SearchLites - Vol 21 No 1

Magazine Overview

SearchLites, Volume 21, Number 1, Winter 2015, is the quarterly newsletter of The SETI League, Inc. This issue features a personal reflection on the cover, discussions on particle physics and the interstellar medium, and listings of upcoming events.

Schrödinger's Mom

This article by H. Paul Shuch, Executive Director Emeritus of The SETI League, recounts the recent death of his mother, Phyllis Shuch, who passed away just after her 93rd birthday. Shuch uses this event to explore a humorous clash between quantum mechanics and legal semantics. While settling his mother's estate, he encountered difficulties obtaining a death certificate due to HIPAA regulations, despite having power of attorney for medical matters. The health department employee's refusal to discuss the matter, citing HIPAA, led Shuch to quip, "Are you telling me that my mother is dead? Why, that's a HIPAA violation!" He then draws a parallel to Erwin Schrödinger's famous 1935 thought experiment involving a cat in a sealed box, which is simultaneously alive and dead until observed. Shuch concludes that his mother, like the cat, was in a state of simultaneous existence and non-existence until the death certificate was finally received, humorously stating, "Spoiler alert: Schrödinger's mom is dead."

Event Horizon

This section lists upcoming conferences and meetings of interest to SETI readers. Events include:

• February 12-16, 2015: American Academy for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in San Jose, CA.
• March 21-22, 2015: Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers Western Conference at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.
• April 18, 2015: Sixteenth annual SETI League Ham Radio QSO Party on various frequencies.
• April 19, 2015: Twenty First SETI League Annual Membership Meeting in Little Ferry, NJ.
• April 24-25, 2015: Southeastern VHF Conference in Morehead, KY.
• May 22-25, 2015: Balticon 49 in Hunt Valley, MD.
• June 21-24, 2015 (tentative): Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers Conference at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, WV.
• August 19-23, 2015: Sasquan, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention in Spokane, WA.
• October 2015 (dates to be announced): 66th International Astronautical Congress in Jerusalem, Israel.
• April 16, 2016: Sixteenth annual SETI League Ham Radio QSO Party.
• April 17, 2016: Twenty Second SETI League Annual Membership Meeting in Little Ferry, NJ.
• August 21-21, 2016: MidAmeriCon II, the 74th World Science Fiction Convention in Kansas City, MO.
• October 2016 (dates to be announced): 67th International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico.
• October 2017 (dates to be announced): 68th International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia.

The section also encourages members to check the SETI League website for more details and to submit information about other upcoming events.

AmazonSmile Promotion

A brief promotion encourages readers to support The SETI League by shopping through AmazonSmile and selecting "SETI League" as their charitable organization, with Amazon donating half a percent of the purchase price to SETI research.

IAC 2014 Photos

This section features photographs from the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Toronto, ON, Canada, in September-October 2014.

• Professor H. Paul Shuch is shown giving a presentation on the "One Earth Message" initiative, which aims to upload a digital overview of Earth and its inhabitants onto the New Horizons spacecraft. The presentation occurred on October 1, 2014.
• Several SETI League members are pictured gathering for brunch before a SETI session at the IAC. Pictured are Stephane Dumas, Morris Jones, Lori Walton, H. Paul Shuch, and Denise Herzing.
• A photo shows two dozen SETI enthusiasts at the annual no-host IAA SETI dinner.
• SETI League regional coordinator Lori Walton is shown trying on a Russian space suit, humorously captioned as her "first orbital mission."
• Attendees are shown listening to technical presentations at one of the two annual IAA SETI sessions.

Guest Editorial: Does Size Matter?

This guest editorial by Dan Duda, reprinted from the October 2014 issue of Penn Central, the monthly newsletter of Central PA Mensa, explores the evolving concepts of mass and length in particle physics. Duda notes that some physicists are rethinking fundamental equations by eliminating mass and length, suggesting these might be emergent properties rather than fundamental ones. This line of inquiry is particularly relevant given recent breakthroughs with the Higgs Boson, which is thought to transmit mass to other particles. The editorial touches upon the concept of supersymmetry and the search for "superpartners," noting that many physicists are abandoning this bandwagon. It then introduces "agravity" as a potential replacement theory, which aims to unify physics across all scales and explain phenomena like cosmic inflation. The core idea is that mass and length may arise from particle interactions rather than being intrinsic properties. Duda reflects on the difficulty of these concepts, comparing the pursuit of answers to navigating a cornfield maze or Sisyphus pushing a boulder. He also mentions his past interest in existentialism and nihilism (Sartre, Camus) and his current leaning towards pantheism, concluding with a quote from Umberto Eco about the world being an enigma.

Mapping the Interstellar Medium

This article by Paul Gilster, reprinted from the Centauri Dreams blog, discusses recent findings about the interstellar medium (ISM). The Stardust probe's return of potential interstellar particles is highlighted as a significant opportunity for study. The article focuses on new maps that may reveal large, complex molecules in the ISM, which could help understand their distribution in the galaxy. This research is based on a decade-long dataset from the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE), which used the UK Schmidt Telescope in Australia to collect spectroscopic information from 150 stars at a time. The RAVE data allowed researchers to map the distances of complex molecules identified by absorption lines in stellar spectra, known as diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). These DIBs, first observed in 1922 by Mary Lea Heger, are unusually broad absorption lines not associated with the observed stars, pointing to an interstellar origin. The composition of these molecules remains unknown, and they represent a long-standing puzzle in astronomy. The research aims to understand their cause, as the physical conditions and chemistry of the ISM are crucial for understanding star and galaxy formation. The article notes that the distribution of molecules responsible for DIBs differs from that of dust particles, and explores potential explanations for this discrepancy. The researchers are using techniques to map other diffuse bands, which will be further studied in future surveys.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The SETI League, as indicated by its publication SearchLites, maintains a strong focus on promoting SETI research and related scientific endeavors. The magazine covers a range of topics from personal reflections on science and life (Schrödinger's Mom) to complex physics (agravity, particle physics) and astronomical research (interstellar medium mapping). There is a clear emphasis on member engagement, event participation, and support for the organization through renewals and donations. The publication also highlights the activities of its members and leadership, such as presentations at conferences and visits to scientific facilities. The editorial stance, as stated in the disclaimer, represents the opinions of individual authors and not necessarily the official position of The SETI League, Inc. The magazine encourages scientific curiosity and exploration, particularly in the fields of astronomy, physics, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.