PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 http://pos.sissa.it/ http://pos.sissa.it/ : SETI, METI, technomarkers, fundamentalist skepticism, instrumentalist skepticism instrumentalist : METI, fundamentalist SETI, technomarkers, skepticism, 1 [email protected] place to a much more diversified variety of methods and goals (new SETI). There is no positive but tendencythe is yet, result promising Keywords This brief review of 55 years of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrialemphasize Intelligence)the isrecent intendedparadigm to change both in search strategy and inmonopolistic situation philosophy. ofThe microwave radioalmost searches after interstellar messages (old SETI) gave Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Licence. author(s) of the under owned the by terms Commons the Creative Copyright Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons

Speaker 1  Frontier Research in Astrophysics in Research Frontier 2014 26-31 May, Mondello Italy (Palermo), Iván Almár Iván ofAcademy Sciences, Hungarian the Konkoly Observatory of Konkoly út Hungary 15, Budapest, Miklós Thege H-1121 E-mail: OldSETI:New from and a Review © Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 2 Orthodox SETI – the Orthodox decades SETI – first 1.1 1/ connection by electromagnetic waves with distant technical civilizations is much easier, communication; distance longforradio suitable2/is technique the most 3/ the microwave spectrum around 1-10 GHz 4/ the selected is frequency should be near to favoredthe well known emission line because at 21 natural cosmic CETI (Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence) has started as a new discipline in Motto: “… look for what’s detectable, not for what’s probable.” what’s detectable, for not what’s forMotto: look “… Dyson Freeman The situation has changed recently as a consequence of the discovery of almost one For almost half a century and SETI were two distinct disciplines with cm wavelength, because of the conspicuous character of this important line in radio radiation of (). theuniverse cheaper and faster than travel; than interstellar faster cheaper and noise backgroundis minimal; 1959 after the publication in Nature of the seminal paper of Cocconi and Morrison “Searching for Interstellar Communication” [1]. They have capable arguedof receiving thatpurported artificial existingmessages from advancedradio civilizations fartelescopes beyond our were and outlined a strategy which is the cornerstone of microwave SETI up-till-today. thefollowing:are this assumptions ofThe strategy basic 1. Old1.SETI has more projects in common with astrobiology than ever before. Based on the SETI literature process this known in detail. to make thisis paper trying exception, but rule around in the . The follow-on investigationbest of candidatethe by giant space and terrestrial searchtelescopes afterbecame botha lifepromising signaturesfield andof signatures of aplanetary technicalsystems. Consequentlycivilization the inmethodology theseof astrobiologyextrasolar and SETI is converging recent years. in SETI is changing in many respect, “old SETI” develops into a “new SETI”, which 1993. Its limited continuity was guaranteed by private and universityandpopularitypublic broadin in the opinion media. funds supported by its thousand extrasolar planets – making even a detailed study of their atmospheres possible. The Kepler spacecraft was particularly successful in this respect proving that planets are no telescopes after messages or signals originating from inhabited planets around far away stars. Astrobiology or bioastronomy received financial support fromsources, governmental becauseand university the eventual discoveryimportant and popular of goal of solar system extraterrestrial exploration. SETI was lifeand is compromised by wasthe UFO mythos and and as a consequence iswas prohibited of governmental funding considered through NASA in an Introduction different methods and different search strategies. Astrobiology concentrated on in situ aftersearch in our Solar System ( inlaboratory studies of the origin ofparticular), life. Since there is obviously no other astechnical civilization in well as theoretical and the Solar System, than the terrestrial, SETI concentrated on search in the microwave by radio Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 3 Signalanalysis 1.2 As it is obvious signal analysis was and is a serious technical problem in orthodox Another promising US university program has been started in the mid-70s at Berkeley. The atBerkeley. themid-70sstartedin been university haspromisingUS Anotherprogram But just one year later, as a consequence of the veto of the Congress, it was forbidden for Practically the same assumptions were used in 1960 when (independently Since there was no proposal in this strategy on the best stellar candidates to be distances will have narrow-band components. …Assuming a sufficiently narrowband receiver, there are billions of possible frequencies to which it might be tuned. Here is where digital signal microwave SETI. A challenge facing all these projects was differentiation between signal and the ever-present natural background of cosmic noise. According to Paul Shuch natural [2]thermal emissions are “Whereas