Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence - Case Study Example

Author’s Name Instructors’ Name Course Date Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Overview of the SETI SETI is an acronym that stands for Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Lamb 2001). It refers to the efforts being done to detect the existence of technological civilizations present elsewhere in the universe. It is partly believed that there may be possibility of life located billions of locations from the earth’s solar system (Shuch 2011). With current technology, it is possible to discover evidence of any habitation in the cosmic. Further, the use of ETI experiments is tasked to find if there are beings living in the universe, which are of the same or more advanced technological levels than that of humans. It is prudent to note that there is still no confirmed case where SETI search has received extraterrestrial signal. However, in the SETI experiments, there have been several intriguing and unexplained signals detected (Shuch 2011). One of these is the signal that was picked in 1977 at the Ohio State Radio Observatory center. However, if such signals could be recovered or received frequently, then this could go a long way in this search. There are several scientific methods used for SETI projects. One of these is the electromagnetic radiation, which is monitored for any signs of transmissions from other civilizations (Lamb 2001). These projects are run by several stakeholders but the main ones include Harvard University, SETI Institute and University of California, Berkeley. The United States government had been funding NASA SETI Project, but later stopped. However, this has since been resumed, though much of the fund has been coming from private individuals and other entities. There have been some challenges in funding and searching cosmos for any signals or signs of existence of life. This is especially in identifying and interpreting the same. SETI makes use of the most advanced technological applications available, in conducting these experiments (Lamb 2001). A good example includes those used in the search for radiations emitted by electromagnetic materials. Further, researchers also make use of Radio Telescope in investigating cosmos through installation of large antennas. There was some study in the middle of the 20th century on the possibility of using the microwave spectrum in this search. It was in the early 1960 that the first search using a 26-meter Radio Telescope was done. The interest was increased and the Soviet Union carried out SETI searches in the same period using omnidirectional antennas. The University of California, Berkeley, launched SETI Project in 1979 (Shuch 2011). After seven years, (1986), second SETI efforts were done by the UC Berkeley. Many advances have been made by this university, since it was last year, March 2014 that it started an all-sky survey, using the Arecibo Radio Telescope. It was in early 1980s that Paul Horowitz, a physicist, proposed a spectrum analyzer. This would reach for SETI transmissions on narrow bands channels (Lamb 2001). Consequently, around 8.4 million channels were analyzed in the 1985 Project "META”, which followed its observation in October 1995. In late 1970s, NASA SETI program was heavily criticized by members of the Congress. This led to its funding being withdrawn by the Congress, from the NASA budget in 1981. However, this took only two years where in 1982, funding was restored. These events prompted formation of SETI League, Inc. in 1994, as a response to the cancellation of NASA SETI program by the Congress. The aim was to fund some projects such as pioneering of the backyard conversion of the satellite TV dishes. There have been several collaborations in recent years such as that of SETI Institute and Radio Astronomy at the UC Berkeley, in developing Radio Telescope Array for specialized SETI programs (Lamb 2001). SETI Projects have continued to progress despite criticism from some scientists who consider early studies as too euphoric. SETI project have also been considered as a form of pseudoscience initiatives. Some critics have alleged that there is no any form of science showing signs of extraterrestrial intelligence existence. The Use of Radio Telescope in SETI The fact that there are many radio frequencies able to penetrate the atmosphere, led to the use of radio telescopes with large antennas in the search for extraterrestrial civilization (Heidmann 1997). In addition, various human technologies emit a good amount of electromagnetic radiations as byproducts of communications. These include radios and televisions. It is easy for these signals to be recognized based on their repetitive nature as well as having narrow bandwidths. Therefore, as typical as it sounds, this forms one way that scientists try to discover any extraterrestrial civilization, which is through detecting non-natural emissions from the solar system. The use of Radio Telescope has revolutionized the search for extraterrestrial civilizations. Different antennas have been used in this venture such as in the Project Phoenix which is a survey done by SETI Institute, comprising of 1,000 star systems fixed with antennas or diameter ranging from 140 - 1,000 feet (Heidmann 1997). Their receivers could trace weak signals in more than ten million radio channels at the same time. However, currently the institute uses a small number of antennas, 42, called Allen Telescope Array, which is located in the northern California’s Cascade Mountains. The advantage of this Radio Telescope is that it can be used with high percentage of time for SETI experiments. At the University of California, Berkeley, a large radio SETI forms part of these efforts. The latter has been installed with large antennas of 1,000-foot diameter at Arecibo in Puerto Rico (Clark et al 2000). This is under the Project SERENDIP, which is a long running initiative. However, the biggest disadvantage about these antennas is that the Berkeley group has no control over where they are directed. Further, a smaller group at the University of Bologna, in Italy, is experimenting another large full time radio SETI project at the Medicina Observatory. Although Radio Telescope have preceded other efforts in looking for brief laser light pulses, called optical SETI, they remain the most favored method to establish the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence beyond Earth. The use of Radio Telescope in this search was attributed to the fact that practical radio development came more than half a century before laser invention took place. Compared to other schemes the amount of energy needed in sending a little amount of information from one system of star to the other is less. It is