Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Sid Plait, Atlanta, GA — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:19:32 GMT

What would Dr. Arroway think of all this?

Seriously, this is so cool! I'm sure Carl Sagan is looking down on us (standing with Archimedes, Plato, Hubble, and many others), and smiling.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Rakesh Sharma, San Mateo, Caliornia — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:46:19 GMT

To conserve energy, an advanced civilization will send signals in a beam (as in a torch light) at different points in space at a periodic rate. What are the chances that we will point our telescopes to catch those signals at the right time? We focus the telescope for 98 seconds and then position it to another point in the sky. What if the signal arrived from a direction when the dinosaurs were here (say), but now that we point in the same direction, we don't get anything because that civilization is extinct.

With so many stars in the universe, the chances are that an intelligent civilization may exist. But I won't be surprised if SETI does not detect anything after 50000 years of exploration. Huge distances and the finite speed of light lowers the chances of detection. That's my solution to Fermi's paradox.

Maybe nanobots, traveling at an appreciable fraction of the speed of light will be one day be a smarter way to explore the universe?

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Anthra-Andromda, Dallas, Tx — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:45:05 GMT

Way cool!! Unfortunately you won't find us that way. Almost every civilization that is advanced only a little further than Earth doesn't use radio any more.

If you want to hear from E.T. ask your governments, they have been in contact for better than 60 years. Or, just pay attention, we are here and trying to make public contact [http://alien.wolfmagick.com]

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Mark, Massachusetts — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:53:54 GMT

Just based on the staggering size of the universe (there more galaxies in the universe than there are stars in our milkyway galaxy) I'm convinced there must be other intelligent life out there. And I agree we should be looking for it. But that said, I think the chances of finding evidence of distant communications is pretty remote. I think the biggest issue is that there is probably a pretty narrow window between when a civilization develops the simply ability to communicate via radio and when it starts to communicate using methods we can't detect. If needed, it would be a fairly trivial task to build a communication capability where the signal resembled white noise. All you have to do is develop an encryption protocol than make use of variable frequencies. I'd even bet our military has a capability like this already.

So, the way to think about is: If we don't try to find a signal our chances of finding and ET signal is zero. If we do try, then our chance are better than zero, but still probably pretty thin.

Realistically, ET will probably 'let himself' be heard when he's ready to do so.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

John Doe, Seattle, Wash — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:31:16 GMT

ok what a waste of resources. With so many intelligent beings here on earth needing help? Change our existenntial perspective? Millions starving? That is a perspective. so far, thirty years of intense research investment has yet to yield any evidence for a single extraterresrial body capable of supporting life. for the existence of any indigenous life building molecules, or even a star capable of producing the enerrgy spectrum and history advanced life requires.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:10:39 GMT

I don't think any credible E.T. would announce their comming if they had verified this planet to be habitable for Terrestrial Intelligent Lifeforms who could easily wipe their small number of spacecrafts out on approach. Don't you think 'THEY' didn't anticipate DEFENSIVE COUNTERMEASURES once they've detected a large quantity of technology on this very planet and airplanes/airjets constantly roaming the Earth's skies?!? Even when they are searching for stranded ones of their kind, those eXtra Terrestrials would be eXtra-carefull NOT to be noticed at all: STEALTH VISITS have their preferences although many (even credible!!!) sightings have been seen over the decades by inhabitants of this unique planet. They would think this planet Unique simply because of its abundant variety of not only lifeforms, but also the scientific advancements and the infrastructure running through all continents and the aquatic world (Water = LIFE)...so should an E.T. happen to pass by...they WOULD check our planet out...STEALTHILY!!!

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Fancy — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:32:01 GMT

You know it occurs to me that maybe alien life is not using radio waves. If the tech progresses enough we may give those up too one day.

