future research in the utilization of user modeling for the development of intelligent agents for virtual environments.

Quantitative Correlational Study: Emotional Intelligence and Project Outcomes among Hispanics in Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trejo, Arturo

2013-01-01

The present quantitative correlational research study explored relationships between Emotional Intelligence (EI) competencies, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, and project management outcomes: scope creep, in-budget project cost, and project timeliness. The study was conducted within the…

Games and machine learning: a powerful combination in an artificial intelligence course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, Scott A.; McCartney, Robert; Russell, Ingrid

2010-03-01

Project MLeXAI (Machine Learning eXperiences in Artificial Intelligence (AI)) seeks to build a set of reusable course curriculum and hands on laboratory projects for the artificial intelligence classroom. In this article, we describe two game-based projects from the second phase of project MLeXAI: Robot Defense - a simple real-time strategy game and Checkers - a classic turn-based board game. From the instructors' prospective, we examine aspects of design and implementation as well as the challenges and rewards of using the curricula. We explore students' responses to the projects via the results of a common survey. Finally, we compare the student perceptions from the game-based projects to non-game based projects from the first phase of Project MLeXAI.

23 CFR 940.13 - Project administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Project administration. 940.13 Section 940.13 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS § 940.13 Project administration. (a) Prior to...

23 CFR 940.13 - Project administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Project administration. 940.13 Section 940.13 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS § 940.13 Project administration. (a) Prior to...

23 CFR 940.13 - Project administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Project administration. 940.13 Section 940.13 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS § 940.13 Project administration. (a) Prior to...

23 CFR 940.13 - Project administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Project administration. 940.13 Section 940.13 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS § 940.13 Project administration. (a) Prior to...

Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration Project : Intelligent Compaction and Infrared Scanning Projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-02-01

This report documents the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) demonstration grant award for field demonstration projects using intelligent compaction (IC) and infrared scanning (IR) (also called paver-mounted thermal profiles PMTP in the AA...

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1987-01-01

This quarterly publication (July-September 1987) provides archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA). In space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio astronomy, it reports on activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) and its associated Ground Communications Facility (GCF) in planning, in supporting research and technology, in implementation, and in operations. This work is performed for NASA's Office of Space Tracking and Data Systems (OSTDS). In geodynamics, the publication reports on the application of radio interferometry at microwave frequencies for geodynamic measurements. In the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), it reports on implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum. The latter two programs are performed for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA).

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1986-01-01

This quarterly publication (July-Sept. 1986) provides archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA). In space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio astronomy, it reports on activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) and its associated Ground Communications Facility (GCF) in planning, in supporting research and technology, in implementation, and in operations. This work is performed for NASA's Office of Space Tracking and Data Systems (OSTDS). In geodynamics, the publication reports on the application of radio interferometry at microwave frequencies for geodynamic measurements. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), it reports on implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum. The latter two programs are performed for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA).

The evolution of complex life.

PubMed

Billingham, J

1989-01-01

In considering the probabilities that intelligent life might exist elsewhere in the Universe, it is important to ask questions about the factors governing the emergence of complex living organisms in the context of evolutionary biology, planetary environments and events in space. Two important problems arise. First, what can be learned about the general laws governing the evolution of complex life anywhere in space by studying its history on the Earth? Second, how is the evolution of complex life affected by events in space? To address these problems, a series of Science Workshops on the Evolution of Complex Life was held at the Ames Research Center. Included in this paper are highlights of those workshops, with particular emphasis on the first question, namely the evolution of complex extraterrestrial life.

News and Views: Gemini hits 1000 papers; Comet Elenin? Forget it! Sellers launches course; Merry Christmas from 18th-century Lapland; ET: where are they all hiding? SETI in the city; Complex organic molecules may not mean life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-12-01

No-one has yet found artefacts from an alien civilization, but have we looked hard enough? Astronomers seeking signs of extraterrestrial intelligence have suggested a novel approach: look for alien cities. The search for signs of life in the universe has included the detection of complex organic molecules, seen as a step on the way to living things. But now analysis of spectral signatures known as Unidentified Infrared Emission features found in stars, interstellar space and galaxies suggest that complex organic molecules can be made in stars in a matter of weeks without the presence of life.

A 640-MHz 32-megachannel real-time polyphase-FFT spectrum analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, G. A.; Garyantes, M. F.; Grimm, M. J.; Charny, B.

1991-01-01

A polyphase fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectrum analyzer being designed for NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Sky Survey at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described. By replacing the time domain multiplicative window preprocessing with polyphase filter processing, much of the processing loss of windowed FFTs can be eliminated. Polyphase coefficient memory costs are minimized by effective use of run length compression. Finite word length effects are analyzed, producing a balanced system with 8 bit inputs, 16 bit fixed point polyphase arithmetic, and 24 bit fixed point FFT arithmetic. Fixed point renormalization midway through the computation is seen to be naturally accommodated by the matrix FFT algorithm proposed. Simulation results validate the finite word length arithmetic analysis and the renormalization technique.

Computational problems and signal processing in SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deans, Stanley R.; Cullers, D. K.; Stauduhar, Richard

1991-01-01

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), currently being planned at NASA, will require that an enormous amount of data (on the order of 10 exp 11 distinct signal paths for a typical observation) be analyzed in real time by special-purpose hardware. Even though the SETI system design is not based on maximum entropy and Bayesian methods (partly due to the real-time processing constraint), it is expected that enough data will be saved to be able to apply these and other methods off line where computational complexity is not an overriding issue. Interesting computational problems that relate directly to the system design for processing such an enormous amount of data have emerged. Some of these problems are discussed, along with the current status on their solution.

Analysis of a crossed Bragg-cell acousto optical spectrometer for SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulkis, S.

1986-01-01

The search for radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligent (SETI) beings requires the use of large instantaneous bandwidth (500 MHz) and high resolution (20 Hz) spectrometers. Digital systems with a high degree of modularity can be used to provide this capability, and this method has been widely discussed. Another technique for meeting the SETI requirement is to use a crossed Bragg-cell spectrometer as described by Psaltis and Casasent (1979). This technique makes use of the Folded Spectrum concept, introduced by Thomas (1966). The Folded Spectrum is a two-dimensional Fourier Transform of a raster scanned one-dimensional signal. It is directly related to the long one-dimensional spectrum of the original signal and is ideally suited for optical signal processing.

