Aliens... Oh my!

[Sgt_Shellback]

LONDON (Reuters) - An unexplained radio signal from deep space could -- just might be -- contact from an alien civilization, New Scientist magazine reported on Thursday.

The signal, coming from a point between the Pisces and Aries constellations, has been picked up three times by a telescope in Puerto Rico.

New Scientist said the signal could be generated by a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon or even be a by-product from the telescope itself.

But the mystery beam has excited astronomers across the world.

"If they can see it four, five or six times it really begins to get exciting," Jocelyn Bell Burnell of the University of Bath in western England told the magazine.

It was broadcast on the main frequency at which the universe's most common element, hydrogen, absorbs and emits energy, and which astronomers say is the most likely means by which aliens would advertise their presence.

The potentially extraterrestrial signals were picked up through the SETI@home project, which uses programs running as screensavers on millions of personal computers worldwide to sift through the huge amount of data picked up by the telescope.

I'm pretty sure they're trying to contact Gabe to see when this dam thing is going to be done.

Anyone else running SETI@Home on their PC? I did for awhile but lost it when I reformatted. A friend of mine is a HAM nut. His radio and PC scans for SETI when ever it's not being used.

 

[Murray_H]

If you check the BBC website it has already been disclaimed by a number of astronomers

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3621608.stm

 

[Sgt_Shellback]

Dang scientists taking all the fun out of it...

I'd like to see us get back to exploring the oceans floor with an eye towards outposts in the deep...

But Seti is funded through donations so I give it two thumbs up for trying.

 

[el Chi]

Well in fairness - exciting: "New Scientist said the signal could be generated by a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon..."
Oh but wait: "or even be a by-product from the telescope itself"
Not so exciting after all.

 

[Meteor_of_War]

I know you're all going to just write me off as a conspiracy theorist nut-job but i think if this were ever to really happen the government would probably jump all over it and deny it until they could research it themselves secretly, and then still not ever let it be known to the public.

Maybe i've watched too much X-Files but i think for some reason, the governments of the world believe it's best for society to remain ignorant to any knowledge of ETs because of reasons like religion and to avoid mass hysteria and panic. This pisses me off to no end to think this because it's got me wondering what other knowledge our governments already have that has been kept from the public.

As far as i see, if there is any intelligent life out there we'll probably never know of it until they decide themselves to come down and make themselves known to us.

 

[Sgt_Shellback]

I think Govts of the world would like to be able to do what you suggest but Seti is a private enterprise spread world wide and well integrated in the WWW... No Govt. would be able to contain thier findings no matter how much they wanted to.

Now if discovery was made through a Govt. program than yeah.. Secrecy would be the rule.

 

[Murray_H]

If I can remember right, there is a procedure for dealing with extra-terrestrial contact and it involves verification by various bodies then full disclosure to the world media equally

I'll try and find the book later, i'm getting ready to go out

 

[Meteor_of_War]

I think Govts of the world would like to be able to do what you suggest but Seti is a private enterprise spread world wide and well integrated in the WWW... No Govt. would be able to contain thier findings no matter how much they wanted to.

Now if discovery was made through a Govt. program than yeah.. Secrecy would be the rule.

Well, who's to say the government would not go to a private enterprise and threaten them if they did not keep their silence if they felt what they knew could be a threat to national security? There are many accounts of the government threatening lives for secrecy about things like this, read here for some video interviews and testimonies from people that experienced this. May or may not be true but something to keep an open mind too.

If I can remember right, there is a procedure for dealing with extra-terrestrial contact and it involves verification by various bodies then full disclosure to the world media equally

I'll try and find the book later, i'm getting ready to go out

i dont trust my government to live up to that.

that would be great if you could find that though. :cheers:

 

[lePobz]

I own up, it was me... I hexxed open the seti@home dat files and tweaked bits....

 

[Murray_H]

Sorry to bring this back to the front, i looked it up last night and i was a bit worse for wear (ahem) so i forgot to post it

The book it was in is Atlas of the Universe (Patrick Moore) but this text below is taken from here:

http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1355.htm

We, the institutions and individuals participating in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence,

Recognizing that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is an integral part of space exploration and is being undertaken for peaceful purposes and for the common interest of all mankind,

Inspired by the profound significance for mankind of detecting evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, even though the probability of detection may be low,

Recalling the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, which commits States Parties to that Treaty "to inform the Secretary General of the United Nations as well as the public and the international scientific community, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, of the nature, conduct, locations and results" of their space exploration activities (Article XI),

Recognizing that any initial detection may be incomplete or ambiguous and thus require careful examination as well as confirmation, and that it is essential to maintain the highest standards of scientific responsibility and credibility,

Agree to observe the following principles for disseminating information about the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence:

1. Any individual, public or private research institution, or governmental agency that believes it has detected a signal from or other evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence (the discoverer) should seek to verify that the most plausible explanation for the evidence is the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence rather than some other natural phenomenon or anthropogenic phenomenon before making any public announcement. If the evidence cannot be confirmed as indicating the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence, the discoverer may disseminate the information as appropriate to the discovery of any unknown phenomenon.