That is if they are advanced and if not maybe the signals not are strong enough to reach earth. Big universe ya know.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Don, Honolulu, HI — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:45:52 GMT

This report is horribly biased. If we had taken this attitude 600 years ago, the world would still be considered flat. Some of us look at exploration as a natural course of our existence. Mr Boyle obviously revels in his ignorance. He has my pity.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Adam, Atlanta, GA — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:24:48 GMT

"And one of these days, those astronomers just might get a computerized e-mail that doesn't have a big fat zero on the bottom line. Then what?"

The collapse of organized religion, the rise of a unified world government and declassification space weapons.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

rich c , salisbury ma — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:34:10 GMT

I've often seen and read about these projects as being dismissed as paranormal research which is a shame. I'm very happy to hear this project is up and running, with the population rising exponentially over the last 1000 years, I can't imagine the overcrowding this planet will experience in the relatively not to distant future. I think these studies are vital to prove that other planets are habitable. Throughout the history of mankind we've had to expand and spread out to survive. It will happen again one day. SETI will be a crucial factor when its time to expand again

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Howard, Levittown PA — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:08:57 GMT

A participant in the pilot special for the History Channel series, "Life After People" pointed out that most radio signals coming from us will fade 2 light years out. I don't recall anything said about concentrated signals, however. But that doesn't say much about what we'll find, or not, out there; nothing was said about the strength of the scan either.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

W.A. Nicholson, Oklahoma City, OK — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:29:44 GMT

Well, I hope that ET gives us a call sometime in my lifetime. What an exciting discovery that would be.
And I applaud the efforts of SETI and all the others who are standing by their intergalactic phones waiting for that call.

But I can't shake the fear that we are "listening" for the wrong signal. It seems to me that we're looking for the Alpha Centauri version of an "I Love Lucy" broadcast and that may not be how another sentient culture communicates.

That "hiss" or space noise that we dismiss may, in fact, be the very message we've been waiting for.

What is being done to consider alternate communication systems?

Anybody?

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

haaaa — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:43:23 GMT

Aliens have already contacted us, invaded, and taken control - Barrack Obama - otherwise known as Ebe Jebe...

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

John in Moapa — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:43:24 GMT

With all those alien crashes around the world you'd think at least one UFO occupant would have survived to tell us where to point the telescopes. Hmmmmmmmm.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Eric, Salinas, CA — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:58:26 GMT

Great article Alan! It's still early on in our SETI search and someday hopefully we will get ET's message. Then the trick will be to interpret the message, no mean feat when we won't have their language down pat. Still it's exciting that we may discover intelligent life somewhere in our own galaxy. We're way out on the outskirts of our galaxy so it's no wonder this search is taking time. We just have to have extreme patience and persistence.

Go Endeavour!

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Tony — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:31:45 GMT

How many people are dying of hunger everyday? Seems worth the 50mil.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Bob Oar, Huntsville, AL — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:36:04 GMT

Exchanging communication would take incredibly long amounts of time. Travel would be next to impossible.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

mjk NH — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:19:34 GMT

Didn't Jodie Foster already find the alien signal?

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Jody — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:27:19 GMT

My question is why spend the money to do all of this in the first place? Almost every sane person knows they exist. It's not a secret. Just be patient. They will make themselves seen and heard by everyone when they want to.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

onevoice, Frederick MD — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:38:47 GMT

Go SETI! from one random supporter!

Only complaint I have is that we should be sending out signals as well! Even if no Human or alien ever develops the ability to fly between the stars, it still answers deep philosophical questions for both of us. We're acting like the worst kind of neighbor. We're sitting at a half closed window in a darkened room and peering out at the other windows with our binoculars. What kind of paranoid xenophobic creatures are we?

Open the shades, turn on the lights, tell the universe that we're here. Who knows, someday a million years from now, we may stop a billion little green men, women and children from blowing their own world to smithereens.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

JEB, Columbus, Ohio — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:08:50 GMT

I think this is a fantastic project! And it's even better that funding, at least some of it, came from private benefactors. This way people who aren't for using government funds to search for E.T., or fund space research in general, can keep their mouth shut ;) Way to go guys (and gals)!