Technical considerations on using the large Nancay radio telescope for SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulkis, S.; Biraud, F.; Heidmann, J.; Tarter, J.

1990-01-01

The Nancay decimetric Radio Telescope (NRT) in Nancay, France, is described, and its potential use for Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) observations is discussed. The conclusion reached is that the NRT is well suited for SETI observations because of its large collecting area, its large sky coverage, and its wideband frequency capability. However, a number of improvements are necessary in order to take full advantage of the system in carrying out an efficient SETI program. In particular, system sensitivity should be increased. This can be achieved through a series of improvements to the system, including lowering the ground pickup noise through the use of ground reflectors and more efficient feed design, and by using low-noise amplifier front ends.

Analysis of a crossed Bragg-cell acousto optical spectrometer for SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulkis, S.

1986-10-01

The search for radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligent (SETI) beings requires the use of large instantaneous bandwidth (500 MHz) and high resolution (20 Hz) spectrometers. Digital systems with a high degree of modularity can be used to provide this capability, and this method has been widely discussed. Another technique for meeting the SETI requirement is to use a crossed Bragg-cell spectrometer as described by Psaltis and Casasent (1979). This technique makes use of the Folded Spectrum concept, introduced by Thomas (1966). The Folded Spectrum is a two-dimensional Fourier Transform of a raster scanned one-dimensional signal. It is directly related to the long one-dimensional spectrum of the original signal and is ideally suited for optical signal processing.

On the abundance of extraterrestrial life after the Kepler mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wandel, Amri

2015-07-01

The data recently accumulated by the Kepler mission have demonstrated that small planets are quite common and that a significant fraction of all stars may have an Earth-like planet within their habitable zone. These results are combined with a Drake-equation formalism to derive the space density of biotic planets as a function of the relatively modest uncertainty in the astronomical data and of the (yet unknown) probability for the evolution of biotic life, F b. I suggest that F b may be estimated by future spectral observations of exoplanet biomarkers. If F b is in the range 0.001-1, then a biotic planet may be expected within 10-100 light years from Earth. Extending the biotic results to advanced life I derive expressions for the distance to putative civilizations in terms of two additional Drake parameters - the probability for evolution of a civilization, F c, and its average longevity. For instance, assuming optimistic probability values (F b~F c~1) and a broadcasting longevity of a few thousand years, the likely distance to the nearest civilizations detectable by searching for intelligent electromagnetic signals is of the order of a few thousand light years. The probability of detecting intelligent signals with present and future radio telescopes is calculated as a function of the Drake parameters. Finally, I describe how the detection of intelligent signals would constrain the Drake parameters.

[Artificial intelligence in medicine: project of a mobile platform in an intelligent environment for the care of disabled and elderly people].

PubMed

Cortés, Ulises; Annicchiarico, Roberta; Campana, Fabio; Vázquez-Salceda, Javier; Urdiales, Cristina; Canãmero, Lola; López, Maite; Sánchez-Marrè, Miquel; Di Vincenzo, Sarah; Caltagirone, Carlo

2004-04-01

A project based on the integration of new technologies and artificial intelligence to develop a device--e-tool--for disabled patients and elderly people is presented. A mobile platform in intelligent environments (skilled-care facilities and home-care), controlled and managed by a multi-level architecture, is proposed to support patients and caregivers to increase self-dependency in activities of daily living.

Half a century of SETI in the USSR and Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gindilis, Lev; Gurvits, Leonid

SETI studies in the USSR ascend back to the beginning of the 1960s. The stage for these studies have been set by the publication of the first edition of the book “The Universe, Life and Intelligence” by I.S. Shklovsky in 1962. Important milestones of early decades of the studies were the First All-Union Conference on extraterrestrial civilisations (Byurakan, 1964), the First International Symposium on CETI (Byurakan, 1971), the Zelenchukskaya Workshop (1975), Tallinn (1981) and Vilnius (1987) symposia, the Decennial US-USSR Conference on SETI (Santa Cruz, CA, 1991). The studies discussed at these forums ranged from developing criteria of “artificiality” of signals, analysing possible strategies of communication and broadcasting of messages on cosmic distances, methodology of search for artificial signals in various domains of the electro-magnetic spectrum, optimisation of frequency bands for search of and communication with ETI. A number of exploratory search projects have been conducted in radio and optical domains in the 1960s-80s. Theoretical studies were focused at developing optimal techniques for coding and decoding of interstellar messages, evaluation of astro-engineering dimension of the extraterrestrial intelligent activities, advancing philosophical aspects of the SETI problem. Later, in the 1990s and first decade of the third millennium, despite of general difficulties confronting scientific activities in Russia, SETI-oriented studies continued in the area of surveys of sun-like stars in Milky Way, search for Dyson spheres and optical signals with indications on artificiality. Several programmes of cosmic broadcasting were conducted too, including radio transmission toward selected stars. Serious re-thinking was given to incentives for passive and active involvement in SETI and CETI by cosmic civilisations. In our presentation, we will give a brief review of the past activities mentioned above and offer an outlook for further steps in advancing SETI. This outlook will be based on the advances of relevant scientific and technological areas, especially in astronomy. These developments are characterised by invention of new ultra-sensitive instruments and ability to process enormous amounts of experimental (observing) data, unthinkable in the recent past. All that would create a new basis for the continuation of SETI in the foreseeable future.

Artificial Intelligence Measurement System, Overview and Lessons Learned. Final Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Eva L.; Butler, Frances A.

This report summarizes the work conducted for the Artificial Intelligence Measurement System (AIMS) Project which was undertaken as an exploration of methodology to consider how the effects of artificial intelligence systems could be compared to human performance. The research covered four areas of inquiry: (1) natural language processing and…

From the Physical World to the Biological Universe: Historical Developments Underlying SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Steven J.