broadband, extending across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, it is expected that signals used for deliberate electronic communication over interstellar few years an enormous international network of computers has been formed analysis.to This great success improvehas proved that thedata public is ready to help SETI, if there is such an opportunity. Population) is also an all-skybut survey, in a piggy-back mode on Arecibo the telescope. It has no influence on the radio astronomical program of the telescope, but collects through itsinstrument own an enormous quantity of measured data from randomly selected targets. In order to facilitate data reduction and interpretation SETI@home, millions of volunteers with free PC capacities all anover the world, has been initiated in 1999. In a innovative method to mobilize 1997 by the 176 foot “Big Ear” telescope. Their most famous result was the detection of the so called “Wow! Signal” in 1977. It was an intensive narrow-band signal, but has been recorded single onceaonly instrument. by SERENDIP (Search for Extraterrestrial Radio Emission from Nearby Developed Intelligent NASA to continue the financial support of the HRMS program. The all sky survey Goldstoneproject at has been interrupted, but thePhoenix privately Project funded of targeted search the continued newobservation ascampaigns on different SETI the radio telescopes in the Institute.US,Australia, France, UK etc. InThe thelongest observation series following has been years carried out itat the hasOhio State University made from 1973 shorter until Argentina and in other radio observatories. Anprogram inArecibo equally which culminated importantin 1992 byinitiative starting a wastargeted search calledthe Microwave NASA Observing Project (later High Resolution Microwave Survey). Their Multi-Channel Spectrum Analyzer proved to be an equally efficient tool in searching narrow signals inspectrum. the microwave investigated, two concurrent ideas have emerged: either to point towards selected near-by solar type, single stars, or to scan the entire sky expecting that somewhere an interesting signal will appear. Famous targeted SETI searches were initiated by the Harvard (Megachannel University:Assay)Extraterrestrial project, whichthe later progressed registeringMETA into the BETA target radiation on almost one billion narrow channels. The method has been applied also in from Cocconi and Morrison) started hisObservatory in Green Bank. OZMA He observed two near-by solar-type Project stars for a very limited atperiod the National with Radio an 85 footAstronomy . Several dozen radio SETI searches followed mostly in the US same the andUnion practically on assumptions. based in the Soviet Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 CW pulse

4 The “motto” introducing this chapter characterizes the dominant SETI strategy of this “SETI (the “Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”) refers to the experiments intended to EM → microwave → receive → beacon sequential → many antennas → sequential receivebeacon microwave→ → → EM In spite of these difficulties and of some alternative ideas and experiments “orthodox As summarized by John Billingham in his “Decision Diagram for SETI” [4] orthodox direction → timing, synchronicity → frequency → transmitting output power → The procedure to detect unambiguously a radio message or signal from an extraterrestrial stars. … These attempts to detect extraterrestrial signals are called signals SETI’.” extraterrestrial ‘Passive detecttoattemptsare These stars.… period: “…look for what’s detectable, not for what’s probable.”beginning Nevertheless from somethe very independent thinking strategies, without but imminent result. scientists have proposed alternative methods and SETI” remained the dominantAs paradigm a up-till-now. typical example we refer to the “Call for papers” of the 5th IAA Search for Life Signatures Symposium, March 20-21, 2014 Paris, SETI follows: ofis given as France, the definition where find either radio or optical signals from extraterrestrial societies situated on planets around other → coherent → many beams → signal processing beams processing → signal → many → coherent SETI researches should come to at least a dozen important decisions when initiating a project of observations. We are confined only to the right side of the original figure, where the orthodox SETI program decisions are illustrated from the selection of an electromagnetic carrier to signal processing: polarization → modulation type → signal bandwidth → signal rate → code → semantics ofkind→ information content technical civilization (ETC) is aconsensus among SETI participants in the first decades very to follow the strategy and philosophy of complicated one. Although seeminglythe founders thereof SETI, wasthe practical a situation proved to bethought. Accordingmore tocomplicated Lemarchandthan [3], previously who has defined a “space interstellar communication ofchannel, there are many decision steps communication”in orthodox microwave SETI for an message interpreted: content untilinformation abe can of the If the nature of the incoming signal is unknown, detectone it.would One desiresuch antool, whichadaptive makes transformno to a priori assumptions is Unfortunately the KLT as… transform (KLT). signal is the the Karhunen-Leove hidden in noise, to the characteristics of the power.” computerextremely of demanding practice to receive, amplify, filter and digitize extremely wide portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. DSP is then employed to subdivide the broad received spectrum into a multitude of contiguous, vanishingly narrow frequency bins, each of spectrum whichof noise ratio. Most frequentlyexcludes the FFT is employed tomuch produce these narrow bins. … of the broad limitation A of the FFT is that it is optimized for the detection of sinusoidal signal components. Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from processing (DSP) techniques become an important part of SETI research. It is common in SETI PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 5 coherence not achievable by known natural emissionnaturalmechanism; by achievable notknown coherence indicative planetary motion; of signatures Doppler frequency selection which exhibits a knowledge of one or more universal constants; and spatial/temporal characteristics consistent with sidereal motion; consistent characteristicswith sidereal spatial/temporal 1/ a fundamental rejection of the existence of ETI and/or communication-capable beings It is absolutely understandable that after so many unsuccessful attempts to detect any meanings skepticism: of different two are at “Thereleastentirely - - - “The common denominator of all these characteristics, in fact of all (and we A common, veryA complicated problem is, how however, to decide that a recorded signal is - Some popular unorthodox, but only symbolic SETI experiments have been carried out in Among the unorthodox SETI projects the first and most wide-spread is optical SETI. (independent from methodology) and from (independent methodology) messages of an extraterrestrial technical civilization, voices of criticism appeared in formsdifferent everywhere. According to Milan Ćircović [7] there arefundamentalistshas it way: the instrumentalists. formulated and He this two groups of “skeptics”: the anticipate, alien) existence, is that they are anti-entropic.Any emission which appears (at least in the short term) to defy entropy is a likely candidate for an intelligently generated artifact. In artificiality.” conditionfor sufficient a though not necessary, that is periodicity a regard, Critisism2. information content suggestive of mathematically contentinformation a culture.” suggestive of based 10 and 11 (launched in 1972 and 1973), andGolden theRecords Voyager launched in 1977 on mankind. 1 2 of andwith messages Voyager of artificial origin. The opinion of Paul hallmarkscombination artificiality: reasonablethe followingof of Shuch [2] is that “such signals must exhibit some [6] Today there are Observatory. seriousOptical SETI was or efforts is carried out toalso at University developof California,Argentina. Australia and Berkeley, as Russia,in wellas an all-sky optical SETI at the Harvard the 70s: Arecibothe Message sent to globular cluster M13 in 1974, the two plaques on Pioneer power, the power, laser is inactive for most of the time and therefore has a low total consumption.With transmissions in brief bursts, each pulse could readily outshine any in the field of view of the collector. Whatismore, the shorter the pulse, the less background light there is per pulse to compete with the signal. Reducing the pulse to nanosecond intervals makes any signal detected even more obviously of artificial origin, as such short flashes are unlikely to occur naturally.” followed later, when laser technology has developed into an excellent communication tool.As one of the pioneers of optical SETI, Monte Ross has emphasized in his book some advantages of optical SETI oversubmarines, microwaveaircraft and SETI:military satellites “The proved efficient developmentthat than continuous shortwaves at of carryingbursts information. Although ofeach laser pulse haslaser a high communicationlight peak are for more Already in 1961 Robert Schwartz and Charles haveTownes suggested in a Nature paper [5] to use optical maser for interstellar communication. They have proposed to use optical telescopes to discover unusually short (microseconds) pulses in stellar brightness. The first Optical SETI started to work only inhowever, 1995 in Columbus, Ohio. Other experiments Observatory, have Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from unorthodoxSETIprojects Some1.3 PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 6 The consequence of fundamental skepticism is that SETI targets don’t exist, neither in our What kinds of steps are critical? Robert Hanson gave a concrete list in 1998: “The “…the chance for encountering another technical civilization elsewhere in the Galaxy at (1983) argument Carter’s 3/ The problem is “our ignorance about the characteristic temporal scales of biological Progress in astrobiology on the one side and Kepler results on the other have actually (1964) argument Simpson’s 2/ on remotely evenhumans another of similar toevolving “…the probability anything 1/ Fermi1/ paradox (1950) “…if any ETC in the Galaxy developed interstellar travel, it would have easy – given the that Ćircović aargues delineation of various forms of skepticism is an importantThe