SETI Mike Poeschl Matt Boggess

What is SETI? Acronym for Search for Extra- Terrestrial Intelligence Began in 1960 at Cornell University (Frank Drake) Many organized efforts to detect any possible message from extraterrestrials Radio telescopes all around the Earth listening for signals Monitored by scientists and non- scientists a like

Radio Telescopes

SETI Efforts SERENDIP –UC Berkley SETI program –Listening search program –Analyzes other astronomers radio telescope data, no specific observational data of their own –Listening for neutral Hydrogen transitions -Allen Telescope Array -Effort to create a large radio interferometer in California -

Findings In 1977, the most famous of the SETI findings occurred The Big Ear Radio telescope at Ohio State University detected the strongest interstellar signal (aka ‘The Wow! Signal’) Lasted 72 seconds, no convincing re-occurences of the signal have been found. - In Feb. 2003, users discovered several strange signals - Scientists not sure about the origin, possible astronomical anomalies?

VIDEO

Cost? Are SETI efforts worth the cost? –Some criticize that values given by the Drake equation are too optimistic –Not many intriguing findings (no conclusive ones) –SETI asked for $32 million over 5 years to support just the Allen Telescope project –What do you think?

Is the signal real? It will be hard to convince scientific communities about the validity of signals –We aren’t sure exactly what we are looking for –Could easily be a new kind of astronomical anomaly –The Drake equation is un-testable, and is the basis of many SETI efforts; creates lots of criticism –Do you think SETI is a pseudo-science?

What might the signal mean? If a signal is detected –How can we interpret it? –Language or Mathematics barrier? –How can we prove it is a real signal?

Decide for yourself allows any computer user to help survey the skies –Over 5 million computer users in more than 200 countries have signed up for –19 Billion hours of computer processing time –The complete network operates as the second fastest supercomputer in the world –All data compiled and relayed to SETI efforts at UC Berkley

Our Opinions The SETI efforts are intriguing, but too optimistic We do not believe that the SETI program is worth the effort or the money. There have been no conclusive results, and even if there were we would not be able to do anything with them.