More than thirty years ago the French historian of science Alexandre Koyré (1957) wrote his classic volume, From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe, in which he argued that a fundamental shift in world view had taken place in 17th century cosmology. Between Nicholas of Cusa in the fifteenth century and Newton and Leibniz in the seventeenth, he found that the very terms in which humans thought about their universe had changed. These changes he characterized broadly as the destruction of the closed finite cosmos and the geometrization of space. The occasion of the Third International Bioastronomy Symposium in France is an especially appropriate time to argue that the SETI endeavor represents a test for a similar fundamental shift in cosmological world view, from the physical world to the biological universe. I define the biological universe, equivalent to what I have called before the biophysical cosmology (Dick, 1989), as the scientific world view which holds that life is widespread throughout the universe. In this case the biological universe does not necessarily supersede the physical universe, but a universe filled with life would certainly fundamentally alter our attitude toward the universe, and our place in it. Although Koyré mentioned life beyond the Earth as an adjunct to the revolution from the closed world to the infinite universe, only in the 1980s has the history of science begun to give full treatment to the subject. What follows is meant to be a contribution to that ongoing endeavor to understand where the extraterrestrial life debate fits in the history of science. The modern era in the extraterrestrial life debate is normally dated from Cocconi and Morrison's paper in 1959, and though one can always find precursors, this in my view is a valid perception. Cocconi and Morrison gave definite form to SETI, Frank Drake independently first carried out the experiment, a network of interested scientists began to form and met in Green Bank in November 1961, and the most distinctive part of the modern era of the extraterrestrial life debate - the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by means of radio telescopes — was off and running. In this paper, after briefly reviewing some of the long-term steps toward the biological universe, I would like to examine the immediate precursors to this modern era in the 1940s and 1950s.

Self-Assessing of the Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Intelligence in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dagiene, Valentina; Juškeviciene, Anita; Carneiro, Roberto; Child, Camilla; Cullen, Joe

2015-01-01

The paper presents the results of an evaluation of the Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Organisational Intelligence (OI) competences self-assessment tools developed and applied by the IGUANA project. In the paper Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Intelligence competences are discussed, their use in action research experiments to assess and…

The truth is out there: the structure of beliefs about extraterrestrial life among Austrian and British respondents.

PubMed

Swami, Viren; Furnham, Adrian; Haubner, Tanja; Stieger, Stefan; Voracek, Martin

2009-02-01

Previous investigators of extraterrestrial beliefs have relied on single-item scales, which limit the researchers' understanding of such beliefs. The present authors report responses to a 37-item scale about extraterrestrial beliefs from 320 participants in Austria and 257 participants in Britain. A factor analysis revealed 3 primary factors that were stable across sites: (a) belief that extraterrestrial life has visited Earth and that governmental agencies have knowledge of this fact, (b) scientific search for extraterrestrial life, and (c) general beliefs about the existence of extraterrestrial life. Participants rated only Factor 3 positively, suggesting that there is a distinction between paranormal-related beliefs and science-related beliefs. The authors found only political orientation and religiosity to be significantly correlated with factor scores. They discuss their results in relation to previous reports of extraterrestrial beliefs.

Personal Spaces: Students Creating Meaning through Big Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakatani, Ken; Pistolesi, Edie

2009-01-01

Every once in a while, stray fragments from art or popular culture spark one's imaginations and trigger an idea for developing an art curriculum project. In this article, the authors begin with the interior world of extraterrestrial aliens within the Grand Central Station locker from "Men in Black II," and led eventually to the authors' students…

Human life support during interplanetary travel and domicile. I - System approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seshan, P. K.; Ferrall, Joseph; Rohatgi, Naresh

1989-01-01

The importance of mission-driven system definition and assessment for extraterrestrial human life support is examined. The tricotyledon theory for system engineering is applied to the physiochemical life support system of the Pathfinder project. The rationale and methodology for adopting the systems approach is discussed. The assessment of the system during technology development is considered.

Quantitative computer simulations of extraterrestrial processing operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vincent, T. L.; Nikravesh, P. E.

1989-01-01

The automation of a small, solid propellant mixer was studied. Temperature control is under investigation. A numerical simulation of the system is under development and will be tested using different control options. Control system hardware is currently being put into place. The construction of mathematical models and simulation techniques for understanding various engineering processes is also studied. Computer graphics packages were utilized for better visualization of the simulation results. The mechanical mixing of propellants is examined. Simulation of the mixing process is being done to study how one can control for chaotic behavior to meet specified mixing requirements. An experimental mixing chamber is also being built. It will allow visual tracking of particles under mixing. The experimental unit will be used to test ideas from chaos theory, as well as to verify simulation results. This project has applications to extraterrestrial propellant quality and reliability.

Constructing the matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, John

2012-09-01

As part of our 'toolkit' for analysing an extraterrestrial signal, the facility for calculating structural affinity to known phenomena must be part of our core capabilities. Without such a resource, we risk compromising our potential for detection and decipherment or at least causing significant delay in the process. To create such a repository for assessing structural affinity, all known systems (language parameters) need to be structurally analysed to 'place' their 'system' within a relational communication matrix. This will need to include all known variants of language structure, whether 'living' (in current use) or ancient; this must also include endeavours to incorporate yet undeciphered scripts and non-human communication, to provide as complete a picture as possible. In creating such a relational matrix, post-detection decipherment will be assisted by a structural 'map' that will have the potential for 'placing' an alien communication with its nearest known 'neighbour', to assist subsequent categorisation of basic parameters as a precursor to decipherment. 'Universal' attributes and behavioural characteristics of known communication structure will form a range of templates (Elliott, 2001 [1] and Elliott et al., 2002 [2]), to support and optimise our attempt at categorising and deciphering the content of an extraterrestrial signal. Detection of the hierarchical layers, which comprise intelligent, complex communication, will then form a matrix of calculations that will ultimately score affinity through a relational matrix of structural comparison. In this paper we develop the rationales and demonstrate functionality with initial test results.

A Probabilistic Analysis of the Fermi Paradox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomonides, Evan; Terzian, Yervant

2016-06-01

The Fermi paradox uses an appeal to the mediocrity principle to make it seem counterintuitive that humanity has not been contacted by extraterrestrial intelligence. A numerical, statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether this apparent loneliness is, in fact, unexpected. An inequality was derived to relate the frequency of life arising and developing technology on a suitable planet in the galaxy; the average length of time since the first broadcast of such a civilization; and a constant term. An analysis of the sphere reached thus far by human communication was also conducted, considering our local neighborhood and planets of particular interest. These analyses both conclude that the Fermi paradox is not, in fact, unexpected. By the mediocrity principle and numerical modeling, it is actually unlikely that the Earth would have been reached by extraterrestrial communication at this point. We predict that under 1% of the galaxy has been reached at all thus far, and we do not anticipate to be reached until approximately 50% of stars/planets have been reached. We offer a prediction that we should not expect this until at least 1,500 years in the future. Thus the Fermi paradox is not a shocking observation- or lack thereof- and humanity may very well be contacted within our species’ lifespan (we can begin to expect to be contacted 1,500 years in the future).

