DOCSLIB.ORG

CURRICULUM VITAE DOUGLAS A. VAKOCH Center for SETI Research

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CURRICULUM VITAE DOUGLAS A. VAKOCH Center for SETI Research CURRICULUM VITAE DOUGLAS A. VAKOCH Center for SETI Research Department of Clinical Psychology SETI Institute California Institute of Integral Studies 189 N. Bernardo Ave., Suite 100 1453 Mission Street Mountain View, CA 94043, USA San Francisco, CA 94103, USA Office Phone: +1-650-960-4514 Office Phone: +1-415-575-6244 Office Fax: +1-650-968-5830 Office Fax: +1-415-575-1266 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Residence 943 Cherry Way Hayward, CA 94541 Home Phone: 510-481-5719 PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2011-present Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2008-2011 Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2005-2008 Director of Interstellar Message Composition, SETI Institute, 2001-present Social Scientist, SETI Institute, 1999-present Research Associate, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, 1999- 2001, 2005-2007 National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 1996-1998 Predoctoral Clinical Intern, Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital and Clinics, 1995-1996 EDUCATION Ph.D., Clinical Psychology with Quantitative Minor, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1996. Dissertation: Predictors of prognosis for patients with interpersonal problems: The role of therapists’ epistemology, experience, optimism, and theoretical orientation. M.A., Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1994. M.A., History and Philosophy of Science, University of Notre Dame, 1991. B.A., Religion, Carleton College, 1983. Senior Thesis: Psychological analyses of the mystic path in Christianity and Buddhism. Vakoch C.V. Page 2 of 22 BOOKS Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2011). Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI). Albany, NY: SUNY Press. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2011). Ecofeminism and Rhetoric: Critical Perspectives on Sex, Technology, and Discourse. New York: Berghahn Books. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2011). Psychology of Space Exploration: Contemporary Research in Historical Perspective. Washington, DC: NASA. Vakoch, D. A., and Harrison, A. H., eds. (2011). Civilizations beyond Earth: Extraterrestrial Life and Society. New York: Berghahn Books. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2012). Feminist Ecocriticism: Environment, Women, and Literature. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. FORTHCOMING BOOKS Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2013). Altruism in Cross-Cultural Perspective. New York: Springer. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2013). Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication. Washington, DC: NASA. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2013). Astrobiology, History, and Society: Life Beyond Earth and the Impact of Discovery. Heidelberg and New York: Springer. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2013). Extraterrestrial Altruism. Heidelberg and New York: Springer. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2013). On Orbit and Beyond: Psychological Perspectives on Human Spaceflight. Heidelberg and New York: Springer. Vakoch, D. A., ed. (2014). Between Worlds: The Art and Science of Interstellar Message Composition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Vakoch, D. A., and Castrillon, F., eds. (2014). The Experience of Nature: Phenomenologies of the Earth. Heidelberg and New York: Springer. EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE General Editor. Ecofeminist Theory and Practice. Book series to be published by Berghahn Books. Editorial Board. Ecopsychology. Peer-reviewed journal published by The Mary Ann Liebert Companies. Editor (with Co-Editor Fernando Castrillon). ReVision: A Journal of Consciousness and Transformation. Special double issue on environmental issues. 