TheBanyanTree: SETI

[Dale M. Parish]

Noticed there is an article in the new Playboy on SETI, I think timed to be an advance to next month's scheduled landing of Curiosity at Gale Crater.  I don't much believe in SETI-- not because I don't believe there are extra-terrestial intelligences out there, but because of the medium it uses.

A hundred and twenty years ago, radio was mostly unheard of.  If you'd have tried to convince Jefferson or Lavoisier that you could pluck music and high speed data from the air before the advance of electronics, you'd have had a devil of a time convincing them of it, I think. 

Similarly, in our 200 year industrial revolution, radio has only just now become established in the last half century, and I don't think it's the end of the line technology for communications technology.  Especially between planets or stars.  Until we venture out beyond where the speed of light is a limiting factor, we're not likely to spend a lot of basic research in that direction.

I'm reminded of a Walt Disney feature about a half a century ago in which the "scientifically sophisticates" of the day, after reading about Lowell's perceived canals on Mars, tried to use mirrors to signal the Martians of their friendly intent.  It was porrayed as humorous.  I think the extraterrestials would probably feel the same way about our SETI program, although it's more for listening than transmitting.  I think that probably the primary reason that we've detected no intelligence in any radio signals received from outer space is that radio is a phase developing civilizations probably go through, and when something better's arrived, the old technology is abandoned.  

But that's just my $.02.

Hugs,
Dale
--
Dale M. Parish
628 Parish RD
Orange TX 77632

--
Dale M. Parish
628 Parish RD
Orange TX 77632