SETI

[falkor]

I was watching 'UFO files' on TV tonight

comment was made regarding SETI and doubt was cast on whether anything would ever be "discovered" using the methods that they employ

The OSU SETI program gained fame on August 15, 1977 when Dr. Jerry R. Ehman, a project volunteer, witnessed a startlingly strong signal received by the telescope. He quickly circled the indication on a printout and scribbled the phrase “Wow!” in the margin. This signal, dubbed the Wow! signal, is considered by some to be the most likely candidate from an artificial, extraterrestrial source ever discovered, but it has not been detected again in several additional searches.

their "moment of fame" was in 1977 but really .... what did THAT amount to?

is SETI a viable enterprise?

[DarkKnight]

I was watching 'UFO files' on TV tonight

comment was made regarding SETI and doubt was cast on whether anything would ever be "discovered" using the methods that they employ

The OSU SETI program gained fame on August 15, 1977 when Dr. Jerry R. Ehman, a project volunteer, witnessed a startlingly strong signal received by the telescope. He quickly circled the indication on a printout and scribbled the phrase “Wow!” in the margin. This signal, dubbed the Wow! signal, is considered by some to be the most likely candidate from an artificial, extraterrestrial source ever discovered, but it has not been detected again in several additional searches.

their "moment of fame" was in 1977 but really .... what did THAT amount to?

is SETI a viable enterprise?

Not sure if they are but they encourage curious folk to download their software which helps scan the Universe right on your desktop.

I might sound paranoid but I think its software for another agenda because as you say, is what SETI is advertised as doing really of any use ?

It may be just cover for something else...

[mj12cz]

Its a good Question Malc, I'm not 100% if SETI is, however they have given us the Drake Equation so they cannot be all bad.

[falkor]

okay the DRAKE EQUATION, and where do we go from there?

do they cost a lot of money? because maybe the US should be putting their money elsewhere!!

[mj12cz]

okay the DRAKE EQUATION, and where do we go from there?

do they cost a lot of money? because maybe the US should be putting their money elsewhere!!

Well the drake equation used maths to prove the existance of inhabited planets. However other that that and one "Wow" hit... pretty much nothing!

[DarkKnight]

okay the DRAKE EQUATION, and where do we go from there?

do they cost a lot of money? because maybe the US should be putting their money elsewhere!!

Well the drake equation used maths to prove the existance of inhabited planets. However other that that and one "Wow" hit... pretty much nothing!

I wouldn't go installing the SETI software, thats my advice to everyone on here.

SETI is not a search the galaxy for signals project, its more like convince us thats what they are doing and then get us all to install their software which not only gives them access to our computers but pulls on the processing power.

Think about it, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy features a Supercomputer able to do amazing calculations, if we were to attempt to build one like that we would need the processing power of almost ever computer on earth.

So how do you get everyone to let you use their PC ???

Who thinks they may have a main computer at their base thinking up all kinds of things ? Skynet style !

[falkor]

Jon Ronson The Guardian, Saturday 6 March 2010
'We don't want anybody just turning a radio ­telescope on the sky and sending their own ­messages to the source.' Photograph: Felix Clay

If we are ever contacted by aliens, the man I'm having lunch with will be one of the first humans to know. His name is Paul Davies and he's chair of the Seti (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Post-Detection Task Group.
Paul Davies
They're a group of the world's most eminent scientists and will be, come the big day, the planet's alien welcome committee. His is an awesome responsibility, and one he doesn't take lightly.

"Imagine a civilisation that's way in advance of us wants to communicate with us, and assist us in our development," Paul says. He pushes his mackerel across his plate. "The information we provide to them must reflect our highest aspirations and ideals, and not just be some crazy person's bizarre politics or religion."

This is why, Paul says, he very much hopes that our opening communication with the aliens will be drafted by him. "All the attempts to send messages up so far have been very crass," he says. "If you're going to leave it up to the mob to decide what's important, it'll be this really cool video game. Or some sporting event. Or some rock group."

"Do you have any idea of what you might say to the aliens?" I ask.

There is a short silence. "I do," he says.

"Will you reveal it to me?" I ask.

Paul thinks for a second. And then he clears his throat.

Who is Paul Davies? How have events transpired to put him on the front line of extraterrestrial relations? And what will his message to the aliens be?

The story begins 50 years ago, in April 1960, when a young astronomer named Frank Drake decided to cut a swathe through the forest of unscientific UFO believers, the abductees, the searchers for mutilated cattle, and so on, and treat the subject with some rigour. He formulated an equation, the Drake Equation, which attempted to determine mathematically how many intelligent civilisations exist in our galaxy. His conclusion: 10,000. Amazed at his findings, and at the thought that some of these extraterrestrials must surely be bombarding our hitherto deaf ears with incredible radio messages, he borrowed the 26m dish at the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory in West Virginia, pointed it at a distant star called Tau Ceti, turned it on and – nothing. Just a disappointing static hiss.

[mj12cz]

That a great post there malc...