task. 2/ deals mainly with “instruments” i.e. practices and procedures of real, human-conducted form of continuity between ETI and less complex forms of organization of matter. of forms less organization of complex and form continuity ETI of between Galaxy nor in the whole .According to Ćircović, however, this consequence is based always on arguments where additional specificationsargumentation are “extraterrestrial needed complex [7]. E.g. life, in incredibly rare due to the lack of one or more rare ingredients playing rolea in the ofhistory our including “rare ” all conceivable intelligentplanet.” Another important life, point is is that fundamental skepticism denies the existence of any celled life and the transition from unicellular to multicellularobserved lifeintelligent forms.life beyondSince ourwe planet,have therenot seems todifficult andbe unlikely athat itdevelopment ‘filters stepout’ nearly allthat civilizations beforeis they so can reach a Filter”.Greatcalled “The idea This nowadays is faring space- stage.”[11] evolution leading to emergence of intelligent observers.” “The observers in existencethe Galaxy at present is improbable” because of“we are the first biosphere which has other intelligent leading observers.” [10] intelligent to steps completedsequence of the entire development of intelligent life requires many (4 to 7) steps, such as the emergence of single- is minuscule, since biological evolution is dominated by by sinceisminuscule,biological contingency…” evolution is dominated this is negligible.” [9] epochparticular systems in the Galaxy or at least have detectable traces and manifestations…” and [8] tracesor manifestations…” detectable theGalaxy systemsin at have least madedisturbing recent in it more years. even (“The Reason Why…”) and others are based on one: arguments or more of the following three simple amount of time provided by the age of our stellar system – either colonized all planetary recognition of them is difficult or impossible. Is of – supporterĆircović. asks SETI? a person holding such beliefs opponent or skepticismFundamentalist2.1 According to Ćirković all classical anti-SETI books and papers of fundamentalist skeptics like Viewing, Hart, Webb, Tipler, Barrow, Mayr, Ward & Brownlee (“Rare Earth”), Gibson research (does not touch upon existence or density planets).”inhabitedor of touchupon notdensity (doesexistence research skepticism towards SETI has already been outstandingly influential in determining the fate of HRMS. It has beennot highlighted enough that someit is SETI important a like projects, NASA perfectly coherent position that life and intelligence are frequent in the Galaxy, but the Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 7 This is without any doubt a paradigm shift. Due to the new technical challenges SETI has As one of the leading scientists behind old hasSETI, declaredJill Tarter to Space Daily in Motto: “The only way of discovering the possible the limitsofMotto: discoveringway onlyofis “The littleway venture topast into athem impossible.” the Arthur Clarke Their common conviction is that some alternative approaches to orthodox SETI are a Several recent authors belong to representatives of instrumentalist skepticism, like Already Steven Dick [12] raised the problem that it is only a prejudice that intelligent He would like to change SETI methodology and SETI philosophy radically urging that the According to Ćirković [7] “there is no necessity to assume the ‘rare Earth’ or any other It is certainly a weak, but popular argument against any further search that the searches that up- the searches againstsearch further any argument apopular but Itis certainly weak, communication with extraterrestrials will be possible only through the spectral “windows” of the terrestrial atmosphere (microwave and optical windows). Nowadays the situation has 3.1 Outside our Solar System Solar Outside3.1 our new possibilities in extrasolar planetary systems and also in far away . First of all the frequency range interesting for any SETI experiment has been selected in the early 1960s, when telescopes existed only on the surface of the Earth. It was implicitly supposed that any 2013: “ and have been real game changers … so there might be a lot more habitable real estate out there than we once thought. We are now willingeverything and tothink about whatre-question we can do now that was not considered possible when we got started.” 3. New SETINew3. possible?” [16] and in his book “The Eerie Silence” hisbook in Eerie Davies Paul“The[17]. Silence” and [16] possible?” necessity independently from the assumption that there are many or only a very few intelligent civilizations Galaxy. in our should be habitable exoplanets and degrades further the weekly motivated concept of “habitable also zones”. [13]). (See Ćirković & Klaes in “Has SETI Been Barking UpEdmondson the Wrong inTree (Mostly)?”