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Project Cyclops : a Design Study of a System for Detecting
^^^^m•i.j . --f'v.i^ "^y^-!^ A Design Study of a System for Detecting Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life '• >..-, i,C%' PREPARED UNDER STANFORD /NASA /AMES RESEARCH CENTER >J^1t> 1971 SUMMER FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN ENGINEERING SYSTEMS DESIGr CR 114445 (Revised Edition 7/73) Available to the public rB' ^ A Design Study of a System for Detecting Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life PREPARED UNDER STANFORD/ NASA/AMES RESEARCH CENTER 1971 SUMMER FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN ENGINEERING SYSTEMS DESIGN Further copies of this report may be obtained by writing to Dr. John Billingham NASA/ Ames Research Center, Code LT Moffett Field, California 94035 weixesunr colligc LWRART CYCLOPS PEOPLE Co-Directors: Bernard M. Oliver Stanford University (Summer appointment) John Billingham Ames Research Center, NASA System Design and Advisory Group: James Adams Stanford University Edwin L. Duckworth San Francisco City College Charles L. Seeger New Mexico State University George Swenson University of Illinois Antenna Structures Group: Lawrence S. Hill California State College L.A. John Minor New Mexico State University Ronald L. Sack University of Idaho Harvey B. Sharfstein San Jose State College Pennsylvania Alan 1. Soler University of Receiver Group: Washington Ward J. Helms University of William Hord Southern Illinois University Pierce Johnson University of Missouri C. ReedPredmore Rice University Transmission and Control Group: Marvin Siegel Michigan State University Jon A. Soper Michigan Technological University Henry J. Stalzer, Jr. Cooper Union Signal Processing Group: Jonnie B. Bednar University of Tulsa Douglas B. Brumm Michigan Technological University James H. Cook Cleveland State University Robert S. Dixon Ohio State University Johnson Luh Purdue University Francis Yu Wayne State University /./ la J C, /o ) •»• < . -
Radio Astronomy
Edition of 2013 HANDBOOK ON RADIO ASTRONOMY International Telecommunication Union Sales and Marketing Division Place des Nations *38650* CH-1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland Fax: +41 22 730 5194 Printed in Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 730 6141 Geneva, 2013 E-mail: [email protected] ISBN: 978-92-61-14481-4 Edition of 2013 Web: www.itu.int/publications Photo credit: ATCA David Smyth HANDBOOK ON RADIO ASTRONOMY Radiocommunication Bureau Handbook on Radio Astronomy Third Edition EDITION OF 2013 RADIOCOMMUNICATION BUREAU Cover photo: Six identical 22-m antennas make up CSIRO's Australia Telescope Compact Array, an earth-rotation synthesis telescope located at the Paul Wild Observatory. Credit: David Smyth. ITU 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means whatsoever, without the prior written permission of ITU. - iii - Introduction to the third edition by the Chairman of ITU-R Working Party 7D (Radio Astronomy) It is an honour and privilege to present the third edition of the Handbook – Radio Astronomy, and I do so with great pleasure. The Handbook is not intended as a source book on radio astronomy, but is concerned principally with those aspects of radio astronomy that are relevant to frequency coordination, that is, the management of radio spectrum usage in order to minimize interference between radiocommunication services. Radio astronomy does not involve the transmission of radiowaves in the frequency bands allocated for its operation, and cannot cause harmful interference to other services. On the other hand, the received cosmic signals are usually extremely weak, and transmissions of other services can interfere with such signals. -
The Search for Another Earth-Like Planet and Life Elsewhere Joshua Krissansen-Totton and David C
2 The Search for Another Earth-Like Planet and Life Elsewhere joshua krissansen-totton and david c. catling Introduction Is there life beyond Earth? Unlike most of the great cosmic questions pondered by anyone who has spent an evening of wonder beneath starry skies, this one seems accessible, perhaps even answerable. Other equally profound questions such as “Why does the universe exist?” and “How did life begin?” are perhaps more diffi- cult to address and must have complex explanations. But when one asks, “Is there life beyond Earth?” the answer is “Yes” or “No”. Yet despite the apparent simplic- ity, either conclusion would have profound implications. Few scientific discoveries have the power to reshape our sense of place inthe cosmos. The Copernican Revolution, the first such discovery, marked the birth of modern science. Suddenly, the Earth was no longer the center of the universe. This revelation heralded a series of findings that further diminished our perceived self- importance: the cosmic distance scale (Bessel, 1838), the true size of our galaxy (Shapley, 1918), the existence of other galaxies (Hubble, 1925), and finally, the large-scale structure and evolution of the cosmos. As Carl Sagan put it, “The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena” (Sagan, 1994, p. 6). Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was the next perspective- shifting discovery. By providing a scientific explanation for the complexity and diversity of life, the theory of evolution replaced the almost universal belief that each organism was designed by a creator. Every species, including our own, was a small twig in an immense and slowly changing tree of life, driven by variation and natural selection. -
The Origins and Development of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, 1959-1971 Sierra E
James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Masters Theses The Graduate School Spring 2012 "A cosmic Rorschach test": The origins and development of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, 1959-1971 Sierra E. Smith James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019 Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Sierra E., ""A cosmic Rorschach test": The origins and development of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, 1959-1971" (2012). Masters Theses. 334. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019/334 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the The Graduate School at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “A Cosmic Rorschach Test”: The Origins and Development of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, 1959-1971 Sierra E. Smith A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts History May 2012 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my thesis committee who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to guide me through this process. Despite being dragged into the twentieth century, Dr. Alison Sandman, my thesis director, helped articulate the ideas for my project far better than I could have alone. Thought-provoking conversations with Dr. Kevin Borg ensured that I thought broadly and deeply about both my project and my future plans. Dr. Steven Guerrier’s open door and enthusiasm for my project has been a constant throughout my graduate experience. -
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) - the Next Steps (34Th Symposium) (IAA.1.1) (A4.) SETI I - Technical Aspects (1.)
56th International Astronautical Congress 2005 Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) - The Next Steps (34th Symposium) (IAA.1.1) (A4.) SETI I - Technical Aspects (1.) Author Dr. Douglas A. Vakoch The SETI Institute, United States, [email protected] ADVANTAGES OF ACTIVE SETI Abstract This paper will examine the potential benefits of Active SETI, a prospect raised in the Project Cyclops report, which noted “if our first search of the nearest 1000 target stars produced negative results we might wish to transmit beacons to these stars for a year or more before carrying the search deeper into space” (p. 153). Renewed discussion of that possibility is particularly timely in light of the recent completion of Project Phoenix, which surveyed nearly 1000 nearby stars. It has often been argued that the young age of human civilization, when compared to the older age of any extraterrestrial civilization we may contact, justifies our reliance on passive SETI as opposed to transmitting. Because transmission is more costly and requires longer timescales to succeed, the argument goes, we should be expected to take the easier role. However, this reasoning presupposes that the motivations of extraterrestrial civilizations are sufficiently benevolent that they will transmit de novo rather than only in reciprocation, and that they choose to make contact even prior to learning that we desire contact. This paper examines an alternative scenario, in which entry into the Galactic Club requires initiative on the part of the applicant, rather than passively waiting for an invitation. It proposes a solution to the troubling possibility that many civilizations are listening but none is transmitting. -
Searches for Life and Intelligence Beyond Earth