From Here to ET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathews, J. D.

SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) has thus far proven negative. The assumptions that have driven these searches are reexamined to determine if a new paradigm for future searches can be identified. To this end, the apparent path of evolving human exploration of the solar system and the local galaxy is used to assess where it might lead in the relative near future while noting that we are not overtly intending to contact ET (ExtraTerrestrials). The basic premise is that human space exploration must be highly efficient, cost effective, and autonomous as placing humans beyond low Earth orbit is fraught with political, economic, and technical difficulties. With this basis, it is concluded that only by developing and deploying self-replicating robotic spacecraft--and the incumbent communication systems--can the human race efficiently explore even the asteroid belt let alone the vast reaches of the Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, and beyond. It is assumed that ET would have followed a similar path. The technical practicality of and our progress towards this autonomous, self-replicating exobot--Explorer roBot or EB--is further examined with the conclusion that the narrow-beam, laser-based communication network that would likely be em- ployed, would be difficult to detect from a nearby star systems thus offering an explanation of the failure of SETI to date. It is further argued, as have others, that EBs are likely a common feature of the galaxy.

Synchronized SETI-The Case for "Opposition"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbet, Robin H. D.

2003-06-01

If the signals being sought in search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) programs exist but are brief (for example, they are produced intermittently to conserve energy), then it is essential to know when these signals will arrive at the Earth. Different types of transmitter/receiver synchronization schemes are possible, which vary in the relative amount of effort required by the transmitter and the receiver. The case is made for a scheme that is extremely simple for the receiver: Make observations of a target when it is at maximum angular distance from the Sun (i.e., "opposition"). This strategy requires that the transmitter has accurate knowledge of the distance and proper motion of the Sun and the orbit of the Earth. It is anticipated that within the next 10-20 years it will be possible to detect directly nearby extrasolar planets of approximately terrestrial mass. Since extraterrestrial transmitters are expected to have significantly more advanced technology, it is not unreasonable to expect that they would be able to detect the presence of the Earth and measure its orbit at even greater distances. This strategy is simple to implement, and opposition is also typically the time when observations are easiest to make. Limited opposition surveys contained in a number of all-sky surveys have already been performed. However, full-sky opposition surveys are best suited to detectors with very large fields of view.

Dysonian SETI as a "Shortcut" to Detecting Habitable Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, J. T.

2016-12-01

The search for habitable planets is ultimately motivated by the search for inhabited planets. On Earth, the most telling signature of life is that of humanity's technology. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is thus the "ultimate" search for habitable planets.In 1960 two seminal papers in SETI were published, providing two visions for SETI. Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison's proposed detecting deliberate radio signals ("communication SETI"), while Freeman Dyson ("artifact SETI"), proposed detecting the inevitable effects of massive energy supplies and artifacts on their surroundings. While communication SETI has now had many career-long practitioners and major efforts, artifact SETI has, until recently, not been a vibrant field of study. The launch of the Kepler and WISE satellites have greatly renewed interest in the field, however, and the recent Breakthrough Listen Initiative has provided new motivation for finding good targets for communication SETI. I will discuss the progress of the Ĝ Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations with Large Energy Supplies, including its justification and motivation, waste heat search strategy and first results, and the framework for a search for megastructures via transit light curves. The last of these led to the identification of KIC 8462852 (a.k.a. "Tabby's Star") as a candidate ETI host. This star, discovered by Boyajian and the Zooniverse Planet Hunters, exhibits several apparently unique and so-far unexplained photometric properties, and continues to confound natural explanation.

Synchronized SETI-the case for "opposition".

PubMed

Corbet, Robin H D

2003-01-01

If the signals being sought in search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) programs exist but are brief (for example, they are produced intermittently to conserve energy), then it is essential to know when these signals will arrive at the Earth. Different types of transmitter/receiver synchronization schemes are possible, which vary in the relative amount of effort required by the transmitter and the receiver. The case is made for a scheme that is extremely simple for the receiver: Make observations of a target when it is at maximum angular distance from the Sun (i.e., "opposition"). This strategy requires that the transmitter has accurate knowledge of the distance and proper motion of the Sun and the orbit of the Earth. It is anticipated that within the next 10-20 years it will be possible to detect directly nearby extrasolar planets of approximately terrestrial mass. Since extraterrestrial transmitters are expected to have significantly more advanced technology, it is not unreasonable to expect that they would be able to detect the presence of the Earth and measure its orbit at even greater distances. This strategy is simple to implement, and opposition is also typically the time when observations are easiest to make. Limited opposition surveys contained in a number of all-sky surveys have already been performed. However, full-sky opposition surveys are best suited to detectors with very large fields of view.

Multiple Intelligences Theory, Action Research, and Teacher Professional Development: The Irish MI Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanafin, Joan

2014-01-01

This paper presents findings from an action research project that investigated the application of Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory in classrooms and schools. It shows how MI theory was used in the project as a basis for suggestions to generate classroom practices; how participating teachers evaluated the project; and how teachers responded to…

AI at Ames: Artificial Intelligence research and application at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, February 1985

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, Alison E. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Charts are given that illustrate function versus domain for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and interests and research area versus project number for AI research. A list is given of project titles with associated project numbers and page numbers. Also, project descriptions, including title, participants, and status are given.

VHBuild.com: A Web-Based System for Managing Knowledge in Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Heng; Tang, Sandy; Man, K. F.; Love, Peter E. D.

2002-01-01

Describes an intelligent Web-based construction project management system called VHBuild.com which integrates project management, knowledge management, and artificial intelligence technologies. Highlights include an information flow model; time-cost optimization based on genetic algorithms; rule-based drawing interpretation; and a case-based…

Integrating Organizational Learning and Business Praxis: A Case for Intelligent Project Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavaleri, Steven A.; Fearon, David S.

2000-01-01

Project management provides a natural home for organizational learning, freeing it from mechanical processes. Organizational learning plays a critical role in intelligent project management, which combines manageability, performance outcomes of knowledge management, and innovation. Learning should be integrated into an organization's core…

Detection of the Earth with the SETI microwave observing system assumed to be operating out in the galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billingham, J.; Tarter, J.