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Buddha Dude, Toronto, Canada — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:18:24 GMT

Wooooooo Whoooooo… All right SETI! I have been running Seti@ home since the beginning and I am glad they finally have their own hardware that can run it 24/7.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

W.A. Nicholson, Oklahoma City, OK — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:45:36 GMT

Ok, I must respond to the neo-con xenophobe who made the comment regarding our President. [...]

Maybe with a rational human being finally running this country ET will feel like there is someone worth communicating with in the White House!

Sure not the case for the last 8 years.

Having said that, let's get back to the intelligent conversation regarding the search for life elsewhere in the galaxy and stop reinforcing the belief that there is NO intelligent life on Earth.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Josh, Charlotte, NC — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:47:13 GMT

If one of your starting assumptions is that life arose from spontaneous generation which was followed by evolution, it is not only logical that other sentient life will have developed in the universe but imperative. Probability nearly demands the existence of other locations where evolution began. This should not bother one who believes in a God, because a Creator could choose whether to make one race or many. Naturalism cannot make any such decision. SETI's inability to produce evidence confirming extraterrestrial life is a hard blow to atheistic naturalism.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Dragan Tomas, Nashville, Tennessee — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:15:39 GMT

I liked the idea the first time I've heard of it, but to tell you the truth I doubt that an advanced alien civilization would utilize "radio signals" in a classic sense of the word as in using an amplitude (AM) or frequency modulated (FM) carrier signals or any subsets or combinations of those two. With the way our own radio technology has advanced in just 50 years time when it comes to transferring information using digital encryption, compression, better channel separation, ever higher frequencies, side bands and what not... how is it possible for us to recognize what is and what isn't a real 'ET alien radio transmission'? Remember, waves come in many forms... who is to say that we have learned already how to 'ride' all the waves? Maybe we still don't have the right 'board'? Maybe we need a better, Alien invented and approved 'Sex Wax'? I think that our linear, 3D thinking is suffering from a form of inspirational malnutrition.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Thomas Ashby — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:24:50 GMT

Dragan of Tennessee (oh what is the native tranlation for Tennessee ?)

You raise an excellent point. But any such civilization that is capable of pondering nature and learning how it works and then using and manipulating nature in the same basic ways we do, would have to draw similar conclusions about how to go about communicating across vast distances. They would have to come to similar conclusions as ourselves. The best one is the 21 cm band or hydrogen emission. It is universal.

If you have a walkie talkie that has say 20 possible channels to randomly listen to someone, What channel do you first choose? I highly doubt it would be channel 20. Most likely you would start with channel one.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

John Merritt — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:55:13 GMT

Do you really think 'they' are going to send you any info via transmissions? If I was 'them' I would actually place people here on earth where they can communicate and collect their 'data' first hand. Now does that not sound logical? You guys think too much. Keep it simple.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Jeff, Newark, Ohio — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:25:14 GMT

"And one of these days, those astronomers just might get a computerized e-mail that doesn't have a big fat zero on the bottom line. Then what?"

After the party, someone realizes that the message took so long to get here that the sending civilization has been extinct since before humans were on earth.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

jesse b,apple valley,ca. — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:25:41 GMT

we are not alone..I believe, there are ET's out there..sorry, I don't believe in ET's coming here in UFOs..the ET's are constrained to their galaxy, just like us..no possible chance of survival or warp distance travel, same problem here..whether they have intelligence beyond ours, is highly speculative..as far as diet..alien beef jerky, is sold in Baker, California..Roswell, New Mexico is a alien favorite hang out..illegal aliens are every where, perhaps invasion,went unnoticed..LOL

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

john — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:19:17 GMT

the aliens already think we're a bunch of boobs

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Ilya Stavinsky, Park Ridge,NJ — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:02:34 GMT

I am surprised that scientists are still searching for intelligence outside of Solar system trying different methods to communicate with them. Why I am surprised, because these advanced civilizations already are here on our planet. They use more than 100000 spacecrafts , known as AFOs (Aliens Flying Object), that are hovering the space of our Earth...
Article "Aleins live in our Earth's atmosphere" sites.google.com/site/socialcapital1/Home

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Mike Parus, Lombard, Illinois — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:04:42 GMT

"And one of these days, those astronomers just might get a computerized e-mail that doesn't have a big fat zero on the bottom line. Then what?"