Technologies of Perception: Searches for Life and Intelligence Beyond Earth by Claire Isabel Webb Bachelor of Arts, cum laude Vassar College, 2010 Submitted to the Program in Science, Technology and Society in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology September 2020 © 2020 Claire Isabel Webb. All Rights Reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author: _____________________________________________________________ History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society August 24, 2020 Certified by: ___________________________________________________________________ David Kaiser Germeshausen Professor of the History of Science (STS) Professor of Physics Thesis Supervisor Certified by: ___________________________________________________________________ Stefan Helmreich Elting E. Morison Professor of Anthropology Thesis Committee Member Certified by: ___________________________________________________________________ Sally Haslanger Ford Professor of Philosophy and Women’s and Gender Studies Thesis Committee Member Accepted by: ___________________________________________________________________ Graham Jones Associate Professor of Anthropology Director of Graduate Studies, History, Anthropology, and STS Accepted by: ___________________________________________________________________ -
Ames in the 1970S and 1980S
Atmosphere of Freedom Sixty Years at the NASA Ames Research Center Wheat in crop growth chamber under red LED lights and low pressure sodium lamps. 98 Diverse Challenges Explored with Unified Spirit Chapter 3: Ames in the 1970s and 1980s Two events make 1969 the year to mark the next era in Ames history. First, Apollo 11 returned safely from its landing on the Moon, signalling the beginning of the end of the lunar landing mission that drove NASA almost from its start. NASA had yet to decide what to do for its second act, and its flurry of strategic planning took place against an uncertain political backdrop. Much of the American public— including both political conservatives concerned with rampant inflation and political liberals concerned with technocratic government—began to doubt the value of NASA’s big plans. NASA had downplayed the excitement of interplanetary exploration as it focused on the Moon. Congress and the American aerospace industry, under pressure from a resurgent European aerospace industry, began to doubt if NASA really wanted the aeronautics part of its name. NASA had to justify its budget with quicker results, better science, and relevance to earthly problems. The second major event of 1969 was the arrival of Hans Mark as Ames’ director. Mark, himself, displayed a force of personality, a breadth of Michael McGreevy holding a intellect, and an aggressive management style. More significantly, Mark arrived as rumors televised rock in his virtual hand circulated that Ames would be shut down. Thus, Ames people gave him a good amount of using the Ames EXOS Dexterous room to reshape their institution. -
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. -
General Interstellar Issue
Journal of the British Interplanetary Society VOLUME 73 NO.7 JULY 2020 General Interstellar Issue PROTOCOLS FOR ENCOUNTER WITH EXTRATERRESTRIALS: lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic John W. Traphagan & Ken Wisian WATER AND AIR CONSUMPTION ABOARD INTERSTELLAR ARKS Frédéric Marin & Camille Beluffi HABITABILITY OF M DWARFS: a problem for the traditional SETI Milan M. Cirkovic & Branislav Vukotic ON A SPECTRAL PATTERN OF THE VON NEUMANN PROBES Z. Osmanov REWORKING THE SETI PARADOX: METI’s Place on the Continuum of Astrobiological Signaling Thomas Cortellesi DYNAMIC VACUUM MODEL and Casimir Cavity Experiments Harold White, Paul Bailey, James Lawrence, Jeff George & Jerry Vera www.bis-space.com ISSN 0007-084X PUBLICATION DATE: 31 JULY 2020 Submitting papers International Advisory Board to JBIS JBIS welcomes the submission of technical Rachel Armstrong, Newcastle University, UK papers for publication dealing with technical Peter Bainum, Howard University, USA reviews, research, technology and engineering in astronautics and related fields. Stephen Baxter, Science & Science Fiction Writer, UK James Benford, Microwave Sciences, California, USA Text should be: James Biggs, The University of Strathclyde, UK ■ As concise as the content allows – typically 5,000 to 6,000 words. Shorter papers (Technical Notes) Anu Bowman, Foundation for Enterprise Development, California, USA will also be considered; longer papers will only Gerald Cleaver, Baylor University, USA be considered in exceptional circumstances – for Charles Cockell, University of Edinburgh, UK example, in the case of a major subject review. Ian A. Crawford, Birkbeck College London, UK ■ Source references should be inserted in the text in square brackets – [1] – and then listed at the Adam Crowl, Icarus Interstellar, Australia end of the paper. -
"The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life"