[14], William “Targets and SETI” [15], Richard Carrigan in “Is interstellar archeology the possibility of a superintelligent ETC into consideration; aim at an expansion of the cooperation. tighter launch a interdisciplinary and SETIadmissibletargets; list of extraterrestrials are necessarily biological entities – neglecting thepostbiological evolution.This possibility changes thevery fundamental assumption that SETI targets real possibility of a theoretical construction to explain the negative result of … SETI projects so far.” “…evolution in each individual biosphere is a perfect natural segment of the overall astrobiological evolution terrestrial human ofexceptionalism.” or accept form not… we any need so search should concentrate on artifacts and ; take postbiological evolution and till-now did not produce any convincing Asresult. it will be demonstrated later, there are many reasonable suggestions how to carry out “new SETI” which is different from the orthodox old one. skepticism Instrumentalist2.2 Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 8 As far as it is known there are no attempts yet to discover ET messages in anyRichard Carriganother [16] has summarized the new possibilities to discover traces of a very In the gamma-ray region a search was carried out using the data base of the Compton In the infrared region Dyson has suggested already in 1960 to search after infrared excess Only a few of these potential information carriers have been studied up-till-now and only c/Direct techniques: activityexploration, probes, in the Solar spaceastroengineering System Unknown d/carrier information code geneticor e.g. DNS photons (radio, IR, optical, UV, X, gamma X, (gravity waves) gravitons rays); UV, optical,photons(radio, IR, Particle b/: microscopic particles fermions (neutrinos, electrons and protons – cosmic rays), heavy particles (atomic nuclei dust, (meteorites,comets). objects , macroscopic or particles According to Lemarchand [18] the possible information carriers are the following: carriers informationare the following: thepossible[18] Lemarchand to According a/Boson astronomy: advanced technical civilization somewhere outside our solar system – without waiting for any signals or messages from them! He calls this type of activity “interstellar archeology (IA)”. He frequent candidates for a high technology which can modify or influence the energy output of a star. in particleneitherin radiation nor astronomy. possibleform boson infrared excess objects. The next infrared satellite, ISO, had already a short SETI observation 8 aroundstars. looking Dyson spheres projectafter GRO satellite. The idea was to antimatter lookburning usedafter by anstrong alien advancedpenetrating technology. Strange gamma-raysgamma-ray bursts createdare also by bulk in stellar spectra. He emphasizedcivilizations might the use possibilitythe total thatenergy of verytheir central system.The advanced star“Dyson spheres” should be exceptionally bright by objects in the infrared. In (Kardashevthebuilding early a IIsphere around type) the 90s the data base of the IRAS infrared satellite has been investigated in Japan looking for sporadic SETI efforts have been made. The first experimentoptical outsidewindow thewas attemptedmicrowave inand thethe UV region in 1974search using wentthe onCopernicus satellite.after The spectral lines of laserthree spectrumofstars. origin near the Lyman α line at 1215 Å in the – cosmic – rays); cosmic investigation to evaluate all possible information carriers (from and to interstellar distances) has alsoinitiated. been just in these wavelength functioning bands, outside the Earth’s atmosphere. on Although there is no the astronomical observatory on other the far side of the yet, but new manyspace probes equipped with very sensitive sensors work in sensitive astronomical satellites almost are continuously in frequency bands unattainable from the surface of the Earth. Although electromagnetic waves are still preferred in current SETI programs, but a systematic Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from changed. On the one hand the increased noiseterrestrial is abackground serious ofsource worry PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 9 One can search after technomarkers within the Solar System as well. Many space probes But it is tonecessary make it unmistakably clear that at present nobody has observed a real Although today there is no real possibility yet to observe directly the surface of any Carrigan mentioned some other possibilities as well, e.g. manipulating a star before it Among the possibilities first of all the new perspectives of direct observations of – as proposed by Michael Papagiannis [21]. PapagiannisMichael – by proposed as difficult. Nevertheless Davies &extraterrestrial origin Wagner on [19] the has surface satellites. initiated ofRobert Freitas the a & MoonFrancisco search usingValdes [20] objects after high-resolutionhavenear thecarried images artifacts Earth-Moonout of Lagrangian searches of points, lunar after but thousands ofartificial unknown celestial bodiesin are also promising places for a direct vain.SETI investigation The belts with many follow with attention the , Moon, planets, satellites, asteroids and comets. The surfaces of some of these planetary bodies (the Moon andremnants of Marsterrestrial structures, likein space probes, rovers,particular) rocket stages areetc. This will alreadymake a littered with distinction between traces of terrestrial and extraterrestrial technology in the future quite phenomenon on astrophysical objects, which arguably hints at the intervention of an advanced technology. System Solar our Within 