What Do We Do When We Discover Extraterrestrial Aliens?

 We humans have numerous scientific activities currently involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). These include observations of numerous star systems looking for radio signals. as, for example, radar signals like those our airports send into space. The spacecraft we have sent to study the other planets and moons in our solar system have found intriguing hints of microbial life. However, we have yet to find any concrete proof of any life anywhere other than on Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope can study planets orbiting other stars, searching for potential signs in their atmospheres that might indicate technological presence. Again, we have not yet found any such signs, only possible hints.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Credit NASA

Most astronomers and other scientists believe it to be just a matter of time before such discoveries are made. What should we do then? Kate Genevieve from the Astro Ecologies Institution led a study that included 13 other researchers from various universities. They believe that previous preparation efforts, including the most recent guidelines, which were developed in 1989 (pre-World Wide Web), are outdated.

The study authors believe we need a detailed plan. NASA and the global scientific community, they say, should prepare for the moment humanity detects signs of extraterrestrial intelligence in the internet age. The research paper states that "a technosignature detection will trigger a complex global process shaped by uncertainty, misinformation, and multiple ideological stakeholders."

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One area of preparation that the study says needs much more research on is how to understand minds that think radically differently from the way humans do. We need to develop "Other Minds" paradigms. Techniques the paper claims we need include studying whale songs and bird navigation to understand communication patterns in non-human entities. Whales, dolphins, and birds represent some of the most intelligent non-primate species on Earth, making studying them a good way to start learning how other intelligences think.

The authors also state that we need research studies on “the psychological, social, and global dynamics of post-detection scenarios.” They suggest analyzing science fiction to learn how different cultures imagine alien contact, giving us insight into how Earthlings as a whole might react, and providing an understanding of expectations and fears.

The team members strongly emphasize the need for strong international coordination of efforts and programs now. A fractured response by different nations could well lead to severe problems.

The paper doesn’t say that detection of extraterrestrial intelligence will occur soon, but it emphasizes that with new technologies like the Webb Space Telescope and the soon-to-be-operational Vera C. Rubin Observatory, such discoveries could come soon. The researchers feel we need to do much more before aliens come calling.

 

    Each month, I write an astronomy-related column for the Oklahoman newspaper. After it is published there, I post that same column to my blog page.

     This is reprinted with permission from the Oklahoman and www.Oklahoman.com.

Did an Alien Race Signal Us?

 Astronomer Frank Drake first pointed a radio telescope toward the skies in 1960 in a deliberate search for alien signals, and SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, began. Since then, astronomers have spent many thousands of hours searching for alien signals.

In 1965, Ohio State University built the Big Ear radio telescope specifically to search for alien transmissions. On the night of August 15, 1977, astronomers ran an automated scanning program in a region of the constellation Sagittarius. At 10:16 p.m., the telescope detected a 72-second burst of radio noise in the frequency range astronomers thought the best to search for alien signals. The next morning, astronomer Jerry Ehman reviewed the computer log and noticed a signal that was 20 times stronger than the background noise. He circled that portion of the computer printout and wrote “Wow!” in the margin.

Although astronomers have repeatedly searched that area of the sky looking for a repeat of the Wow signal, it has never come again. Over the years since, astronomers hunted for any possible non-alien explanation for the signal without success. Recently, the director of the Habitable Exoplanet Hunting Project, Alberto Caballero, stated "The 'Wow!' signal is still considered the best SETI candidate radio signal.” He began a search of the region of the sky where the signal originated looking for likely candidate stars.

                                            The "Wow!" signal. Credit SETI Institute

He searched for stars similar to our sun in size, age, and brightness that might host Earth-like planets. He examined data collected by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission which is creating a map of more than a billion stars with unparalleled precision. He found 66 candidate stars similar to our sun.

Astronomers must now examine those stars to see if any possess Earth-like planets orbiting them. This process may take a while, but if the Wow signal came from an alien race, this may be our best chance to discover another intelligent civilization. At such great distances to these stars, back-and-forth communication may be impossible. But, at least we’d know we’re not alone in the universe.

 

Each month, I write an astronomy-related column piece for the Oklahoman newspaper. After it is published there, I post that same column to my blog page.

This is reprinted with permission from the Oklahoman and www.Oklahoman.com.