SearchLites - Vol 27 No 1

Magazine Overview

Title: SearchLites
Issue: Vol. 27 No. 1
Date: Winter 2021
Publisher: The SETI League, Inc.
Country: USA
ISSN: 1096-5599

Editorial: Help Wanted, Part-Time

In his editorial, Executive Director Emeritus H. Paul Shuch laments the declining content and participation in The SETI League's publications and website. He attributes this to the organization's transition to an all-volunteer status and the aging of its founders. Shuch appeals to members for contributions, such as sharing photos of radio telescope operations, software screenshots, new designs, or ideas. He also encourages nominations for various SETI League awards, including the Bruno Award, Orville Greene Service Award, and SETI SuperStar Award, noting a lack of recent nominations. Shuch assures readers that the organization is not defunct but is in need of revitalization, comparing its state to a "pining" parrot.

Guest Editorial: What Is An Exoplanet?

Authored by Val Klavans of the SETI Institute, this piece defines exoplanets as planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. It references the International Astronomical Union's 2006 definition of a planet, which requires orbiting the Sun, being large enough to be spherical, and clearing its orbit of other material. As of October 1, 2020, 4,354 exoplanets had been discovered in 3,218 planetary systems, with about 22% of these systems containing multiple planets. The main types of exoplanets discussed are Gas Giants, Neptune-Like planets, Super-Earths, and Terrestrial planets. The article highlights "Hot Jupiters" (gas giants orbiting very close to their stars) and "lava worlds" (Earth-sized exoplanets with extremely high temperatures), citing Kepler-78b as an example. It also touches upon the search for habitable exoplanets, mentioning Proxima Centauri b, a Super-Earth located 4 light-years away, orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri within the Alpha Centauri triple star system. The author speculates on the possibility of conscious life on Proxima Centauri b looking back at Earth.

Article: How Many Alien Societies Are There?

Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute, discusses a new analysis from the University of Nottingham that suggests the Milky Way may host as few as 36 alien societies, with a more generous estimate of a thousand. This is significantly lower than previous estimates. Shostak explains that the Nottingham authors used a variant of the Drake equation, with their estimate heavily influenced by the assumed lifetime of technological civilizations. They posit that technological societies only maintain their "mojo" for about a century, based on Earth's radio transmission history. Shostak critiques this assumption, arguing that radio's low energy cost could allow civilizations to use it for much longer. He also challenges a second premise: that every Earth-size planet in a habitable zone will spawn life and eventually intelligent life. He uses Earth's neighbors, Mars and Venus, as counter-examples, neither of which shows signs of life. Shostak concludes that the number of inhabited worlds is likely not as paltry as the Nottingham paper suggests and playfully estimates a minimum of 70 intelligent cosmic species, referencing the number of speaking roles in Star Trek.

Report: Regarding Detection of Phosphine in Venus

This section, attributed to Commission F3 (Astrobiology) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), addresses the public reporting of scientific findings. Astrobiology is defined as the study of life's origin, evolution, and distribution in the universe. The IAU's Commission F3, established in 2015, comprises members from diverse scientific backgrounds and coordinates efforts in astrobiology research, including the search for life on solar system bodies and exoplanets. The report specifically discusses the September 2020 publication in Nature Astronomy regarding a possible detection of phosphine (PH3) in Venus's atmosphere. The authors of that study hypothesized a biological origin for the phosphine, as it couldn't be explained by known abiotic chemistry. The Commission acknowledges that research results, like the 1996 discovery of microfossils in the Martian meteorite ALH84001, can spark debate but may not be proven. They express concern about how the phosphine detection was communicated to the public, noting that some news organizations reported it as evidence of life on Venus. The Commission emphasizes the ethical duty of scientists to communicate with scientific rigor, avoid overstating interpretations, and manage public expectations to prevent misinformation and potential harm to the advancement of astrobiology research. They also stress the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the press by providing sufficient background information.

Event Horizon

This section lists upcoming SETI-related conferences and meetings. Notable events include:

• 43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Sydney, Australia (January 28 - February 4, 2021)
• Twenty-Seventh SETI League Annual Membership Meeting, Little Ferry, NJ (April 18, 2021)
• Penn State SETI Symposium, State College, PA (June 21 - 24, 2021)
• 79th World Science Fiction Convention, Washington, DC (August 25 - 29, 2021)
• 71st International Astronautical Congress, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (October 25 - 29, 2021)
• 72nd International Astronautical Congress, Paris, France (2022, dates to be announced)
• 73rd International Astronautical Congress, Baku, Azerbaijan (2023, dates to be announced)

Members are encouraged to submit information about other upcoming events.

Breaking News: Arecibo Farewell

The SETI League reports the demise of the Arecibo Radio Telescope on December 1, 2020. The 305-meter diameter dish, once the world's largest, collapsed due to structural failure of its support cables. Archival photos show Professor H. Paul Shuch at the facility in July 2007.

SETI SuperStar Award

SETI League members are encouraged to nominate SETI-relevant websites for the monthly SETI SuperStar Award. Nominations should include the website URL and an explanation of why it is worthy of recognition.

Membership Renewal and Support

The final pages of the magazine are dedicated to membership renewal and support for The SETI League. It outlines various membership categories, including Full Member, Supporting Member, Scholarship Member, Household Member, Life Member, Sustaining Life Member, Patron, and Director. Annual memberships are for the calendar year, with prorated options for those joining mid-year. The magazine also lists "Membership Premiums" available for purchase, such as pocket protectors, mouse pads, CD-ROMs of conference proceedings, books, and music CDs. The SETI League also accepts payments via PayPal and encourages members to support the organization through AmazonSmile, where a portion of purchases is donated to SETI research.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the challenges and importance of SETI research, the exploration of exoplanets and the search for extraterrestrial life, and the role of scientific communication. The editorial stance, particularly from H. Paul Shuch, is one of concern for the future of The SETI League due to declining participation and a call to action for members to contribute content and support. The IAU's report on Venus phosphine highlights a cautious stance on publicizing unproven scientific findings, emphasizing rigor and responsible communication. The demise of the Arecibo telescope serves as a somber reminder of the evolving landscape of astronomical research facilities.