3.2 images improves we can hope to be able to decide for instance whether thereillumination ison theany darkartificial side of an Earth-like planet or moon. Supposing that there is a large- scale astroengineering activity in a relatively near-by planetary system one can try to traces sign Anyor observe artificialof origin). (probably of objects thestellar transitsstrange disk before SETI. inbe giant would astep technology of(“technomarkers”) heightened astroengineering activity when the central star is already near to the end of its main sequence life. exoplanets, but the progress in this direction is very fast. It to imagineis difficult giant not space telescopes taking photos of the disc of planets of relatively near-by stars. If the resolution of the optical resonant absorption line.technetium, an element Drakewith no stable andisotope. Another possibility is Shklovskii (accordingand toWright) Whitmire to have use a star suggested as a searchingdisposal sitecivilizationsall output. a require offissile throughplutonium would for after nuclear waste. Getting a recognizable signal enters the red giant phase (blue stragglers), or looking after SETI signals or any other sign of exoplanets should be mentioned. Astronomerscomposition already of started to exoplanetary study atmospheresmonoxide theand and spectrumdioxide in some and of have them. These are discovered culturalimportant based lifesignatures cansignatures, methane,be butexpected? –also asked Carrigan. water,One possibility is a carbon spectral line due to radioactive “salting” of a star to introduce short-lived nuclear species with a strong system – whether still existing or not. “Detection of a cultural signal would be in the spirit of IA just an artifact like pottery or garbage dumps give messages from the past through archeology. Most of these archeological signatures on Earth were not intended as messages conscious try to communicate.” toadecision They requirenot did to the future. Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from emphasizes that IA is the search for large scale signatures of civilizations beyond the solar PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 . It is capable to survey the 2 10 Clément Vidal [25] has argued that black holes can be attractors for very advanced Claudio Maccone [23] has suggested that advanced technical civilizations use their own The Benfords [24] have suggested that pulsed, narrowly directed, broadband blips may There are some interesting paper projects worth some mentioning. areinteresting projects worth paper There In the optical range the Colossus telescope is representing the next promising step. It will The Square ArrayKilometer (SKA) is a very ambitious radio astronomical project, which The Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) built between 2006 and 2012Array (LOFAR) is Thethe connected largest Low-Frequency First of all the Allen ArrayTelescope of (ATA) the SETI Institute and the University of There are and were several efforts There to prove are and that were ofefforts traces several an alien civilizationtechnological present instruments are not capable to observe such a phenomenon (“Benford beacons”). phenomenon capable (“Benford not ato observe present such instruments are utilizegravity. to civilizations enormous are capable their which star, star, or a black hole, or a gigantic black hole in the center of their galaxy as a gravitational lens communication. or interstellarin intergalactic even come from the in order to draw the attention of emerging new civilizations. Our survey potential technical civilizations out to at least 60 ly. It will search also after distinctive (“ping transient detection”). events projects Paper 3.4 be an infrared telescope with a primary mirror of 77 m, mirrorcomposed from sixty segments.very thin 8 A m huge atmospheric effects collectingare planned. The field of view will be only a areafew arcseconds. Since finding and ana civilization through adaptiveits waste heat radiation will opticsbe possible, the Colossus might systembe a tool to to correct for SETI SETI is also contemplated. will be realized inAfrica. The South frequency range will be from 0.15 up to 20 GHz, the field of view 1 square degree at GHz, 1.4 the instantaneous number of beams at 100,least the angular arcsec 0.1 resolution at GHz. 1.4 < radio telescope of the world. It operates with 25 000 omni-directional small antennas using an technique at radio frequencies below 250 MHz. The total collecting area in the Netherlands, Germany, UK, France and Sweden is up to 1 km Universe at 10 – 240 MHz with greater resolution and sensitivity than previously. Its use for original plans 350 6.1offset-Gregorian m radio dishes should have been built and connected for multibeaming (in which DSP technology is used to look in multiple simultaneouslydirections oncarrying the sky)out – radio astronomical and SETI2007 observations42 (targetedantennas search).were In ready, but the work2012. startedinhasrange frequency GHz GHz 1-8 to 1-18 telescopes offrom Upgrades these had to be stopped because of lack of funding. signal. The code reveals an ensemble of arithmetical and ideographicalsymboliclanguage. patterns of the same realized planned newtelescopesSome or 3.3 California should be mentioned. Initial