2010. 31 (3-4). Vakoch C.V. Page 3 of 22 JOURNAL ARTICLES Vakoch, D. A. (2011). The art and science of interstellar message composition: A report on international workshops to encourage multidisciplinary discussion, Acta Astronautica, 68, 451-458. Vakoch, D. A. (2011). Asymmetry in Active SETI: A case for transmissions from Earth, Acta Astronautica, 68, 476-488. Vakoch, D. A. (2011). A narratological approach to interpreting and designing interstellar messages, Acta Astronautica, , 68, 520-534. Vakoch, D. A. (2011). Responsibility, capability, and Active SETI: Policy, law, ethics, and communication with extraterrestrial intelligence, Acta Astronautica, 68, 512- 519. Vakoch, D. A. (2011). A taxonomic approach to communicating maxims in interstellar messages, Acta Astronautica, , 68, 500-511. Vakoch, D. A. (2011). What does it mean to be human?: Reflections on the portrayal of pain in interstellar messages, Acta Astronautica, 68, 445-450. Vakoch, D. A., & Matessa, M. (2011). An algorithmic approach to communicating reciprocal altruism in interstellar messages: Drawing analogies between social and astrophysical phenomena, Acta Astronautica, 68, 459-475. Ollongren, A., & Vakoch, D. A. (2011). Typing logic contents using Lingua Cosmica, Acta Astronautica, 68, 535-538. Vakoch, D. A. (2010). An iconic approach to communicating musical concepts in interstellar messages, Acta Astronautica, 67, 1406-1409. Vakoch, D. A. (2008). Representing culture in interstellar messages. Acta Astronautica, 63, 657-664. Vakoch, D. A. (2007). Metalaw as a foundation for Active SETI. Proceedings of the Forty-Ninth Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 49, 537-541. Vakoch, D. A. (2006). Expanding human presence beyond the solar system through active SETI: On the prerequisites for legal relations with extraterrestrial intelligence. Proceedings of the Forty-Eighth Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, 48, 149- 155. Vakoch, D. A. (2005). Interstellar altruism: Science, art, and communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. [Abstract.] Leonardo Electronic Almanac, 13 (9). Vakoch, D. A. (2004). The art and science of interstellar message composition. Leonardo, 37: 33-34. Vakoch, D. A. (2004). To the stars, silently. Leonardo, 37, 265. Wurm, L. H., Vakoch, D. A., & Seaman, S. R. (2004). Recognition of spoken words: Semantic effects in lexical access. Language and Speech, 47, 175-204. Wurm, L. H., Vakoch, D. A., Seaman, S. R., & Buchanan, L. (2004). Semantic effects in auditory word recognition. Mental Lexicon Working Papers, 1, 47-62. Vakoch, D. A. (2003). Celestial altruism: Science, religion, and design of interstellar messages. Covjek i Svemir [Humanity and Space], 45 (4), 4-11. Vakoch, D. A. (2003). Intention, interaction, and communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. Leonardo Electronic Almanac, 11 (7). Vakoch, D. A. (2003). Language, art, and science in interstellar communication. Leonardo Electronic Almanac, 11 (4). Vakoch C.V. Page 4 of 22 JOURNAL ARTICLES (CONT.) Vakoch, D. A. (2003). Le sacrifice de soi: Une composition interstellaire. Anomalie Digital_Arts, 4: 201-202. Vakoch, D. A. (2003). Theology and extraterrestrial intelligence. Covjek i Svemir [Humanity and Space], 45 (4), 17, 25-29. Wurm, L. H., Vakoch, D. A., Aycock, J., & Childers, R. R. (2003). Semantic effects in lexical access: Evidence from single-word naming. Cognition and Emotion, 17, 547- 565. Vakoch, D. A. (2002). Encoding altruism. Galileo, No. 52, 30-36. Vakoch, D. A. (2001). Altruism: A scientific perspective. Science & Spirit, 12 (5), 21- 22, 27. Vakoch, D. A. (2001). Altruism as the key to interstellar communication. Research News & Opportunities in Science and Theology, 2 (3), 2, 16. Wurm, L. H., Vakoch, D. A., Strasser, M. R., Calin-Jageman, R., & Ross, S. E. (2001). Speech