1992-01-01

This paper estimates the maximum range at which radar signals from the Earth could be detected by a search system similar to the NASA Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Microwave Observing Project (SETI MOP) assumed to be operating out in the galaxy. Figures are calculated for the Targeted Search, and for the Sky Survey parts of the MOP, both operating, as currently planned, in the second half of the decade of the 1990s. Only the most powerful terrestrial transmitters are considered, namely, the planetary radar at Arecibo in Puerto Rico, and the ballistic missile early warning systems (BMEWS). In each case the probabilities of detection over the life of the MOP are also calculated. The calculation assumes that we are only in the eavesdropping mode. Transmissions intended to be detected by SETI systems are likely to be much stronger and would of course be found with higher probability to a greater range. Also, it is assumed that the transmitting civilization is at the same level of technological evolution as ours on Earth. This is very improbable. If we were to detect another technological civilization, it would, on statistical grounds, be much older than we are and might well have much more powerful transmitters. Both factors would make detection by the NASA MOP a much more likely outcome.

Detection of the Earth with the SETI microwave observing system assumed to be operating out in the galaxy.

PubMed

Billingham, J; Tarter, J

1992-01-01

This paper estimates the maximum range at which radar signals from the Earth could be detected by a search system similar to the NASA Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Microwave Observing Project (SETI MOP) assumed to be operating out in the galaxy. Figures are calculated for the Targeted Search, and for the Sky Survey parts of the MOP, both operating, as currently planned, in the second half of the decade of the 1990s. Only the most powerful terrestrial transmitters are considered, namely, the planetary radar at Arecibo in Puerto Rico, and the ballistic missile early warning systems (BMEWS). In each case the probabilities of detection over the life of the MOP are also calculated. The calculation assumes that we are only in the eavesdropping mode. Transmissions intended to be detected by SETI systems are likely to be much stronger and would of course be found with higher probability to a greater range. Also, it is assumed that the transmitting civilization is at the same level of technological evolution as ours on Earth. This is very improbable. If we were to detect another technological civilization, it would, on statistical grounds, be much older than we are and might well have much more powerful transmitters. Both factors would make detection by the NASA MOP a much more likely outcome.

Canada's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) : deployment and integration plan : applicant's guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-02-01

This document is the applicant's guide for proposing intelligent transportation systems projects to Transport Canada and details such matters as eligibility, Transport Canada's program objectives and assessment of projects

An integrated knowledge system for wind tunnel testing - Project Engineers' Intelligent Assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, Ching F.; Shi, George Z.; Hoyt, W. A.; Steinle, Frank W., Jr.

1993-01-01

The Project Engineers' Intelligent Assistant (PEIA) is an integrated knowledge system developed using artificial intelligence technology, including hypertext, expert systems, and dynamic user interfaces. This system integrates documents, engineering codes, databases, and knowledge from domain experts into an enriched hypermedia environment and was designed to assist project engineers in planning and conducting wind tunnel tests. PEIA is a modular system which consists of an intelligent user-interface, seven modules and an integrated tool facility. Hypermedia technology is discussed and the seven PEIA modules are described. System maintenance and updating is very easy due to the modular structure and the integrated tool facility provides user access to commercial software shells for documentation, reporting, or database updating. PEIA is expected to provide project engineers with technical information, increase efficiency and productivity, and provide a realistic tool for personnel training.

Curating NASA's Extraterrestrial Samples - Past, Present, and Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton; Allton, Judith; Lofgren, Gary; Righter, Kevin; Zolensky, Michael

2011-01-01

Curation of extraterrestrial samples is the critical interface between sample return missions and the international research community. The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is responsible for curating NASA s extraterrestrial samples. Under the governing document, NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 7100.10E "Curation of Extraterrestrial Materials", JSC is charged with ". . . curation of all extraterrestrial material under NASA control, including future NASA missions." The Directive goes on to define Curation as including "documentation, preservation, preparation, and distribution of samples for research, education, and public outreach."

Curating NASA's Extraterrestrial Samples - Past, Present, and Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton; Allton, Judith; Lofgren, Gary; Righter, Kevin; Zolensky, Michael

2010-01-01

Curation of extraterrestrial samples is the critical interface between sample return missions and the international research community. The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is responsible for curating NASA's extraterrestrial samples. Under the governing document, NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 7100.10E "Curation of Extraterrestrial Materials," JSC is charged with ". . . curation of all extraterrestrial material under NASA control, including future NASA missions." The Directive goes on to define Curation as including documentation, preservation, preparation, and distribution of samples for research, education, and public outreach.

How do I manage and staff for intelligent transportation systems? : thinking outside the box : a cross-cutting study : maximizing project resources and advancing coordination

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-08-01

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects often need staff with skills that are not resident in traditional transportation organizations. Therefore, project administrators must sometimes look beyond the usual staffing methods to fill these po...

How to Teach Emotional Intelligence Skills in IT Project Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Amy J.; Reinicke, Bryan

2017-01-01

High emotional intelligence ("EQ") is considered one of the greatest strengths of an alpha project manager, yet undergraduate project management students are not directly trained in EQ soft skills such as communication, politics and teamwork. This article describes examples of active learning exercises implemented in an undergraduate IT…

Intelligent Vehicle Mobility M&S Capability Development (FY13 innovation Project) (Briefing Charts)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-19

Intelligent Vehicle Mobility M&S Capability Development (FY13 Innovation Project) P. Jayakumar and J. Raymond, Analytics 19 May 2014...PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Paramsithy Jayakumar ; J Raymond 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING

How One Teacher, Two Students with Visual Impairments, and a Three-Year R & D Project Could Change How All Students Learn Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urquhart, Vicki

2012-01-01

You probably recognize this standard definition of a comet: "a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit." Add an accompanying photograph or diagram, and students "get" what a comet is, right? Science textbook publishers expect students to…

Characterizing Crowd Participation and Productivity of Foldit Through Web Scraping

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing CDF Cumulative Distribution Function CPU Central Processing Unit CSSG Crowdsourced Serious Game...computers at once can create a similar capacity. According to Anderson [6], principal investigator for the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network...extraterrestrial life. From this project, a software-based distributed computing platform called the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing

Northeast Florida rural transit intelligent transportation system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-02-01

The Northeast Florida Rural Transit Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project was a demonstration of ITS deployment by four rural Community Transportation Coordinator agencies. The objective of the project was to test and evaluate the effective...