funds were given by Paul Allen. According to the are still present on the surface convincing ofevidence. Other authors following anthe idea raised in the Earthearly sixties looked into (Nascathe lines, pyramids genome etc.),to find tracesbut of a withoutdirected . Inany some recent papers Vladimir Shcherbak & Maxim Matukov [22] have claimed that thoroughstudying precision-typethe orderlinessterrestrial matching geneticthe codecriteria itto displaysbe a considered an informational Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 11 The author thanks the organizers of the Mondello forWorkshop their kind invitation and Meanwhile the failure of half a century of SETI research called different new competing After 55 years the history of SETI research has already a Americanperspective. scientists My opinion is that METI or active SETI (both names are used) is not belonging to SETI at Let us quote the opinion of some respected scientists and celebrities! Among the The first Message to Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) initiated by Frank Drake in 1974 Acknowledgements the Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for some paper. of Steliohisopinionathe financialto Alsoas referee thanks Montebugnoli for support. projects Theinto existence. diversity and broadening of the spectrum of SETI ideas and projects is certainly an advantage, but many of them suffer from a weak financial professional basisstaff. Therefore and“new SETI”a is alack promise of for the future, but not really convincing “oldSETI” an at as present. alternative for significantly. significantly. First the paper was the symbol of SETI efforts, lateractivity almost hasall concentrated on the NASA project (targeted and all sky search inwindow). the microwave After 1993 the dominant Institute.American Finally “orthodox effort SETI” and was almost all Phoenix professional isstill uncertain position. which in an SETI organized researchers ATA, on establishing efforts their concentrated by the SETI provide new results for astronomy or other sciences. Active SETI aSETI suchis innot position. Active other sciences. orastronomy for provide new results Conclusions5. role,cooperation this indominant Soviet-Americanfield a playedalways althoughand amateurs was important for a long time. Some individuals of other countries have also contributed is some kind of risk. There Haqq-Misra [27]. Jacobet transmitting al. space” by into is a good summary of the topic “The benefits and all, since Andit it isis not important toa scientific mention search. that carrying out any kind of harm of passive SETI for a long time and covering the whole sky is economically feasible and also can “Advanced life, anywhere in the cosmos, will tend to control other life”, therefore any message or signal sent to an ETC to draw its attention might be a danger for mankind. is also convinced that “We only have to look develop into something weat wouldn’t want to meet.” (BBC NewsApril nobody252010)ourselves Today to see how intelligent life might can tell how risky a radio with an alien civilization might be, but it is obvious that there divided whether sending messages towards the stars is acceptable or not.The Royal Society has on moderateddiscussions2010 withinthe topic. inviting sides workshop both a organized Ginzburg supporterswroteVitaly already in 1973 that “…there is nothing more dangerous than to speak about the danger of communication.” On the other side, Eric Chaisson declared that has already been mentioned. Influenced by the negative reaction of the science community there was no follow-on experiment for 25 years. When in Aleksandr1999 Zaitsev [26] and his group started to send messages (on a commercial basis) towards selected stars through theYevpatoria the reaction was mixed.After a long discussion period the IAA SETI Committee is still Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from METI SETIor Active 4. PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 ,

190 . 1998. , Acta , , 351. 2011. Nature 68 Chichester UK 3 1992.

1,

Q.J.R.Astro.Soc., Philos. Trans. R. Trans. Philos. , 844 1959. Quest 184

Space Daily Aug. 7, 2006. Space Daily , 578, 2009. SETI ,121 2012. 41 , 667. 2002. Acta Astronautica, Acta 78 , Springer-Praxis, 51 Nature, , Acta Astronautica doi: Acta 38. 2013.

Futures , , 769. 1964. 89 143 http://hanson.gmu.edu/greatfilter.html Acta Astronautica Acta , 1, 2013. 12 , Acta Astronautica Acta , Science, 89 Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: SETI Intelligence: for Extraterrestrial Searching in The Art of Science Message and Interstellar The Acta Astronautica Acta , in Allen Lane,Allen 2010. London Acta Astronautica Acta Eternity in six hours: intergalactic spreading of intelligent life ofintelligent and spreading intergalactic Eternity in hours: six