perception and vocal expression of emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 15, 831-852. Vakoch, D. A. (2000). The conventionality of pictorial representation in interstellar messages. Acta Astronautica, 46, 733-736. Vakoch, D. A. (2000). Trees of knowledge: Psychology and the uncovering of spiritual beliefs. Science & Spirit, 11 (1), 30-31, 49. Vakoch, D. A., & Lee, Y-S. (2000). Reactions to receipt of a message from extraterrestrial intelligence: A cross-cultural empirical study. Acta Astronautica, 46, 737-744. Vakoch, D. A., & Strupp, H. H. (2000). The evolution of psychotherapy training: Reflections on manual-based learning and future alternatives. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56, 309-318. Wurm, L. H., & Vakoch, D. A. (2000). The adaptive value of lexical connotation in speech perception. Cognition and Emotion, 14, 177-191. Vakoch, D. A. (1999). Framing spiritual principles for interstellar communication: Celestial waves. Science & Spirit, 10 (4), 20-21. Vakoch, D. A. (1999). The view from a distant star: Challenges of interstellar message-making. Mercury, 28 (2), 26-32. Pollina, D. A., Vakoch, D. A., & Wurm, L. H. (1998). Formant structure of vowels spoken during attempted deception. Polygraph, 27, 96-107. Vakoch, D. A. (1998). Constructing messages to extraterrestrials: An exosemiotic perspective. Acta Astronautica, 42, 697-704. Vakoch, D. A. (1998). The dialogic model: Representing human diversity in messages to extraterrestrials. Acta Astronautica, 42, 705-710. Vakoch, D. A. (1998). The music of the spheres. Sky & Space, 11 (3), 24. Vakoch, D. A. (1998). Pictorial messages to extraterrestrials, part 1. SETIQuest, 4 (1), 8-10. Vakoch, D. A. (1998). Pictorial messages to extraterrestrials, part 2. SETIQuest, 4 (2), 15-17. Vakoch, D. A. (1998). Report from Turin: The IAA SETI sessions. SETIQuest, 4 (1), 7. Vakoch C.V. Page 5 of 22 JOURNAL ARTICLES (CONT.) Vakoch, D. A. (1998). Signs of life beyond Earth: A semiotic analysis of interstellar messages. Leonardo, 31, 313-319. Vakoch, D. A. (1998). The therapeutic space of psychoanalysis.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lecture-29 (PDF)
    Life in the Universe Orin Harris and Greg Anderson Department of Physics & Astronomy Northeastern Illinois University Spring 2021 c 2012-2021 G. Anderson., O. Harris Universe: Past, Present & Future – slide 1 / 95 Overview Dating Rocks Life on Earth How Did Life Arise? Life in the Solar System Life Around Other Stars Interstellar Travel SETI Review c 2012-2021 G. Anderson., O. Harris Universe: Past, Present & Future – slide 2 / 95 Dating Rocks Zircon Dating Sedimentary Grand Canyon Life on Earth How Did Life Arise? Life in the Solar System Life Around Dating Rocks Other Stars Interstellar Travel SETI Review c 2012-2021 G. Anderson., O. Harris Universe: Past, Present & Future – slide 3 / 95 Zircon Dating Zircon, (ZrSiO4), minerals incorporate trace amounts of uranium but reject lead. Naturally occuring uranium: • U-238: 99.27% • U-235: 0.72% Decay chains: • 238U −→ 206Pb, τ =4.47 Gyrs. • 235U −→ 207Pb, τ = 704 Myrs. 1956, Clair Camron Patterson dated the Canyon Diablo meteorite: τ =4.55 Gyrs. c 2012-2021 G. Anderson., O. Harris Universe: Past, Present & Future – slide 4 / 95 Dating Sedimentary Rocks • Relative ages: Deeper layers were deposited earlier • Absolute ages: Decay of radioactive isotopes old (deposited last) oldest (depositedolder first) c 2012-2021 G. Anderson., O. Harris Universe: Past, Present & Future – slide 5 / 95 Grand Canyon: Earth History from 200 million - 2 billion yrs ago. Dating Rocks Life on Earth Earth History Timeline Late Heavy Bombardment Hadean Shark Bay Stromatolites Cyanobacteria Q: Earliest Fossils? Life on Earth O2 History Q: Life on Earth How Did Life Arise? Life in the Solar System Life Around Other Stars Interstellar Travel SETI Review c 2012-2021 G.