therefore plausible in using Radio Telescope without being affected by any communication technology that might be developed by other intelligent systems (Clark et al 2000). However, radio signals have not yet detected any sign of existence of extraterrestrial life. This has made some critics argue that there is no life out there other than here on earth. This conclusion could be misplaced since there are thousands of stars yet to be carefully examined. The efforts of examining this system with radio signal remain to be tentative. Scientists have agreed that for them to understand if there is life elsewhere, then this will call for committed examination of thousands of stars (Heidmann 1997). It is estimated that there is possibility, with the use of Radio Telescope and other technologies , in the next two decades or so , scientists can discover if there exists extraterrestrial civilization or not. This could sound hyperbolic, but it is possible with the current resources available for SETI. According to analysts, today’s radio SETI is more advanced much more than there before based on various factors. These include the speed with which information is received, sensitivity, as well as the range with which radio frequencies are investigated. Importance of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence As stated above, many critics are of the view that there is no need of spending so much time and resources looking for possibility of life in other planets (Clark et al 2000). Instead, some argue that these resources could be used to solve other human problems. In the earlier events, the American Congress has been accused of overspending on NASA SETI projects, while ignoring the common problems facing the population. A critical look of the importance if this project leads to the considerations of technological advances being made as a result. Despite this obvious reason, the core objective of SETI project is to help humans be able to get answers of questions that have never been answered in the human history (Vakoch 2011). One of the answers would be how human beings can fit in the biological system of the cosmos. It will also be possible to know if the intelligent life is a rare event in the universe or a common one (Heidmann 1997). Further, it would be interesting to know if intelligent life is long lasting, does it destruct itself, or if it dies out due to some other reasons just as is the case here on earth. Answers to these questions are so heavy and anxiously awaited by all conscious minds of human beings. If any signal that is detected is well analyzed and understood, there is every possibility that it would be having valuable amount of information (Vakoch 2011). It is also possible that any civilization that is discovered could be more advanced than that of humans and therefore it could help human kind in joining galactic network composed of intelligent beings. It is also true that even if a signal were detected without being understood, then it would still mean that there is another life out there. Apart from calibrating place of humanity in the cosmos, discovering extraterrestrial intelligence would assist in completing the ‘Copernican revolution’ (Shuch 2011). It would also play a critical role in the advanced understanding of the universe. It is unfounded suggestion that the project should be stopped since the ‘aliens’ might be hostile to the human beings. This is because if in any case these beings are much intelligent than humans, as well as being hostile, they would have already used their intelligence to reach to human beings and do them harm. Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) METI, also known as Active SETI, consists of a process of sending signals to the space, so that they can be hopefully picked by alien intelligence (Vakoch 2011). The decision to send signals to space has as well been criticized by various scholars worldwide. One of these criticisms came from a famous physicist Stephen Hawking. In his book ‘A Brief History of Time’, he considered the act of ‘alerting’ alien intelligence of human existence as foolish. He referred to the gap existing among human beings including how humans treat each other harshly, as a way of welcoming extraterrestrial intelligence to act. He therefore suggested that human beings should keep quite or ‘lay low’. The concerns of these fears of METI were raised in 2006 by ‘Nature’, which is a science journal. This was based on the International Academic of Astronaut’s meeting about SETI. Some other scientists such as Richard Carrigan have noted that passive SETI is also dangerous and that these signals being released could be used as computer virus (Vakoch 2011). These fears have however been termed as based on panic and baseless, by other scholars such as Alexander L. Zaitsev. Messaging the aliens for signal identification does not convincingly pose such a big threat for human kind on earth. If the extraterrestrial intelligence civilizations were much ahead than human beings, then it means they would be the first to show signs of reaching humans. If they do not see need for this move since humans are way below their ability, then harming the same human beings could not be a priority to them. Therefore, sending messages by humans to signal their existence on Earth is being ignored by these intelligent beings, if at all they are such intelligent. However, if they are harmful, then their ability is as well limited, since they would have shown signals well in advance before humans. This means that before human beings are harmed, they will have taken precautionary measures. Conclusion SETI project should be encouraged and supported by all humans. The discovery of any existence of another life in the galaxy could go a long way in opening another chapter in human history especially his origin, his ability and his future. However, some of the obvious issues to be affected could be religious beliefs. In order for the project to be successful, efforts by various governments , organizations and all stakeholders should be encouraged in order to have enough resources, since the results will impact on the whole humanity. References Clark, A. J. H., & Clark, D. H. (2000). Aliens: can we make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence? New York, Fromm International. Heidmann, J. (1997). Extraterrestrial intelligence. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Lamb, D. (2001). The search for extraterrestrial intelligence: a philosophical inquiry. London, Routledge. Shuch, H. P. (2011). Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence SETI past, present, and future. Berlin, Springer. Vakoch, D. A. (2011). Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. Albany, State University of New York Press. Read More