SearchLites - Vol 19 No 1

Magazine Overview

Title: SearchLites
Issue: Vol. 19 No. 1
Date: Winter 2013
Publisher: The SETI League, Inc.
Type: Quarterly Newsletter

Key Articles and Features

SETI League Member Elected to International Leadership Post

This article announces that Dr. Claudio Maccone, a space scientist from Italy and a long-time member of The SETI League, has been elected Chair of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI Permanent Committee. Maccone, who has served as Co-Vice-Chair for a decade, is also the Technical Director of the IAA. The IAA, founded in 1960 and recognized by the UN, comprises 1200 members dedicated to advancing astronautics for peaceful purposes. The IAA SETI Committee focuses on examining all aspects of potential extraterrestrial contact, including technical detection methods and social consequences. H. Paul Shuch, SETI League executive director emeritus, expressed his admiration for Maccone's energy and dedication, noting his fluency in multiple languages and leadership abilities. Shuch was also elected Vice-Chair of the Committee and serves as its Webmaster. The article highlights the Committee's role in developing international protocols for verified extraterrestrial contact and Maccone's challenge to promote the adoption of updated post-detection protocols by the IAA and the UN.

Guest Editorial: Rummaging in the Data by Paul Gilster

Paul Gilster's editorial discusses the challenge of analyzing the vast amounts of astronomical data collected today. He introduces research by Ermanno Borra, who proposes using standard astronomical spectra, including those already taken, for SETI purposes. Borra's idea is that advanced civilizations might reveal themselves by modulating the intensity of their stellar emissions with short laser bursts, creating periodic structures in the spectrum. These signals, even if originating from a star 1000 light-years away, could be detectable with current technology, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Borra's approach is appealing due to its simplicity, leveraging existing data archives rather than requiring dedicated instruments. The article contrasts this with traditional optical SETI projects that can only observe one object at a time. Borra's paper, "Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence signals in astronomical spectra, including existing data," is accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal.

SETI League Announces Annual Bruno Award

This section details the presentation of The SETI League's annual Giordano Bruno Memorial Award to physicist Dr. Gerry Harp. The award ceremony took place on September 29, 2012, in Rome, Italy, in front of the Giordano Bruno statue at Campo de' Fiori. Dr. Harp, Director of SETI Research at the SETI Institute, was recognized for his significant technical contributions to SETI. His background in surface physics, thin film magnetism, and quantum mechanics has led him to explore the use of the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) for generating narrow beams and for developing "imaging SETI." This technique aims to extract significantly more information from radio telescope data than conventional SETI processing. The Bruno Award honors Giordano Bruno, an Italian monk burned at the stake in 1600 for his astronomical theories. The article also mentions that The SETI League and other scientific groups have privatized SETI research since NASA's funding was terminated in 1993.

Event Horizon

This section lists upcoming conferences and meetings relevant to SETI research. Events include Boskone 50, Lunacon 2013, the Trenton Computer Festival, the SETI League Ham Radio QSO Party, annual SETI League Membership Meetings, the Spacecraft Technology Expo, Balticon 47, Lonestarcon 3, and the International Astronautical Congress in Beijing, China. Future events in 2014 and 2015 are also listed, including more Ham Radio QSO Parties, Membership Meetings, and International Astronautical Congresses in London, Toronto, and Jerusalem.

Photo Gallery

• The Photo Gallery features several images:
• A jazz band concert in Italy dedicated to the memory of Neil Armstrong.
• Six SETI League members at the Medicina radio astronomy facility in Italy, including Lori Walton, Stephane Dumas, H. Paul Shuch, Claudio Maccone, Greg Matloff, and Stelio Montebugnoli.
• The Project Argus station dish damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
• A dinner gathering of SETI enthusiasts at the International Astronautical Congress in Naples, Italy.

Book Review: Mathematical SETI: Statistics, Signal Processing, Space Missions by Claudio Maccone

This review covers Claudio Maccone's book, which introduces a modified Drake Equation using random variables and explores the lognormal probability distribution for the number of communicating civilizations. The book also discusses the proposed FOCAL space mission and the use of the Karhunen-Loève Transform (KLT) for improving SETI signal processing. It advocates for the UN to designate the Moon's far side as a radio noise-free zone. The review highlights the book's comprehensive mathematical derivation of the Drake Equation, its exploration of SETI research topics, and its discussion of KLT's benefits.

Other Mentions

• Geological Evidence of Meteor Impact: An article on page 4 discusses Stephane Dumas studying geological evidence in Central Italy related to the K-T boundary and a massive meteor impact 65 million years ago. Lori Walton displays rock samples from before and after the impact. Claudio Maccone is mentioned lecturing about this evidence at the K-T discovery site.
• H. Paul Shuch's Talk: On page 5, H. Paul Shuch delivered the opening talk of the SETI Science and Technology session at the 2012 International Astronautical Congress in Naples, Italy.
• Membership and Renewal Information: Page 8 provides details on renewing SETI League memberships, including various membership categories and premium items available for purchase. It also mentions the option to pay via PayPal.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of SearchLites revolve around the ongoing efforts and advancements in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The magazine consistently highlights the work of The SETI League, Inc., emphasizing its role in privatizing and advancing SETI research, particularly since the termination of NASA's funding. There is a strong focus on the scientific and technical aspects of SETI, including new methodologies for signal detection (e.g., spectral analysis, KLT), the importance of data mining, and the development of advanced instrumentation like the Allen Telescope Array. The issue also underscores the international collaboration and recognition within the SETI community, as evidenced by Dr. Maccone's election to the IAA and the coverage of international conferences. The editorial stance appears to be one of dedicated advocacy for SETI, promoting scientific rigor, encouraging amateur and professional participation, and informing members about key developments, awards, and opportunities within the field.