SearchLites - Vol 25 No 2

Magazine Overview

SearchLites, Volume 25, Number 2, Spring 2019, is the quarterly newsletter of The SETI League, Inc. This issue focuses on the launch of a new online resource, the challenges of maintaining the organization's online presence, and philosophical discussions related to SETI.

Announcing The New SETI Technosearch Website

This article, by Dr. Jill C. Tarter, Emeritus Chair for SETI Research at the SETI Institute, announces the launch of the new SETI Technosearch website (https://technosearch.seti.org/). This website is an archive of SETI searches that Dr. Tarter has been compiling since graduate school, now made available online with the help of students. It includes links to the original published papers for most searches. Dr. Tarter encourages readers who have conducted and published SETI searches to check the archive for accuracy, ensure their work is captured, and provide copies of papers if they are not yet linked. She also solicits suggestions for improving the site and invites interested individuals to help.

The Technosearch website is described as a web-based tool that tracks SETI papers from 1960 to the present. It allows observers worldwide to submit their own searches. The site records details such as the search paper title, observer names, search dates, observed objects, facilities used, telescope size, instrument sensitivity, resolving power, observation time, references, online links, search strategies, and observer comments.

Guest Editorial: I Really Cannot Do It Alone

In this guest editorial, H. Paul Shuch, Executive Director (Emeritus) of The SETI League, reflects on the organization's 25-year history and the evolution of its online presence. When The SETI League was founded in 1994, the website was updated weekly to maintain public interest. As the internet matured, websites generally shifted to hosting evergreen content, with social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter handling frequent updates. However, The SETI League, lacking the resources to hire a dedicated Social Media Director, has relied on Shuch to personally manage weekly web updates, press releases, and quarterly newsletters. He notes that despite soliciting contributions from members (photos, guest editorials, award nominations, technical articles), few materialized.

Shuch announces that as The SETI League enters its 25th year, the website will become more of a repository for evergreen content. He will continue occasional updates but appeals to members for help by contributing interesting SETI-related content. This includes submitting photos from conferences, writing guest editorials on science or policy, nominating websites for the SuperStar award, and submitting technical articles.

He expresses that leading The SETI League has been an incredible experience and, with member support, he hopes to continue for years to come, but emphasizes, "I really cannot do it alone."

The Hard Problem

This article, by Dan Duda, originally published in Penn Central (December 2018), reviews Sean Carroll's book "The Big Picture: On the Origin of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself." Duda disagrees with Carroll's assertion that science has largely completed its understanding of the universe's basic rules, arguing that our knowledge is too limited for such a conclusion. A key critique is Carroll's dismissal of consciousness as a primary aspect of reality, instead viewing it as an emergent quality of matter, which Duda finds compatible with atheism. Duda, identifying as a skeptic (agnostic), finds Carroll's arguments compelling but ironically pushed him more towards theism than atheism.

Duda notes that Carroll, who grew up Episcopalian, was drawn to science and philosophy, leading him to "poetic naturalism" (atheism). Duda's issue is that Carroll refutes theism primarily based on his critique of religious dogma. Duda suggests that many of Carroll's ideas align with pantheism, the philosophy that the universe itself is a conscious entity. He references Philip Perry and John Archibald Wheeler, who proposed that particles might possess a form of proto-consciousness.

Duda remains a skeptic, contending that scientists should remain agnostic on ontological issues due to the vastness of the universe and the limitations of human knowledge. He acknowledges Carroll's importance as a thinker and recommends his book. He also mentions cognitive scientist David Chalmers, who, despite being a self-proclaimed atheist, ultimately concludes that we have much to learn about consciousness.

Event Horizon

This section lists upcoming conferences and meetings where SETI-related information will be presented. Readers are encouraged to check the SETI League website (www.setileague.org) or email [email protected] for more details. Members are also invited to submit information about other relevant events.

• Scheduled events include:
• Zenkaikon 2019, Lancaster PA (March 22-24, 2019)
• Twenty-Fifth SETI League Annual Membership Meeting, Little Ferry NJ (April 14, 2019)
• Balticon 53, Baltimore MD (May 24-27, 2019)
• Readercon 30, Quincy MA (July 11-14, 2019)
• Shore Leave 41, Baltimore MD (July 12-14, 2019)
• 77th World Science Fiction Convention, Dublin, Ireland (August 15-19, 2019)
• Albicon 2019, Albany NY (September 13-15, 2019)
• Capclave 2019, Rockville MD (October 18-20, 2019)
• 70th International Astronautical Congress, Washington DC (October 21-25, 2019)
• Philcon 2019, Cherry Hill NJ (November 8-10, 2019)
• 43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Sydney Australia (August 15-23, 2020)

The section also promotes using AmazonSmile for supporting The SETI League, where half a percent of purchases are donated to SETI research.

Announcement of the Twenty-Fifth Annual Membership Meeting

This announcement details the SETI League's Twenty-fifth Annual Membership Meeting, scheduled for Sunday, April 14, 2019, at 1 PM Eastern time, at Eventide, Inc., One Alsan Way, Little Ferry NJ 07643. The location is adjacent to The SETI League office, near Teterboro Airport. Directions and travel recommendations for commercial and general aviation travelers are provided, including advice on contacting Atlantic Aviation at Teterboro Airport.

Attendance by one percent of the membership constitutes a quorum. Members are encouraged to attend and submit agenda items by April 1, 2019. An RSVP to the secretary is requested for planning purposes. The annual Board of Trustees Meeting will immediately follow the Membership Meeting, and all members are welcome.

The preliminary agenda includes: Call to Order, Minutes of 2018 Membership Meeting, Financial Report, Committee Reports, Old Business, New Business, Good and Welfare, and Adjournment.

Annual Renewal: Is This Your Last SearchLites?

This section serves as a membership renewal notice. It reminds members to check their mailing label for their expiration date and to renew if their membership expired in December 2018 or earlier. Members are provided with a table to select their membership category (Full Member, Supporting Member, Scholarship Member, Household Member, Life Member, Sustaining Life Member, Patron, Director, Benefactor) and their corresponding annual dues. It also lists available membership premiums for purchase, such as pocket protectors, mouse pads, CDs of proceedings, technical manuals, books, and t-shirts, with prices for members (u/c) and non-members (o).

Payment options include checks payable through a US bank and PayPal. Instructions are provided for renewing via PayPal by directing payments to [email protected].

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the operational and strategic future of The SETI League, emphasizing the need for member engagement and contributions to sustain its activities, particularly its online presence. The editorial stance, as expressed in the guest editorial and the renewal notice, is one of reliance on the membership for continued support and content generation. The review of Sean Carroll's book introduces a philosophical dimension, exploring the nature of consciousness and the limits of scientific understanding, while maintaining a stance of intellectual curiosity and skepticism. The announcement of the Technosearch website highlights the organization's commitment to archiving and disseminating SETI research.