2. Prior to making a public announcement that evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence has been detected, the discoverer should promptly inform all other observers or research organizations that are parties to this declaration, so that those other parties may seek to confirm the discovery by independent observations at other sites and so that a network can be established to enable continuous monitoring of the signal or phenomenon. Parties to this declaration should not make any public announcement of this information until it is determined whether this information is or is not credible evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. The discoverer should inform his/her or its relevant national authorities.

3. After concluding that the discovery appears to be credible evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, and after informing other parties to this declaration, the discoverer should inform observers throughout the world through the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams of the International Astronomical Union, and should inform the Secretary General of the United Nations in accordance with Article XI of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Bodies. Because of their demonstrated interest in and expertise concerning the question of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence, the discoverer should simultaneously inform the following international institutions of the discovery and should provide them with all pertinent data and recorded information concerning the evidence: the International Telecommunication Union, the Committee on Space Research, of the International Council of Scientific Unions, the International Astronautical Federation, the International Academy of Astronautics, the International Institute of Space Law, Commission 51 of the International Astronomical Union and Commission J of the International Radio Science Union.

4. A confirmed detection of extraterrestrial intelligence should be disseminated promptly, openly, and widely through scientific channels and public media, observing the procedures in this declaration. The discoverer should have the privilege of making the first public announcement.

5. All data necessary for confirmation of detection should be made available to the international scientific community through publications, meetings, conferences, and other appropriate means.

6. The discovery should be confirmed and monitored and any data bearing on the evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence should be recorded and stored permanently to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, in a form that will make it available for further analysis and interpretation. These recordings should be made available to the international institutions listed above and to members of the scientific community for further objective analysis and interpretation.

7. If the evidence of detection is in the form of electromagnetic signals, the parties to this declaration should seek international agreement to protect the appropriate frequencies by exercising procedures available through the International Telecommunication Union. Immediate notice should be sent to the Secretary General of the ITU in Geneva, who may include a request to minimize transmissions on the relevant frequencies in the Weekly Circular. The Secretariat, in conjunction with advice of the Union's Administrative Council, should explore the feasibility and utility of convening an Extraordinary Administrative Radio Conference to deal with the matter, subject to the opinions of the member Administrations of the ITU.

8. No response to a signal or other evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence should be sent until appropriate international consultations have taken place. The procedures for such consultations will be the subject of a separate agreement, declaration or arrangement.

9. The SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics, in coordination with Commission 51 of the International Astronomical Union, will conduct a continuing review of procedures for the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence and the subsequent handling of the data. Should credible evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence be discovered, an international committee of scientists and other experts should be established to serve as a focal point for continuing analysis of all observational evidence collected in the aftermath of the discovery, and also to provide advice on the release of information to the public. This committee should be constituted from representatives of each of the international institutions listed above and such other members as the committee may deem necessary. To facilitate the convocation of such a committee at some unknown time in the future, the SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics should initiate and maintain a current list of willing representatives from each of the international institutions listed above, as well as other individuals with relevant skills, and should make that list continuously available through the Secretariat of the International Academy of Astronautics. The International Academy of Astronautics will act as the Depository for this declaration and will annually provide a current list of parties to all the parties to this declaration.

 

[oldagerocker]

Patrick Moore Plays the Xylophone

 

[Xenome]

Well in fairness - exciting: "New Scientist said the signal could be generated by a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon..."
Oh but wait: "or even be a by-product from the telescope itself"
Not so exciting after all.

Well it were THREE signals, not one.

So that is a VERY small chance, almost impossible.

 

[Meteor_of_War]

thanks for posting that Murray_H.

sounds good but it's still hard to believe the UN and governments of the world would actually allow the following through of that procedure if that situation ever did occur. Anyways thanks again bro.

 

[dawdler]

It will probably be forgotten soon enough, no need to get excited...

Just like the Nasa mars missions and finding alien fossils, Seti and the hope of finding extra terrestrial signals means perpetual funding... They will say this signal is "inconclusive" and wait for the next.

We have already found TONS of evidence for life on Mars (yes, even *current* life on Mars as indicated by atmospheric readings), but has anyone said anything? Nope, they will hopefully find evidence in the NEXT mission, of course...

 

[Meteor_of_War]

The discovery of intelligent life will be the kicker.

 

[bliink]

Well in fairness - exciting: "New Scientist said the signal could be generated by a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon..."
Oh but wait: "or even be a by-product from the telescope itself"
Not so exciting after all.

*Scientist looks through scope*
Sci: "Whats the hell is that!!!?! GIANT ARACHNID MONSTERS"
Sci2: (Into phone) "General! we're under attack by spider monsters!!!!!"
*war breaks out*

(the old spider on the lens trick )

 

[Meteor_of_War]

I wanted to return the favor of posting an interesting link with one of my own:

http://xfacts.com/

Enjoy. :cheers:

 

[Dr. Freeman]

*Scientist looks through scope*
Sci: "Whats the hell is that!!!?! GIANT ARACHNID MONSTERS"
Sci2: (Into phone) "General! we're under attack by spider monsters!!!!!"
*war breaks out*

(the old spider on the lens trick )

u would do that? wouldn't u?
evil i say, EVIL!