    [Show full text]
  • A Direct Communication Proposal to Test the Zoo Hypothesis
    Space Policy 38 (2016) 22e26 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Space Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/spacepol Viewpoint A direct communication proposal to test the Zoo Hypothesis Joao~ Pedro de Magalhaes~ Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Room 245, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK article info abstract Article history: Whether we are alone in the universe is one of the greatest mysteries facing humankind. Given the >100 Received 3 March 2016 billion stars in our galaxy, many have argued that it is statistically unlikely that life, including intelligent Accepted 16 June 2016 life, has not emerged anywhere else. The lack of any sign of extraterrestrial intelligence, even though on a Available online 26 July 2016 cosmic timescale extraterrestrial civilizations would have enough time to cross the galaxy, is known as Fermi's Paradox. One possible explanation for Fermi's Paradox is the Zoo Hypothesis which states that Keywords: one or more extraterrestrial civilizations know of our existence and can reach us, but have chosen not to Active SETI disturb us or even make their existence known to us. I propose here a proactive test of the Zoo Hy- Astrobiology fi Fermi's Paradox pothesis. Speci cally, I propose to send a message using television and radio channels to any extrater- Messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence restrial civilization(s) that might be listening and inviting them to respond. Even though I accept this is METI unlikely to be successful in the sense of resulting in a response from extraterrestrial intelligences, the possibility that extraterrestrial civilizations are monitoring us cannot be dismissed and my proposal is consistent with current scientific knowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • Starry Messages: Searching for Signatures of Interstellar Archaeology
    FERMILAB-PUB-09-607-AD Starry Messages: Searching for Signatures of Interstellar Archaeology Richard A. Carrigan, Jr., Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory*, Batavia, IL 60510, USA [email protected] 630-840-8755 Summary Searching for signatures of cosmic-scale archaeological artifacts such as Dyson spheres or Kardashev civilizations is an interesting alternative to conventional SETI. Uncovering such an artifact does not require the intentional transmission of a signal on the part of the original civilization. This type of search is called interstellar archaeology or sometimes cosmic archaeology. The detection of intelligence elsewhere in the Universe with interstellar archaeology or SETI would have broad implications for science. For example, the constraints of the anthropic principle would have to be loosened if a different type of intelligence was discovered elsewhere. A variety of interstellar archaeology signatures are discussed including non-natural planetary atmospheric constituents, stellar doping with isotopes of nuclear wastes, Dyson spheres, as well as signatures of stellar and galactic-scale engineering. The concept of a Fermi bubble due to interstellar migration is introduced in the discussion of galactic signatures. These potential interstellar archaeological signatures are classified using the Kardashev scale. A modified Drake equation is used to evaluate the relative challenges of finding various sources. With few exceptions interstellar archaeological signatures are clouded and beyond current technological capabilities. However SETI for so- called cultural transmissions and planetary atmosphere signatures are within reach. Keywords: Interstellar archaeology, Dyson spheres, Kardashev scale, SETI, Drake equation ACKNOWLEDGEMENT *Operated by the Fermi Research Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11359 with the United States Department of Energy.
    [Show full text]
  • Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach
    Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach Nathalie A. Cabrol Director, Carl Sagan Center, Pamela Harman, Acting Director, Center for Education Rebecca McDonald Director, Center for Outreach Bill Diamond President & CEO The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach TABLE OF CONTENTS Peer-reviewed publications 10 Conferences: Abstracts & Proceedings 18 Technical Reports & Data Releases 29 Outreach, Media Coverage, Web Stories & Interviews 31 Invited Talks (Professional & Public) 39 Highlights, Significant Events & Activities 46 Fieldwork 52 Honors & Awards 54 Missions, Observations & Strategic Planning 56 Acknowledgements 60 The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach FROM THE SETI INSTITUTE President and CEO Dear friends, The scientists, educators and outreach professionals of the SETI Institute had yet another banner year of productivity in 2017. We are delighted to present our 2nd annual report, cataloging the research and education programs of the Institute, as well as the myriad of mainstream media stories about our people and our work. Among the highlights from this year’s report are 147 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, 225 conference proceedings and abstracts, 172 media stories and interviews, and 177 invited talks.