Interstellar and interplanetary communication by optical maser, communication and interplanetary opticalInterstellar by maser, Searching for interstellar communication for interstellar Searching Has SETI been barking up the wrong tree (mostly) tree SETI beenHas up the barking wrong Searching for alien artifacts on the alien artifacts moon, for Searching P. Shuch (ed.) Springer-Praxis, Chichester, 2011. Chichester, Shuch (ed.) Springer-Praxis, P. A search for natural or artificial objects located at Earth-Moon located the or artificial objects libration for natural search A Natural selection of stellar civilizations by selectionof civilizations Natural growth, limits the of stellar Counting on beauty: the role of aesthetic, ethical and physical universal ethical and physical of aesthetic, on beauty:Counting the role Targets and SETI: shared motivation, life signatures and asymmetric SETI life signatures motivation, shared and SETI: Targets Detectability of extraterrestrial technological activities technological Detectability extraterrestrial of , 347. 1983. SETI and society – decision society and SETI trees Is interstellar archeology possible? archeology interstellar Is Who are the SETI skeptics? SETI skeptics? the are Who , 442, 1980. The nonprevalance of humanoids, The nonprevalance The – are we almost past it? we almost Filter – are The Great A half-century of SETI science, half-century A The Eerie Silence, The and its implications for biological implications evolution, and its for principle The anthropic SETI terminology – do we interpret SETI terms correctly? terms SETI SETI terminology – do we interpret 42 The postbiological universe and our future in space, universe The postbiological and our future A 310 A The search for extraterrestrials – intercepting alien signals – intercepting extraterrestrials for The search , D. Vakoch (ed.) MIT Press, Cambridge MA 2006. Cambridge Press, MA (ed.) MIT Vakoch , D. Icarus Icarus

, 309. 1984. ast, Present, and Future, and Future, ast, Present, [21] M. Papagiannis, 25 [19] P. Davies, R. Wagner, Wagner, Davies, R. [19] P. 2011. 10.1016/j.actaastro.2011.10.022. [20] R. F.Valdes, Freitas, points, [17] P. Davies, [17] P. [18] Lemarchand, G. communicationprinciples for interstellar Composition [14] M. Ćircović, L. Klaes,[14] L. M. Ćircović, Edmondson, W. [15] Astronautica doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.01.017. 2010. [16] R. Carrigan, Soc. London Soc. London R. Hanson, [11] [12] S. Dick, Almár, [13] I. [8] S. Armstrong, A. Sandberg, Sandberg, A. Armstrong, [8] S. Fermi the sharpening paradox, [9] Simpson, G. [10] B. Carter, [5] R. Schwartz, C. Townes, Townes, [5] R. Schwartz, C. 205. 1961. [6] M. Ross, 2009. p.111. [7] M. Ćirković, [2] P. Shuch, P, Shuch, P, [2] P. P [3] Lemarchand, G. [4]Billingham, J. References Morrison, P. [1] G.Cocconi, Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from PoS(FRAPWS2014)033 228. ,

, 224 , 614. 2008. , 109. 2012. 63 78 Icarus Icarus Acta Astronautica Acta Acta Astronautica Acta preprint arXiv: 1104.4362. 2011. preprint 1104.4362. arXiv: The benefits and harm of transmitting into space, of into transmitting The benefits and harm space, 13 Searching for cost-optimized interstellar beacons interstellar for cost-optimized Searching The “Wow Signal” of the terrestrial genetic code of terrestrial Signal” the The “Wow SETI among galaxies by virtue ofSETI among virtue black by holes, galaxies , 491, 2010. Sending and searching for interstellar messages, for and searching Sending , 40. 2013. Black holes: attractors for intelligence, for holes: intelligence, Black attractors 10 29 UFO observations were reliable and would produce some artifact then in order order sometheninto decide produce artifact reliable would and observations were UFO thescienceshould origin community and isartificialextraterrestrial of it whether in“UFO progress no the real is, Therehowever, means.investigate it possible with all (liketechnical means smart themselvesalthough effective new and several – observations” available almost everywhere. videocameras) are orphones significantly to the topic (Viewing, Hart, Tipler). Hart, thetopicto (Viewing, significantly ain here we are believe this colleagues my some but advocate of don’t IJIM BEALL: commenton studied.Can but this?contactednotyou being guarded preserve: an members improbable ofIt ETC travel ispossible, thatALMÁR:certainly but IVÁN trying the Earth us. interstellar distances to study the population of without to contact If SETI. the importantwritten papers on really philosophicalhas Tsiolkovsky Konstantin Yes, was part his paradox”, activity “Fermiof whichthis but asknownlater became problem, traditional important name The this problem of countries. almost unknown in other contributed that authors in the fact later several ofremained paradox” spite “Fermi life. oneonly notthe pioneers of Prof. true was ALMÁR: It Shklovsky is thatcertainly IVÁN but CarlSaganwith coauthor), hisbook was into as translated whichEnglish SETI of (see no on aremiracles theimportance “there thatthe first scientists emphasizing ofalso one withbecame really to he the first latesthis life“skeptic” respect Inyears of the the sky”. DISCUSSION Shklovsky'slaterinclude not you why do am very wondered I LIPUNOV: VLADIMIR themore important shortthecivilization.point viewmy Fromtimeofof idea about intelligent which infinitely create toattempts Grand has for Universe paradox Tsiolkovsky [25] C. Vidal, Vidal, [25] C. A. Zaitsev, [26] S.Baum, M. Busch, and S.[27] Haqq-Misra, J. Som Space Policy 2013. [23] C. Maccone, [24] Benford, Benford, J. Benford D. G. and Astrobiology Old and New from SETI: a Review Iván Almár SETI: Iván a Review NewOld and from Shcherbak, M. Makukov, V. [22]