They will simply invent a rational explanation for it, like they did with the pulsars. Then they will continue with the search.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Bob Krekorian,Hillsboro,oregon — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:42:41 GMT

SETI and the Allen Telescope Array

This is a good day for science, the citizens of the United States and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The 32 million dollar request to support the Allen Telescope Array by the US National Science Foundation is not in the 2006 NSF budget.

It is noteworthy that the proposal was submitted to the NSF by Cornell University and not by the SETI Institute and describes traditional radio astronomy. Are they trying to hide SETI from the eyes of Congress as they did in 1992 when they changed the name to HRMS (High Resolution Microwave Survey) in the NASA appropriations bill? The following year, Congress terminated the SETI project. The House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (109th Congress) has been briefed about SETI, past and present.

As someone who worked on the NASA SETI project for 15 years and was the one who told the SETI Institute about Paul Allen's interest in SETI, I am dismayed to see what is happening.

According to Leo Blitz, the [UC,Berkeley] Radio Astronomy's Lab's director, "this is probably the best spot in the country to put the array." Referring to the Allen Telescope Array at Hat Creek,CA. The Astronomy Magazine, Sept,2004, Listening for a whisper by Seth Shostak.

"You may not be able to get a cell-phone signal, find a radio station or easily persuade your rabbit ears to tune in a televised baseball game, but the radio quiet above Hat Creek makes the wilds of eastern Shasta County a prime zone for exploring the frontiers of science". The Redding Record Searchlight, April 4,2004, Hat Creek silence is scientific gold for astronomers by Bruce Ross.

"It's quiet here -- radio quiet which is just what we need," says Professor Jack Welch about Hat Creek. The San Francisco Chronicle, Feb 14,2002, article by David Perlman.

These comments do not coincide with reality. What Carl Sagan referred to as prime SETI frequency territory will be severely impacted by cell-phone transmissions at this site. Katabatic winds coming off the Hat Creek rim make this an ideal place for a paragliding launch site, but bad for radio astronomy. Winds in excess of 100mph destroyed the University of California radio telescope at Hat Creek in 1993. There are people living near the Hat Creek Observatory, there is a large RV campground 1/2 mile away, the distance to the main highway 89 is one mile and there is snow at the 41 degree geographical latitude.
See http://astocker.com/pg/04/06hatcreek/

cell-phone bands second harmonic
808 - 821MHz 1616 - 1642MHz
851 - 866 1702 - 1732
869 - 894 1738 - 1788
928 - 929 1856 - 1858
931 - 932 1862 - 1864
932 - 935 1864 - 1870
941 - 944 1882 - 1888
944 - 960 1888 - 1920

Operational fixed radio transmissions at Burney,CA which is 10 miles from Hat Creek.

1805MHz 5974.85MHz 6595MHz 6735MHz
2112 6034.15 6615 6755
2192.8 6063.8 6645 6765
2199.82 6123.1 6715.625 6775
5845 6152.75 6725 6795
5945.2 6545 6730 6805

Hat Creek is a poor site for a SETI radio telescope especially when one compares it to the Leigh Ranch. The Leigh Ranch is 880 acres of privately owned land situated in the Los Padres National Forest surrounded by mountains ranging from 2000 to 5000 feet in elevation. It is noteworthy that US National Forest land is a defacto radio quiet zone in that radio transmitters are prohibited except in a few designated areas. Here is what Professor Frank Drake said in a letter to the owner of the Leigh Ranch. "The Leigh Ranch is really a beautiful place. The topography at the Ranch and the absence of human activity, makes it an extremely good site for a radio telescope". A picture of the Leigh Ranch was sent to the National Science Foundation.