    [Show full text]
  • New SETI Prospects Opened up by Current Information Networking Elisabeth Piotelat, Florence Raulin-Cerceau
    New SETI prospects opened up by current information networking Elisabeth Piotelat, Florence Raulin-Cerceau To cite this version: Elisabeth Piotelat, Florence Raulin-Cerceau. New SETI prospects opened up by current information networking. International Journal of Astrobiology, Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2013, Special Issue, 12 (3), pp.208-211. 10.1017/S1473550413000141. hal-01360236 HAL Id: hal-01360236 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01360236 Submitted on 27 Sep 2016 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. New SETI prospects opened up by current information networking Elisabeth Piotelat Laboratoire d'Informatique pour la Mécanique et les Sciences de l'Ingénieur (LIMSI-CNRS), Orsay, France Florence Raulin Cerceau Centre Alexandre Koyré (UMR 8560 EHESS/CNRS/MNHN) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France Corresponding author: [email protected] Phone: +33/1 69 85 80 06 Fax: +33/1 69 85 80 88 Address: LIMSI-CNRS, B.P. 133, 91403 Orsay Cedex Abstract This paper proposes to think the fc factor of the Drake equation over, i.e. the fraction of planets with intelligent creatures capable of interstellar communication as defined by Frank Drake in 1961.
    [Show full text]
  • Life in the Universe
    Northeastern Illinois University Life in the Universe Greg Anderson Department of Physics & Astronomy Northeastern Illinois University Winter-Spring 2020 c 2012-2020 G. Anderson Introduction to Astronomy – slide 1 / 92 Northeastern Illinois Overview University Daing Rocks Life on Earth How Did Life Arise? Life in the Solar System Life Around Other Stars Interstellar Travel SETI Review c 2012-2020 G. Anderson Introduction to Astronomy – slide 2 / 92 Northeastern Illinois University Daing Rocks Zircon Dating Sedimentary Grand Canyon Life on Earth How Did Life Arise? Life in the Solar System Life Around Daing Rocks Other Stars Interstellar Travel SETI Review c 2012-2020 G. Anderson Introduction to Astronomy – slide 3 / 92 Northeastern Illinois Zircon Dating University Zircon, (ZrSiO4), minerals incorporate trace amounts of uranium but reject lead. Naturally occuring uranium: • U-238: 99.27% • U-235: 0.72% Decay chains: • 238U −→ 206Pb, τ =4.47 Gyrs. • 235U −→ 207Pb, τ = 704 Myrs. 1956, Clair Camron Patterson dated the Canyon Diablo meteorite: τ =4.55 Gyrs. c 2012-2020 G. Anderson Introduction to Astronomy – slide 4 / 92 Northeastern Illinois Dating Sedimentary Rocks University • Relative ages: Deeper layers were deposited earlier • Absolute ages: Decay of radioactive isotopes old (deposited last) oldest (depositedolder first) c 2012-2020 G. Anderson Introduction to Astronomy – slide 5 / 92 Grand Canyon: Earth History from 200 million - 2 billion yrs ago. Northeastern Illinois University Daing Rocks Life on Earth Earth History Timeline Late Heavy Bombardment Hadean Greenland Shark Bay Stromatolites Cyanobacteria Life on Earth Q: Earliest Fossils? O2 History Q: Life on Earth How Did Life Arise? Life in the Solar System Life Around Other Stars Interstellar Travel SETI Review c 2012-2020 G.
    [Show full text]
  • Quantifying Past Transmissions Using the San Marino Scale
    IAC-07-A4.2.04 QUANTIFYING PAST TRANSMISSIONS USING THE SAN MARINO SCALE Shuch, H. Paul Almár, Iván The SETI League, Inc. Konkoly Observatory 121 Florence Drive Hungarian Academy of Sciences Cogan Station PA 17728 USA Budapest, Hungary [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT To date, at least five experiments which could be classified as Active SETI, or METI (Messaging to Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) have been conducted from Planet Earth: the well-known Arecibo Message of 1974, two Cosmic Call transmissions from Evpatoria, the Teen-Age Message to the Stars also transmitted from Evpatoria, and the paradigm- altering Invitation to ETI, being quasi-transmitted continuously via the Internet. In addi- tion, planetary defense radar transmissions from Earth, radiated for the purpose of detect- ing potentially hazardous asteroids, can be considered inadvertent METI signals, to the extent that they can be detected over interstellar distances. Planetary radar transmissions from both Goldstone and Arecibo are considered. Each of these various emissions is ana- lyzed in terms of duration, directionality, information content, and transmitter power, and then each is assigned an integer ordinal value on the proposed San Marino scale for quan- tifying transmissions from Earth. A comparative analysis of these quantified transmis- sions underscores the difference in impact of various METI experiments, suggesting the utility of the San Marino Scale as a valuable analytical tool for making informed policy decisions. INTRODUCTION ing the potential impact of such trans- missions from Earth. Here we apply the SETI, the well established science San Marino Scale to several historical involved with Searching for Extra- transmissions, to better assess its utility.