Mainstream Media and Social Media Reactions to the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Morris

The rise of online social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) has overturned traditional top-down and stovepiped channels for mass communications. As social media have risen, traditional media sources have been steadily crippled by economic problems, resulting in a loss of capabilities and credibility. Information can propagate rapidly without the inclusion of traditional editorial checks and controls. Mass communications strategies for any type of major announcement must account for this new media landscape. Scientists announcing the discovery of extraterrestrial life will trigger a multifaceted and unpredictable percolation of the story through the public sphere. They will also potentially struggle with misinformation, rumours and hoaxes. The interplay of official announcements with the discussions of an extraterrestrial discovery on social media has parallels with traditional theories of mass communications. A wide spectrum of different messages is likely to be received by different segments of the community, based on their usage patterns of various media and online communications. The presentation and interpretation of a discovery will be hotly debated and contested within online media environments. In extreme cases, this could lead to "editorial wars" on collaborative media projects as well as cyber-attacks on certain online services and individuals. It is unlikely that a clear and coherent message can be propagated to a near-universal level. This has the potential to contribute to inappropriate reactions in some sectors of the community. Preventing unnecessary panic will be a priority. In turn, the monitoring of online and social media will provide a useful tool for assessing public reactions to a discovery of extraterrestrial life. This will help to calibrate public communications strategies following in the wake of an initial announcement.

The Impact of the Temporal Distribution of Communicating Civilizations on Their Detectability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balbi, Amedeo

2018-01-01

We used a statistical model to investigate the detectability (defined by the requirement that causal contact has been initiated with us) of communicating civilizations within a volume of the Universe surrounding our location. If the civilizations are located in our galaxy, the detectability requirement imposes a strict constraint on their epoch of appearance and their communicating life span. This, in turn, implies that our ability to gather empirical evidence of the fraction of civilizations within range of detection strongly depends on the specific features of their temporal distribution. Our approach illuminates aspects of the problem that can escape the standard treatment based on the Drake equation. Therefore, it might provide the appropriate framework for future studies dealing with the evolutionary aspects of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

On space-based SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuiver, Willem

1990-01-01

Space-based antenna systems for the search of signals from extra-terrestrial intelligence are discussed. Independent studies of the ecliptic solar-sailing transfer problem from the geosynchronous departure orbit to Sun-Earth collinear transterrestrial liberation point were conducted. They were based on a relatively simple mathematical model describing attitude-controlled spacecraft motion in the ecliptic plane as governed by solar and terrestrial gravitational attraction together with the solar radiation pressure. The resulting equations of motion were integrated numerically for a relevant range of values of spacecraft area-to-mass ratio and for an appropriate spacecraft attitude-control law known to lead to Earth escape. Experimentation with varying initial conditions in the departure orbit, and with attitude-control law modification after having achieved Earth escape, established the feasibility of component deployment by means of solar sailing. Details are presented.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, Edward C. (Editor)

1991-01-01

This quarterly publication provides archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA). In space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio and radar astronomy, it reports on activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN). Also included is standards activity at JPL for space data and information systems and reimbursable DSN work performed for other space agencies through NASA. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), 'The TDA Progress Report' reports on implementation and operations for searching the microwave spectrum. In solar system radar, it reports on the uses of the Goldstone Solar System Radar for scientific exploration of the planets, their rings and satellites, asteroids, and comets. In radio astronomy, the areas of support include spectroscopy, very long baseline interferometry, and astrometry.

Congress Examines Efforts to Search for Life in the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2014-06-01

"It is not hyperbolic to suggest that scientists could very well discover extraterrestrial intelligence within 2 decades' time or less, given resources to conduct the search," Seth Shostak, senior astronomer with the SETI Institute, in Mountain View, Calif., testified at a 21 May congressional hearing held by the House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He pointed to the progress in extrasolar planet discovery made possible by NASA's Kepler space telescope, the enormous number of potential planets in the Milky Way and other galaxies, the increasing power of digital electronics to find and sort out radio and other signals, and other work related to exoplanets and astrobiology. It was the committee's third hearing on astrobiology and the search for life in the universe in roughly 1 year.

Time and space integrating acousto-optic folded spectrum processing for SETI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, K.; Psaltis, D.

1986-01-01

Time and space integrating folded spectrum techniques utilizing acousto-optic devices (AOD) as 1-D input transducers are investigated for a potential application as wideband, high resolution, large processing gain spectrum analyzers in the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) program. The space integrating Fourier transform performed by a lens channels the coarse spectral components diffracted from an AOD onto an array of time integrating narrowband fine resolution spectrum analyzers. The pulsing action of a laser diode samples the interferometrically detected output, aliasing the fine resolution components to baseband, as required for the subsequent charge coupled devices (CCD) processing. The raster scan mechanism incorporated into the readout of the CCD detector array is used to unfold the 2-D transform, reproducing the desired high resolution Fourier transform of the input signal.

The great downside dilemma for risky emerging technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baum, Seth D.

2014-12-01

Some emerging technologies promise to significantly improve the human condition, but come with a risk of failure so catastrophic that human civilization may not survive. This article discusses the great downside dilemma posed by the decision of whether or not to use these technologies. The dilemma is: use the technology, and risk the downside of catastrophic failure, or do not use the technology, and suffer through life without it. Historical precedents include the first nuclear weapon test and messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence. Contemporary examples include stratospheric geoengineering, a technology under development in response to global warming, and artificial general intelligence, a technology that could even take over the world. How the dilemma should be resolved depends on the details of each technology’s downside risk and on what the human condition would otherwise be. Meanwhile, other technologies do not pose this dilemma, including sustainable design technologies, nuclear fusion power, and space colonization. Decisions on all of these technologies should be made with the long-term interests of human civilization in mind. This paper is part of a series of papers based on presentations at the Emerging Technologies and the Future of Humanity event held at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on 17 March 2014.

Novel Concepts for Radiation Shielding Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliva-Buisson, Yvette J.

2014-01-01

It is critical that safety factors be maximized with respect to long duration, extraterrestrial space flight. Any significant improvement in radiation protection will be critical in ensuring the safety of crew and hardware on such missions. The project goal is to study novel concepts for radiation shielding materials that can be used for long-duration space missions. As part of this project we will investigate the use of thin films for the evaluation of a containment system that can retain liquid hydrogen and provide the necessary hydrogen density for effective shielding.

NASA Intelligent Systems Project: Results, Accomplishments and Impact on Science Missions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coughlan, J. C.

