Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence

by Douglas A. Vakoch (editor)

In April 2010, fifty years to the month after the first experiment in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), scholars from a range of disciplines--including astronomy, mathematics, anthropology, history, and cognitive science--gathered at NASA's biennial Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) for a series of sessions on the search for intelligent life. This book highlights the most recent developments in SETI discussed at that conference, emphasizing the ways that SETI has grown since its inception. The volume covers three broad First, leading researchers examine the latest developments in observational SETI programs, as well as innovative proposals for new search strategies and novel approaches to signal processing. Second, both proponents and opponents of "Active SETI" debate whether humankind should be transmitting intentional signals to other possible civilizations, rather than only listening. Third, constructive proposals for interstellar messages are juxtaposed with critiques that ask whether any meaningful exchange is possible with an independently evolved civilization, given the constraints of contact at interstellar distances, where a round-trip exchange could take centuries or millennia. As we reflect on a half-century of SETI research, we are reminded of the expansion of search programs made possible by technological and conceptual advances. In this spirit of ongoing exploration, the contributors to this book advocate a diverse range of approaches to make SETI increasingly more powerful and effective, as we embark on the next half-century of searching for intelligence beyond Earth.

Genres: Astronomy

518 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Kadri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great book to read for all SETI- enthusiasts, as it gives a wide overview of how is SETI research done, who are involved in it and how, but it also deals with sending messages, what kind of messages and how should or could be sent etc. It was interesting to read about some of the proposed projects - for example using the Sun as a gravitational lens to collect electromagnetic signals.