    [Show full text]
  • Dissertation
    DISSERTATION Titel der Dissertation „Exotic Life and the Life Supporting Zone as a Basis for the Search for Extraterrestrial Life“ Verfasser Mag.rer.nat. Johannes Leitner angestrebter akademischer Grad Doktor der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) Wien, 2014 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 091 413 Dissertationsgebiet lt. Studienblatt: Astronomie Betreuerin / Betreuer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. i.R. tit. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Maria G. Firneis 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements 3 Abbreviations used in this thesis 5 1. Introduction and Overview 6 1.1 From Classical to Exotic Life 7 1.1.1 Description of the work done by the present author 7 1.2 From the Habitable to the Life Supporting Zone 11 1.2.1 Description of the work done by the present author 16 1.3 CETI/LINCOS – Limits of Mathematical Languages 21 1.3.1 Description of the work done by the present author 21 2. Peer-reviewed Manuscripts 22 The Need of a Non-Earth Centric Concept of Life 23 Simulations of Prebiotic Chemistry under Post-Impact Conditions on Titan 34 The HADES Mission Concept – Astrobiological Survey of Jupiter’s Icy 46 Moon Europa Development of a Model to Compute the Extension of Life Supporting 55 Zones for Earth-Like Exoplanets The Life Supporting Zone of Kepler-22b and the Kepler Planetary 63 Candidates: KOI268.01, KOI701.03, KOI854.0 and KOI1026.01 The Outer Limit of the Life Supporting Zone of Exoplanets Having CO2-Rich 73 Atmospheres: Virtual Exoplanets and Kepler Planetary Candidates The Evolution of LINCOS: A language for Cosmic Interpretation 83 3. Discussion and Summary 88 Abstract (in English) 94 Abstract (in German) 96 List of Tables 98 List of Figures 99 References 100 Curriculum Vitae 104 2 Acknowledgements I want to express my gratitude to Univ.-Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rio Scale Introduction Go to Rio Scale Calculator
    The Rio Scale Introduction Go To Rio Scale Calculator Nearly everyone is familiar with the Richter Scale for quantifying earthquake severity. Can we similarly quantify the importance of a candidate SETI signal? The Rio Scale is an attempt to do just that. It is an ordinal scale between zero and ten, used to quantify the impact of any public announcement regarding evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. The concept was first proposed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (hence its name) by Iván Almár and Jill Tarter in a paper presented to the 51st International Astronautical Congress, 29th Review Meeting on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, in October, 2000. Under their leadership, members of the IAA SETI Committee (and its successor, the IAA SETI Permanent Committee) officially adopted the Rio Scale in 2002, and have continued working to refine and perfect it, in order to bring some objectivity to the otherwise subjective interpretation of any claimed ETI detection. Interpreting Rio Scale Values Precedent In many ways, a public announcement of a discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence would have societal consequences similar to the announcement of the impending impact of a large asteroid. Published in 1997, the so-called Torino Scale quantifies the significance of such a potential threat. The two-dimensional Torino Scale takes into account both the potential damage from such an asteroid impact, and the probability that it will collide with Earth. The Rio Scale described here borrows heavily on the design of the Torino Scale. It similarly attempts to quantify the relative importance of a rare event, in terms of both its potential societal impact and the credibility of the evidence presented.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 a Direct Communication Proposal to Test the Zoo Hypothesis João Pedro
    A direct communication proposal to test the Zoo Hypothesis João Pedro de Magalhães1 1 Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK Contact information: Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Room 245, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; E-mail: contact@active- seti.info Running title: A proactive test of the Zoo Hypothesis 1 Abstract: Whether we are alone in the universe is one of the greatest mysteries facing humankind. Given the >100 billion stars in our galaxy, many have argued that it is statistically unlikely that life, including intelligent life, has not emerged anywhere else. The lack of any sign of extraterrestrial intelligence, even though on a cosmic timescale extraterrestrial civilizations would have enough time to cross the galaxy, is known as Fermi's Paradox. One possible explanation for Fermi's Paradox is the Zoo Hypothesis which states that one or more extraterrestrial civilizations know of our existence and can reach us, but have chosen not to disturb us or even make their existence known to us. I propose here a proactive test of the Zoo Hypothesis. Specifically, I propose to send a message using television and radio channels to any extraterrestrial civilization(s) that might be listening and inviting them to respond. Even though I accept this is unlikely to be successful in the sense of resulting in a response from extraterrestrial intelligences, the possibility that extraterrestrial civilizations are monitoring us cannot be dismissed and my proposal is consistent with current scientific knowledge. Besides, issuing an invitation is technically feasible, cheap and safe, and few would deny the profound importance of establishing contact with one or more extraterrestrial intelligences.