Portland State University PDXScholar Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers Special Collections and University Archives 10-2-1975 "The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life" Donald L. DeVincenzi Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/orspeakers Part of the The Sun and the Solar System Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation DeVincenzi, Donald L., ""The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life"" (1975). Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers. 91. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/orspeakers/91 This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. “The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life,” Donald L. DeVincenzi Portland State University October 2, 1975 PSU Library Special Collections and University Archives Oregon Public Speakers Collection https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/orspeakers/91/ Transcribed by Kincaid Davis, April 10, 2020 Audited by Carolee Harrison, June 2020 PSU Library Special Collections and University Archives presents these recordings as part of the historical record. They reflect the recollections and opinions of the individual speakers and are not intended to be representative of the views of Portland State University. They may contain language, ideas, or stereotypes that are offensive to others. CARL DITTMER: On behalf of Portland State University, the College of Science, the Auxiliary Academic Activities Committee, the Environmental Sciences Seminar Committee, and the Division of Continuing Education, I welcome you to this lecture. It is a privilege to be able to present a speaker who will talk on a subject so vital to us as the one tonight. -
Astrobiology Math
National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Aeronautics National Astrobiology Math This collection of activities is based on a weekly series of space science problems intended for students looking for additional challenges in the math and physical science curriculum in grades 6 through 12. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering issues, often involving actual research data. The problems were designed to be one-pagers with a Teacher’s Guide and Answer Key as a second page. This compact form was deemed very popular by participating teachers. Astrobiology Math Mathematical Problems Featuring Astrobiology Applications Dr. Sten Odenwald NASA / ADNET Corp. [email protected] Astrobiology Math i http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov Acknowledgments: We would like to thank Ms. Daniella Scalice for her boundless enthusiasm in the review and editing of this resource. Ms. Scalice is the Education and Public Outreach Coordinator for the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) at the Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. We would also like to thank the team of educators and scientists at NAI who graciously read through the first draft of this book and made numerous suggestions for improving it and making it more generally useful to the astrobiology education community: Dr. Harold Geller (George Mason University), Dr. James Kratzer (Georgia Institute of Technology; Doyle Laboratory) and Ms. Suzi Taylor (Montana State University), For more weekly classroom activities about astronomy and space visit the Space Math@ NASA website, http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov Image Credits: Front Cover: Collage created by Julie Fletcher (NAI), molecule image created by Jenny Mottar, NASA HQ. -
Searchlites Vol
SearchLites Vol. 22 No. 4, Autumn 2016 The Quarterly Newsletter of The SETI League, Inc. Offices: 433 Liberty Street Don't Stop the Presses Little Ferry NJ By H. Paul Shuch, Executive Director Emeritus 07643 USA Phone: Every decade or so, the SETI community is treated to a tantalizing (201) 641-1770 (though inconclusive) hint that the existence proof we seek may indeed Facsimile: (201) 641-1771 be within our grasp. Invariably, the popular press seizes upon incom- Email: plete information to increase circulation by prematurely announcing [email protected] Web: our success. In the 1960s, the discovery at CalTech of quasar CTA- www.setileague.org 102 was heralded as proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, until cooler President heads prevailed and the true nature of the source was uncovered. In Richard Factor the 1970s, the Ohio State University “Wow!” signal was similarly ex- Registered Agent: aggerated. In The SETI League’s early days, the EQ Pegasi hoax (fol- Anthony Agnello lowed shortly by the Pearl Harbor Hoax) achieved their fifteen minutes Secretary/Treasurer: A. Heather Wood of fame. Now, we’re at it again with wild speculations about a single presumed detection associated with the star HD 164595. Executive Director Emeritus: H. Paul Shuch, Ph.D. The facts as I understand them are fairly straightforward. About a Trustee: year and a half ago, our Russian colleagues used the RATAN-600 tran- Martin Schreiber, CPA sit radio telescope to conduct a routine RF survey of the regions of the sky surrounding promising Kepler exoplanet locations. Using an ex- Advisory Board: Anthony Agnello tremely broadband receiver at a wavelength of 2.7 cm, their data re- Greg Bear vealed an extremely brief RF peak somewhere between 10.6 and 11.6 Paul Davies, Ph.D.