SearchLites - Vol 07 No 2

Magazine Overview

SearchLites, Vol. 7, No. 2, Spring 2001, is the quarterly newsletter of The SETI League, Inc. This issue features articles and discussions centered around the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), emphasizing the scientific nature of SETI and the diverse approaches taken by various organizations.

A Science, Not A Search

In his editorial, H. Paul Shuch, Executive Director of The SETI League, Inc., addresses the common misconception that SETI is a single monolithic entity. He clarifies that SETI is a broad scientific discipline with numerous organizations, including the prestigious SETI Institute and his own grassroots nonprofit, The SETI League. Shuch criticizes the media's tendency to lump all SETI efforts under a single banner, arguing that this generalization obscures the discipline's diversity and stifles creative science. He highlights the success of distributed computing projects like SETI@home from the University of California, Berkeley, as another piece of the SETI puzzle, urging for a broader understanding of the big picture.

Book Reviews

To Seek Out New Life: The Biology of Star Trek

Reviewed by Larry Klaes, this book by Athena Andreadis is examined for its exploration of the science presented in Star Trek. Klaes notes that many fans appreciate Star Trek for its characters and effects rather than its scientific accuracy. He defends Andreadis's critique of the show's scientific inaccuracies, suggesting that the book offers an opportunity for readers to learn about real biology. Klaes also comments on the author's personal style, finding it engaging rather than a detraction.

When SETI Succeeds: The Impact of High-Information Contact

Edited by Allen Tough, this anthology contains papers from a conference discussing the potential societal impact of a successful SETI detection. The book explores how such a discovery might affect human knowledge, religion, politics, art, and self-conception. The review points out a potential flaw: the conspicuous absence of social scientists who might offer a different perspective on the impact of a SETI detection. It also mentions the possibility of scientists taking UFO reports more seriously.

Probing for ETI's Probes in the Solar System

Scot Stride, writing from JPL, discusses the concept of searching for extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) probes within our own solar system, a field he terms Solar System SETI (S3ETI). He notes that while most SETI efforts focus on detecting signals from distant stars, there's a philosophical gap in searching for probes within our solar system. Stride mentions past limited searches, like those for Long-Delayed-Echoes (LDEs) and optical searches for probe artifacts, which were largely inconclusive. He highlights the potential of current SETI telescopes to detect signals from probes, especially in the microwave and millimeter-wave bands, and suggests that a wideband, all-sky survey up to 40 GHz with a range of 50 AU would be ideal for such a search. He concludes by noting that detecting a signal from a nearby robotic probe would be more exciting than a distant beacon.

A Young Journalist's SETI Interview

This section features an interview conducted by 12-year-old Yonah Meiselman with H. Paul Shuch, Executive Director of The SETI League. Shuch explains that SETI is a science, not a single organization, and that The SETI League designs and operates radio telescopes to search for artificial signals from space. He describes the work as both exciting and frustrating due to budget limitations. Shuch mentions that SETI has encountered unexplained radio emissions but no definitive signs of life. He also discusses his educational background, his choice to live in a remote area to avoid radio interference, and the concept of 'privatized science.'

Introducing: Our Hundredth Argonaut

This section announces a milestone for The SETI League: the registration of its 100th amateur radio telescope for the Project Argus network. The Project Argus network aims to create a global array of 5000 telescopes for continuous sky coverage. The article highlights the efforts of amateur astronomers who build these telescopes from discarded satellite dishes and home computers, emphasizing their contribution to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

SETI League Announces First Technical Symposium

This announcement details The SETI League's first Technical Symposium, scheduled for April 28-29, 2001, at the College of New Jersey. The symposium will feature papers on radio astronomy, microwave communications, and SETI strategies. It will also include the Seventh Annual Membership Meeting.

Guest Editorial: SETI Is Amateur Radio

Richard W. Wilson, W5ETI, argues that amateur radio is intrinsically linked to science, including SETI. He refutes a letter suggesting SETI is not amateur radio, citing historical articles from QST that highlight the connection between radio development and earth and sky sciences. Wilson emphasizes that amateur radio's scope is broad and can encompass scientific applications, making it a suitable platform for SETI endeavors.

Abstracts

This section provides abstracts of papers scheduled to be presented at the First SETI League Technical Symposium. Topics include:

• Near-Infrared (IR) Spectrometric Imaging Using a One-Meter Fresnel Telescope: Describes a telescope designed to detect interstellar laser transmissions.
• Some Algorithms for Lunar Archaeology: Proposes algorithms for subsurface archaeological reconnaissance of the Moon, suggesting ETI might have used it as a base.
• A Hierarchy of Civilizations in the Universe: Examines the possibility of advanced civilizations communicating instantaneously and estimates their number in the observable universe.
• Effectiveness of a Low-Cost Peltier Effect Thermoelectric Cooler in Reducing LNA Temperature: Details tests on a thermoelectric cooler for SETI station hardware.
• Overview of the First 100 Project Argus Stations: Summarizes the diversity and capabilities of the first 100 Project Argus stations built by amateur astronomers.
• Optical SETI Monitoring and Event Recording Software: Describes a novel method for optical SETI monitoring using a fast photodetector and oscillator.

Quantifying SETI

Peter Vekinis discusses research related to the Drake equation, including the discovery of solar systems, habitable zones, and the length of communicable civilizations. He notes the shift in SETI search frequencies and proposes a method to quantify the number of ETIs in the galaxy.

Array2k: Sixteen Dishes, Five Designs

Dr. H. Paul Shuch describes The SETI League's own phased array design, Array2k, which is more modest in scope than the Paul Allen Telescope but technologically ambitious, employing multiple operating modes for sky surveys and follow-up detection.

Event Horizon

This section lists upcoming conferences and meetings related to SETI and amateur radio, including Contact 2001, Southeastern VHF Society Conference, and the SETI League Technical Symposium.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the scientific nature of SETI, the importance of diverse approaches to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the role of amateur astronomers and organizations like The SETI League, and the distinction between SETI as a scientific discipline and specific SETI projects or institutions. The editorial stance, particularly from H. Paul Shuch, emphasizes clarity in communication about SETI, advocating for a broader understanding of the field beyond individual organizations and promoting the contributions of grassroots efforts and amateur participation.