2005-12-01

The Intelligent Systems Project was responsible for much of NASA's programmatic investment in artificial intelligence and advanced information technologies. IS has completed three major project milestones which demonstrated increased capabilities in autonomy, human centered computing, and intelligent data understanding. Autonomy involves the ability of a robot to place an instrument on a remote surface with a single command cycle, human centered computing supported a collaborative, mission centric data and planning system for the Mars Exploration Rovers and data understanding has produced key components of a terrestrial satellite observation system with automated modeling and data analysis capabilities. This paper summarizes the technology demonstrations and metrics which quantify and summarize these new technologies which are now available for future NASA missions.

NASA Intelligent Systems Project: Results, Accomplishments and Impact on Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coughlan, Joseph C.

2005-01-01

The Intelligent Systems Project was responsible for much of NASA's programmatic investment in artificial intelligence and advanced information technologies. IS has completed three major project milestones which demonstrated increased capabilities in autonomy, human centered computing, and intelligent data understanding. Autonomy involves the ability of a robot to place an instrument on a remote surface with a single command cycle. Human centered computing supported a collaborative, mission centric data and planning system for the Mars Exploration Rovers and data understanding has produced key components of a terrestrial satellite observation system with automated modeling and data analysis capabilities. This paper summarizes the technology demonstrations and metrics which quantify and summarize these new technologies which are now available for future Nasa missions.

Recent concepts in missions to Mars - Extraterrestrial processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramohalli, K. N.; Ash, R. L.; Lawton, E. A.; French, J. R.; Frisbee, R. H.

1986-01-01

This paper presents some recent concepts in Mars Sample Return (MSR) missions that utilize extraterrestrial resources. The concepts examined include the power and energy needs of this mission. It is shown that solar energy is not especially attractive. Radioisotopic power generator and a Rankine cycle use are seen to be viable options. Quantitative estimates, taking into consideration state-of-the-art and projected technologies indicate that the power/energy per se is not critical to the mission - but reliability is. Hence, various modern options for the components of the power generation and utilization are discussed. The dramatic savings in Shuttle (or other) vehicle launches are quantitatively plotted. The basic system that is discussed here is the production of hydrocarbon (methane) fuel and oxygen from Martian atmosphere. For the simplest mission, it is seen that earth-carried methane burned with oxygen produced on site provides the best system.

Searches for electromagnetic signals from extraterrestrial beings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuckerman, B.

The techniques and rationale used in six radio-frequency surveys to detect possible signals from extraterrestrial beings (ETs) are reviewed. Reception attempts have been made by pointing antennas at the stars within 80 light years, toward F, G, K, andd M main sequence stars, and binary star systems with component separation less than one-third or more than three times the radius of the habitable zone around the main star. All of the searches explored narrow bandwidths, with attention given to rapid variability. Stars exhibiting variability were re-examined for longer periods, using the 21 cm bandwidth, which is not used for transmissions on earth. The best spectrum analyzer in operation for ET signal search purposes has a capacity of 200,000 channels. Further studies may be carried out at the 10 micron IR wavelength, which could detect planetary-size construction projects by ET civilizations.

A Contest-Oriented Project for Learning Intelligent Mobile Robots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsin-Hsiung; Su, Juing-Huei; Lee, Chyi-Shyong

2013-01-01

A contest-oriented project for undergraduate students to learn implementation skills and theories related to intelligent mobile robots is presented in this paper. The project, related to Micromouse, Robotrace (Robotrace is the title of Taiwanese and Japanese robot races), and line-maze contests was developed by the embedded control system research…

Northeast Florida rural transit intelligent transportation system (ITS) : evaluation plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-05-01

The Northeast Florida Rural Transportation Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project is a demonstration of ITS deployment in five rural Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) agencies. The objective of the project is to test and evaluate th...

Social Media Analytics: A New Approach for Cyberspace Enabled Understanding of Operational Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-10

NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Major Sean Lyons 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK...Advance Research Projects Agency DOD Department of Defense FM Field Manual IC Intelligence Community IO Information Operations IP Internet...Utah, Central Intelligence Agency funding of the Recorded Future Company, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, XDATA project . 2

The trillion planet survey: an optical search for directed intelligence in M31

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Andrew; Lubin, Philip

2017-09-01

In realm of optical SETI, searches for pulsed laser signals have historically been preferred over those for continuous wave beacons. There are many valid reasons for this, namely the near elimination of false positives and simple experimental components. However, due to significant improvements in laser technologies and light-detection systems since the mid-20th century, as well as new data from the recent Kepler mission, continuous wave searches should no longer be ignored. In this paper we propose a search for continuous wave laser beacons from an intelligent civilization in the Andromeda galaxy. Using only a 0.8 meter telescope, a standard photometric system, and an image processing pipeline, we expect to be able to detect any CW laser signal directed at us from an extraterrestrial civilization in M31, as long as the civilization is operating at a wavelength we can "see" and has left the beacon on long enough for us to detect it here on Earth. The search target is M31 due to its high stellar density relative to our own Milky Way galaxy. Andromeda is home to at least one trillion stars, and thus at least one trillion planets. As a result, in surveying M31, we are surveying one trillion planets, and consequently one trillion possible locations of intelligent life. This is an unprecedented number of targets relative to other past SETI searches. We call this the TPS or Trillion Planet Survey.

Artificial Intelligence--Applications in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poirot, James L.; Norris, Cathleen A.

1987-01-01

This first in a projected series of five articles discusses artificial intelligence and its impact on education. Highlights include the history of artificial intelligence and the impact of microcomputers; learning processes; human factors and interfaces; computer assisted instruction and intelligent tutoring systems; logic programing; and expert…

Using Crowdsourced Geospatial Data to Aid in Nuclear Proliferation Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

M. Stephens, and Ronald D. Bonnell, “DAI for Document Retrieval: The MINDS Project,” in Distributed Artificial Intelligence , ed. Michael N. Huhns...Ronald D. Bonnell. “DAI for Document Retrieval: The MINDS Project,” In Distributed Artificial Intelligence , edited by Michael N. Huhns, 249–283...was for the director of National Intelligence to explore ways that crowdsourced geospatial imagery technologies could aid existing governmental

Project Spectrum: An Innovative Assessment Alternative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krechevsky, Mara

1991-01-01

Project Spectrum attempts to reconceptualize the traditional linguistic and logical/mathematical bases of intelligence. Spectrum blurs the line between curriculum and assessment, embeds assessment in meaningful, real-world activities, uses "intelligence-fair" measures, emphasizes children's strengths, and recognizes the stylistic…

Department of Transportation's intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects book

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), formerly Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS), provide the technology applications helping the nation address current surface transportation problems while concurrently providing approaches for dealing ...

