Extraterrestrial Intelligence - Research Paper Example

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Introduction For astronomer Frank Drake, extraterrestrial contact is a lifelong dream. In an act of faith, he started his quest in 1960 before scientists even discovered extra solar planets in the universe, taking off from the previous efforts of Cocconi and Morrison during the 1950s, who, for their part, suggested that microwave radio signals could be used to communicate between the stars. Drake was able to develop the Drake equation, which roughly estimates the number of alien civilizations in our galaxy that might be broadcasting signals. Fig. 2 demonstrates the distances of the supposed extraterrestrial societies (the dots) emitting radio signal. Fig. 1 Distances of extraterrestrial societies emitting radio signals. (Source: Ulmschneider 2003, p. 221) The idea behind the establishment of SETI had its origins neither in the modern scientific environment characterized by interplanetary communication or the space program. It was the so-called “new astronomy” that gave birth to the SETI. This new astronomy recognizes that celestial objects radiated energy in many regions of the electromagnetic spectrum other than the optical portion familiar to our everyday experience, and that electromagnetic radiation might be useful for interstellar communication. (Dick, p. 201) The idea that the SETI could answer the question whether we are alone in the universe has immense consequences. Carl Sagan once said that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the search for a generally acceptable cosmic context for the human species and that in the deepest sense, “the search for extraterrestrial in intelligence is a search for ourselves.” (cited in Koupelis and Kuhn 2007, p. 589) Richard Dawkins offered a reasonable insight on SETI”s objectives and perhaps a representation of people’s attitude toward the entire undertaking. To quote: We’d be outraged if the government invested in expensive telescopes for the sole purpose of searching for orbiting teapots. But we can appreciate the case for spending money on SETI using radio telescopes to scan the skies in the hope of picking up signals from intelligent aliens. (p. 69) SETI Pioneers Figure 1 presents data cited by Michael Shermer (2001) that outlines the SETI pioneers. Fig. 2: SETI Pioneers. (Source: Shermer 2001, p. 230) The SETI SETI radio telescopes scan the cosmos everyday in search for patterned radio wave signals that could indicate the presence of intelligence elsewhere in the universe. Currently, the search is confined to star systems that are near our solar system, particularly the old and yellow stars. Even though scientists from the SETI haven’t found evidence and data that suggests contact or any sign of existence, the possibility that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the cosmos. According to Perkowitz, some of the quantities that go into this estimate, including the number of years that an advanced civilization could be expected to survive, are highly speculative because of the lack of evidences and data but that an optimistic interpretations of the Drake equation could predict dozens to hundreds of candidate civilizations in our galaxy. (p. 42) Therefore, all the problems that are associated with the possibilities of extraterrestrial intelligence could be addressed once a method is to communicate with such intelligence. If this would prove correct, then it would have dramatic impact not only scientifically but in terms of our long-held conventional beliefs about the origins of life and in theories of the evolution of intelligence and technology. One of the benefits has been suggested by David Lamb, who argued that the establishment of interstellar contact may greatly prolong the life expectancy of the race that does so: “Those races that have solved their ecological and sociological problems and are therefore very long lived may already be in mutual contact sharing an inconceivably vast pool of knowledge.” (p. 39) The focus of the SETI’s extraterrestrial intelligence search are solar-type star formation. This is because, stars such as the sun are conducive for life forms to thrive. This is where the astronomers expect to find intelligent life in the future. And so this makes the Drake Equation relevant to this day. In the, equation solar-type stars that form in our galaxy are sought as well as the star systems that might harbor Earth-like planets that could support life. Because of the Equation, scanning the entire sky all the time is no longer necessary as efforts are focused on the 1000 nearby Sun-like stars. Conclusion It is a good thing that people do not see the SETI’s objectives to find intelligent beings as impossible or, worse, crazy. As one would find, searching for intelligent forms could provide remarkable contributions to the development of mankind. The potential benefits of knowledge and experience once contact is made is truly immense and enough to motivate the effort and fire up people’s imaginations. The existence of SETI is in a way an affirmation that out of the numerous stars and planetary systems in the universe, it makes sense for people to believe that there is something or someone out there. I believe that because of the rapid developments in technology, there would indeed come a time when contact will be made. Our efforts at present as spearheaded by SETI prepares us when that specific time would come. Indeed, it would be a mistake to completely ignore the possibility that extraterrestrial intelligence exist out there. All in all, the proposition could be considered as a “congenial solution” This is supposedly a belief that would make life more interesting if true, and has an engaging air of probability. References Dawkins, Richard, The God Delusion, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006. Dick, Steven. Life on other worlds: the 20th-century extraterrestrial life debate. Cambridge University Press, 2001. Koupelis, Theo and Kuhn, Karl. n Quest of the Universe. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2007. Lamb, David, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: A Philosophical Inquiry, Routledge, 2001. Perkowitz, S. Hollywood science: movies, science, and the end of the world, Columbia University Press, 2007. Shermer, Michael, The borderlands of science: where sense meets nonsense, Oxford University Press, 2001. Ulmschneider, Peter, Intelligent life in the universe: from common origins to the future of humanity, Springer, 2003. Read More