The proposed Allen Telescope Array is supposed to revolutionize SETI research. But when one factors in antenna particulars that will bring down the sensitivity of the radio telescope, it loses its value to SETI.

The people behind the Allen Telescope Array are the same ones who were the leaders of the NASA SETI project with its failure to develop functional and reliable targeted search signal processing equipment. The use of this equipment by the SETI Institute for the last 10 years raises some serious questions. See my letter to the US National Forest Service that was published as a letter to the editor in the March 5,2003 issue of the Burney,CA InterMountain News - Hat Creek Observatory. It is on the www.openseti.org website, SETI Institute's Ethics and Integrity Questioned.
http://www.zeitlin.net/OpenSETI/Read3.html
Google window [seti ethics] will also get it.

Not long ago, SETI Institute board member Linda Bernardi called me and asked what I was trying to achieve? Here is my answer. We hope to see the day when there is a SETI group that makes scientific integrity and engineering excellence its foremost objectives in the quest to detect extraterrestrial life. SETI needs a Dr. Ellie Arroway.

Bob Krekorian

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Bati — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:02:03 GMT

maybe flashing ultra strong light beam using sun rays and mirrors in outer space and pointed to other galaxies like a morse code might attract alien.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

nikki beman, leeds, west yorkshire — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:33:45 GMT

When you look at the universe carefuly, you will see the incredible uniformity that spreads to every sector of this vast, bleek and frankly frightening void that we all see in the sky. galaxy's all look relatively similar in, shape and size, they're all spread out, nice and evenly, the temperature, we now know, is the same accross the vastness of the universe. Is somebody going to tell me that the frightening uniformity we see stops at life....NO!!. I truly beleive the uniformity is a natural law, and that life exists, albeit scattered, in every galaxy. Not only 1 or 2 civilizations in every galaxy but abundences of life. there is a pattern,an equilibrium if you will. We will find out one day, that is certain!

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Your name, city and state — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:46:41 GMT

Since we're on the topic of communication, I have to wonder about this. IF there were incoming signals from (fill in the blank), what's to say we could even intercept them let alone interpret? My point is this. What if the signals are of a frequency or type that is beyond our logic and known reality i.e. maybe it isn't even sound, maybe it's light or something entirely different.

Sure does make this job a lot harder. Since you can't seem to capture anything valuable regarding sound, maybe start looking for something else.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Artur Gajewski, Helsinki, Finland — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:54:08 GMT

One thing I started of thinking when I read this article, is that what if the civilization we are looking for is exactly in the same technological level as we are. If so, one could think they have their own SETI as well. So what happens then? We both listen, but we don't send. Neither them or us will get contact, se we both just wait for the call and neither of us actually do grab the phone and make the call.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Deanna Adams, Erie, PA — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:29:55 GMT

I read the blog entry and was wondering why you were looking for the signals on such a restricted frequency. Just because we communicate in such a way does not necessarilly meant that all other intelligent life out there does. Have you considered that they may choose to communicate in the same way in which we communicated with them? In binary signals. Maybe we should not be dismissing these on-off communications so quickly as to be eliminating the possibility of contact. Post this or don't, it's your choice but you will be making a mistake by limiting your communication with them to just radio frequency waves.

Hey, E.T.! The line is open

Markus A, Atlanta, Ga. — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:48:11 GMT

DON'T DO IT !!! I believe there is life out there. I believe that it not wise to get their attention. First, if they are benign, we will exploit them. Second, if they are hostile, they will exploit us. Third, I think we matter more than they do, money spent on correcting our world's problems first would be better than hoping that E.T. will give us a quick fix. Lastly is my analogy of a small child at night alone in the big field of central park calling out for someone to come visit. Think about it. If a civilization can travel thru space and time, they are not coming here to say Hi. Would we? Did we ever just say Hi to a continent that was an inferior to our firepower. Of course not, we took their land and gave them small pox. For your own home experiment, try sticking your head in a bee's nest to say Hi. Remember, they may not hear well so be sure to yell loudly so they'll know you're friendly.