International Intelligence Forum 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

International Intelligence Forum 2002 PCN 46737 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection...Intelligence Forum 2002 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f...Std Z39-18 INTERNATIONAL INTELLIGENCE FORUM -3 The Joint Military Intelligence College created the International Intelligence Fellows Program

If they are there, where are they?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anand, Rajagopal

2017-04-01

The famous Fermi Paradox questioning the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence can be put to rest. Astrophysicists and astronomers have spent decades decoding the mysteries of the Universe based on the physical laws formulated by intellectual human beings based mostly on observations and investigations carried out in terrestrial and space laboratories and through mathematical calculations to establish the physical possibility of existence of intelligence outside our planet. The proximity of a planet from its star, luminosity of the star, the presence of molecular oxygen in the planet's atmosphere, presence of liquid water, the size and density of the planet, age of the star and eccentricity of the planet's orbit around its star are the usual points pondered upon while finding a theory for the existence of extra terrestrial intelligence. The Kepler mission has identified over 1000 exoplanets in over 400 stellar systems in the galactic habitable zone and an estimate of about 11 billion exoplanets are speculated to be orbiting stars similar to Sun. But signs of life are yet to be confirmed. Getting back to the Fermi Paradox, where then is everybody? One possible scenario we can realise from the planetary properties of our very Earth. The sidereal rotation period of the Earth around its axis is 0.99726968 d which is equivalent to 23h 56m 4.1s, approximated to one day. The semi-major axis of the Earth's elliptical orbit with an eccentricity of 0.01671123 around the Sun is 149598261 km or 1.00000261 AU and the orbital period is 365.256363004 d. The hint is probably here. The Earth goes around its star in 360 odd days (a full circle) to complete one revolution in its orbit. This observation can result in a hypothesis that a planet which goes around its star with a periodicity of 360 odd planetary days is the suitable candidate for hosting life. This clearly rules out a planet such as Mars, which has a sidereal rotation period similar to that of Earth (1.026 d) and an orbital period of 687 days, to be a probable candidate to support life. Therefore, it is not just a planet's position in the so-called galactic habitable zone that is paramount in determining the possibility of hosting life but rather its periodicity around its star is. The habitable zone should therefore not depend on the 1 AU distance of a planet from its star but on the periodicity of 360 planetary days of a planet's travel in its orbit around its star. The extraterrestrial intelligence search missions should consequently focus on identifying candidates fulfilling the above rule. Plate tectonics - the principal supplier of life-supporting energy and matter through recycling - operating in the Earth, and its conspicuous absence elsewhere, may also be a result of this orbital periodicity. Rest of the details such as the luminosity of a star as well as processes such as atmospheric evolution on Earth might fall in line.

Department of Transportation's intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects book

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-01

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), formerly Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS), provide the technology applications helping the nation address current surface transportation problems and while concurrently providing approaches for deal...

Extraterrestrial civilizations: Problems of their evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leskov, L. V.

1987-01-01

The problem of finding extraterrestrial civilizations and establishing contact with them is directly related to the problem of their evolution. Possible patterns in this evolution and the stages in the evolution of extraterrestrial civilizations are examined.

The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: the first SETI results and other future science.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enriquez, J. Emilio; Breakthrough Listen Team

2018-01-01

The Breakthrough Listen (BL) Initiative is the largest campaign in human history on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The work presented here is the first BL search for engineered signals. This comprises a sample of 692 nearby stars within 50 pc. We used the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) to conduct observations over 1.1-1.9 GHz (L-band). Our observing strategy allows us to reject most of the detected signals as terrestrial interference. During the analysis, eleven stars show events that passed our thresholding algorithm, but detailed analysis of their properties indicates they are consistent with known examples of anthropogenic radio frequency interference. This small number of false positives and their understood properties give confidence on the techniques used for this search. We conclude that, at the time of our observations none of the observed systems host high-duty-cycle radio transmitters emitting at the observed frequencies with an EIRP of 10^13 W, readily achievable by our own civilization.We can place limits on the presence of engineered signals from putative extraterrestrial civilizations inhabiting the environs of the target stars. Our results suggest that fewer than ~0.1% of the stellar systems within 50 pc possess the type of transmitters searched in this survey. This work provides the most stringent limit on the number of low power radio transmitters around nearby stars to date. We explored several metics to compare our results to previous SETI efforts. We developed a new figure-of-merit that can encompass a wider set of parameters and can be used on future SETI experiments for a meaningful comparison.We note that the current BL state-of-the-art digital backend installed at the Green Bank Observatory is the fastest ever used for a SETI experiment by a factor of a few. Here we will describe the potential use of the BL backend by other groups on complementary science, as well as a mention the ongoing and potential collaborations focused in particular in the study of astrophysically powered radio emission from stars targeted by our program.

Intelligent transportation systems business plan for Kentucky : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-09-01

This report presents a Business Plan for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Kentucky. The purpose of the Business Plan is to define ITS projects that are planned for implementation from 2002 through 2007. The list of projects contained withi...

U.S. Department of Transportation's summary of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) integration projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

This document provides summarized information on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) projects initiated as a result of the enactment of the ITS Integration Component of the ITS Deployment Program as defined in Section 5208 of the Transportation ...

Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of an application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) control. The project was done as part of the requirements for a class in AI at NOVA Southeastearn University and a beginning project at NASA Wallops Flight Facility for a resilient, robust, and intelligent UAV flight control system. A method is outlined which allows a base level application for applying an Artificial Intelligence method, Fuzzy Logic, to aspects of Control Logic for UAV flight. One element of UAV flight, automated altitude hold, has been implemented and preliminary results displayed.

Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Uninhabitated Aerial Vehicle Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2003-01-01

This paper describes the development of an application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) control. The project was done as part of the requirements for a class in AI at NOVA southeastern University and a beginning project at NASA Wallops Flight Facility for a resilient, robust, and intelligent UAV flight control system. A method is outlined which allows a base level application for applying an Artificial Intelligence method, Fuzzy Logic, to aspects of Control Logic for UAV flight. One element of UAV flight, automated altitude hold, has been implemented and preliminary results displayed.