SearchLites - Vol 02 No 3

Magazine Overview

SearchLites, Volume 2, Number 3, Summer 1996. This issue of the quarterly newsletter from The SETI League, Inc. focuses on extending membership opportunities, updates on Project Argus, and important protocols for SETI.

SETI League Extends Charter Life Membership Conversion Period

The SETI League has extended its Charter Life Membership conversion program through the end of 1996. This offer is for charter members who joined when the organization was in its early stages. Initially, life memberships were offered at twenty times the cost of a full membership. For charter members, this meant an additional tax-deductible contribution of $700 US, bringing the total to $1000, as charter dues were $35. The extension is in recognition of their early support. Members who joined after the charter period can still secure life memberships at the current rate of $1000 US, with contributions being tax-deductible for this non-profit [501(c)(3)] corporation.

Editorial: OK, What If We Hear Something?

Executive Director H. Paul Shuch discusses the implications of Project Argus, a real-time SETI project, potentially detecting a signal. He draws a parallel to a joke about being unprepared for success. While international SETI professionals have established protocols, Shuch suggests The SETI League may need even more stringent standards due to its reliance on thousands of amateur observers. He emphasizes the need for coordination, verification of signals, weeding out false positives, and presenting a unified front to the public to maintain credibility. He calls on members to help determine how this can be accomplished.

Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence

This section details the principles adopted by the International Academy of Astronautics in 1989 concerning the dissemination of information following the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. Key principles include:

1. Verification: Discoverers should seek to verify that the most plausible explanation is extraterrestrial intelligence before announcing.
2. Notification: Before public announcement, discoverers should inform other parties to the declaration for independent observation and confirmation. No public announcement should be made until credibility is established.
3. Dissemination: After confirmation, information should be disseminated promptly through the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams of the International Astronomical Union, the UN Secretary General, and various international scientific institutions.
4. Openness: Confirmed detections should be disseminated openly and widely through scientific channels and public media, with the discoverer having the privilege of the first announcement.
5. Data Availability: All data necessary for confirmation should be made available to the international scientific community.
6. Recording and Storage: Data should be permanently recorded and stored for future analysis and interpretation.
7. Frequency Protection: International agreement should be sought to protect appropriate frequencies through the International Telecommunication Union.
8. Response Consultation: No response to a signal should be sent until appropriate international consultations have taken place.
9. Continuing Review: The SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics will conduct a continuing review of procedures, and an international committee of scientists should be established to analyze and advise on the release of information upon a credible discovery.

Headquarters Flooded with Winning Limericks

This section highlights the winners of The SETI League's Isaac Asimov Memorial Limerick Contest. Five winners are featured with their limericks, and several honorable mentions are given. The contest is described as open-ended.

Director Introduces Project Argus at BioAstronomy Conference

Executive Director H. Paul Shuch presented an abstract of his paper on Project Argus at the Fifth International BioAstronomy Conference in Capri. The paper introduces Project Argus as a global effort to achieve continuous, real-time monitoring of all space using 5,000 small radiotelescopes built and operated by private individuals. The project aims to overcome the limitations of intermittent signals and the narrow fields of view of large radio telescopes. The first prototype stations went into operation in 1996, with full sky coverage expected by 2001. The paper compares Project Argus's sensitivity to the Ohio State Radio Observatory's detection of the "Wow!" signal in 1977, noting that each Argus station, despite using small satellite TV dishes, achieves comparable range and sensitivity.

Technical Update: SETI Receivers: How Should We Scan?

H. Paul Shuch addresses the question of how to divide the frequency spectrum for SETI scans. He explains the process of scanning the entire Water Hole (1420 to 1660 MHz) with a 10 Hz resolution, detailing the number of channels and bins involved. He discusses the dwell time required per channel, suggesting that longer dwell times (minutes) improve sensitivity. He notes that the current method of scanning the entire water hole could take 56.2 years, but anticipates that technological advancements will significantly reduce this time, possibly to a matter of days within a decade. The advice is to "start out crude, and become more elegant with the passing years. But let's start now."

Conference Calendar

A list of upcoming conferences related to SETI and radio astronomy is provided, with dates and locations from July 1996 to May 1999. Readers are encouraged to check the SETI League's website or contact headquarters for more details.

Deceased Rocket Scientist Breathes New Life Into Cosmic Search

Tony Wojtowicz, a retired aerospace engineer who dedicated the last 20 years of his life to a radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence, has left his books, notes, and equipment to The SETI League, Inc. His widow, Aline Wojtowicz, announced the bequest. Wojtowicz, born in Poland in 1921, worked for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and aerospace corporations. His donated equipment includes a microwave circuit development laboratory, receivers, antennas, and computers. His laboratory notebooks, documenting a lifetime of work, are considered particularly valuable.

Project Argus "Standard" Takes Shape

This section acknowledges that Project Argus stations may not be identical due to the pioneering nature of the project. However, as the first stations come online, a more "standard" configuration is emerging, documented in The SETI League Technical Manual. Members are encouraged to share their new designs and innovations.

Cosmic Explorers Reprint Classic Text

The SETI League and the SETI Institute have jointly initiated a project to reprint the Project Cyclops report, a foundational document for SETI research from a 1971 study. The second edition includes an introduction by Barney Oliver, who co-chaired the original study, and a dedication to him. The report's facsimile edition is available for $20.00 postpaid in the US.

Who's Who in The SETI League

A listing of key personnel within The SETI League is provided, including the Founder and President, Executive Director, Secretary, Treasurer, Administrator, Registered Agent, Trustees, and Advisory Board members.

SETI League Memberships Make Great Gifts!

This section outlines various membership levels for The SETI League, including Household, Scholarship, Full, Life, Patron, and Director memberships, with corresponding prices. Tax-deductible gifts are welcomed.

Order Your SETI League Goodies:

A catalog of merchandise available for purchase from The SETI League is presented, including T-shirts, coffee mugs, pocket protectors, buttons, a songbook, the SETI League Technical Manual, and the Project Cyclops 2nd Printing, with prices for US and other addresses.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the advancement and practical implementation of SETI projects, particularly Project Argus. There is a strong emphasis on the importance of amateur participation, the need for organized protocols and verification in signal detection, and the dissemination of information within the scientific community and to the public. The editorial stance is one of proactive engagement, encouraging members to participate and contribute to the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence, while acknowledging the challenges and the need for a unified approach. The newsletter also promotes membership and the organization's various resources and merchandise.