1992 10 00 OMNI - Frank Drake - SETI

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue: 6
Date: Not specified
Publisher: Not specified
Country: Not specified
Language: English
Cover Headline: FIRST WORD THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE: The goal is to answer age-old philosophical questions about ourselves

This article, excerpted from a new book "Is Anyone Out There?" by Frank Drake and Dava Sobel, is an essay by Frank Drake, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC-Santa Cruz and president of the SETI Institute. Drake discusses the profound implications of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and its potential to answer fundamental questions about humanity.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Drake begins by acknowledging the speculative nature of imagining alien appearances but states that 99.9 percent of his scientific colleagues agree that intelligent extraterrestrial life likely exists and may be widespread throughout the universe. He expresses a personal fascination with the idea that radio messages from alien civilizations might currently be passing through Earth, unheard.

Project Ozma and Early SETI Efforts

Drake recounts his pioneering role in SETI, having engineered the first modern search in 1960 at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. This project, named "Project Ozma," used what he now considers crude equipment to listen for intelligent signals from two nearby stars for two months. He notes that technological advancements have made it possible to repeat such a search today with vastly improved capabilities, capable of scanning millions of stars at much greater distances.

The NASA SETI Microwave Observing Project

Drake highlights the upcoming NASA SETI Microwave Observing Project, which is planned to commence operations soon. This ambitious project, funded with $100 million and spanning the 1990s, represents a significant commitment to a serious search for extraterrestrial signals. Drake anticipates that this endeavor will likely lead to the detection of signals from an extraterrestrial civilization by the year 2000, an event he believes will profoundly change the world.

Implications of Detection

Drake posits that any detectable civilization is likely to be more advanced than our own. However, he reassures readers that unlike historical encounters between primitive and advanced human civilizations on Earth, humanity need not fear exploitation or enslavement from extraterrestrials, as they would be too distant to pose a direct threat. He also suggests that two-way communication would be improbable due to the vast distances involved and the speed of light limitation.

The Philosophical Goal of SETI

Beyond the scientific pursuit of antenna diameters and signal frequencies, Drake emphasizes that the ultimate goal of SETI is to address fundamental philosophical questions about human existence: "Where did we come from? Are we unique? What does it mean to be human?" He shares that these profound questions motivated him to undertake Project Ozma, risking his professional reputation at a time when discussing extraterrestrial life was not scientifically mainstream.

The Drake Equation and Future Prospects

Drake mentions that Project Ozma, while failing to detect signals, succeeded in demonstrating the legitimacy and feasibility of SETI as a scientific endeavor and stimulated further interest. He references the Drake Equation, which estimates that approximately 10,000 advanced extraterrestrial civilizations may share our Milky Way galaxy. He concludes that any one of these civilizations could possess knowledge of supreme importance to humanity.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this article are the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), the historical context of this search through Project Ozma and the upcoming NASA project, and the profound philosophical implications of potentially discovering alien life. The editorial stance, as presented by Frank Drake, is one of optimistic anticipation regarding the imminent possibility of detecting extraterrestrial signals and the transformative impact this discovery will have on humanity's self-understanding.