    [Show full text]
  • 1Pg 1 Reading the Works of Isaac Asimov the American Author Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) Was One of the 20Th Century’S Most Prolific Authors
    Notes Where Is Everybody? 1Pg 1 reading the works of Isaac Asimov The American author Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was one of the 20th century’s most prolific authors. He wrote on a vast number of topics—from the Bible to Shakespeare—but it was his science books, both fiction and non-fiction, that had the most impact on me. For a memoir, written towards the end of his life, see Asimov (1994). 2Pg 1 appeared in successive issues The “pro-Fermi” article, by the American geologist and science fiction writer Stephen Lee Gillett (1953–), appeared in the August 1984 issue of Asimov’s. The rebuttal, by the American scientist and author Robert A. Freitas Jr (1952–), appeared in the September issue. A few years later, Gillett expanded upon his original article and pointed out a different interpretation of the “lemming paradox” introduced by Freitas and discussed here on page 2. If Earth were empty except for lemmings then the creatures would be everywhere; but Earth teems with other living things, which out-compete lemmings and limit their spread. The correct conclusion to draw from the non-observation of lemmings is that Earth has an abundance of living species competing for resources (which we knew anyway, because we see life all around us). When we look into space, however, we see nothing that indicates the presence of life. 3Pg 5 latest cosmological measurements The WMAP and Planck space mis- sions have tied down the key numbers describing our universe. For details see, for example, NASA (2012) and ESA (2014). The Physicist Enrico Fermi 4Pg 10 precocious ability in mathematics For details of Fermi’s life I consulted two sources: a biography written by his wife Laura (Fermi 1954); and © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 339 S.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Culturological Aspects of METI Problems with EM Radiation
    128 Some Culturological Aspects of METI Problems with EM Radiation Liliya Filippova and Vladimir Filippov Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Correspondence | [email protected]; [email protected] Citation | Filippova, Liliya, and Vladimir Filippov. 2020. “Some Culturological Aspects of METI Problems with EM Radiation.” Journal of Big History IV (2): 128-135. DOI | https://doi.org/10.22339/jbh.v4i2.4260 Abstract Until the beginning of 2020, from 1974 to 2017, sixteen interstellar radio messages were sent to hypothetical extra- terrestrial civilizations. They were sent from different radio telescopes and had different contents. The METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) projects had different concepts, some of which seem highly controversial. Therefore, a short list of criteria for future METI projects is proposed. As an example, we suggest an interstellar message in the radio frequen- cy range of the electromagnetic spectrum that we call “Golden Wings of a Lemniscate” (GWL). The GWL project is a sim- ple message from Earthlings about their intelligence and readiness for interstellar contact. The digital part of the message contains ten images of lemniscates. The right half of the lemniscate includes the Golden Ratio concept with graphical drawings; the left parts of the lemniscate remain empty for ET reply messages. The experience of developing new projects of interstellar messages, initiative or response, is valuable. In the process of this work, various aspects of METI will be in- vestigated: scientific, technical, informational, cultural, ethical, educational, sociological, psychological, historical, etc. SETI tances of 12 and 10.5 light-years, re- coveries continue (Exoplanet.eu). The In April 1960, at the Green Bank Na- spectively.
    [Show full text]