In several other project's message boards, we have had the discussion about the return of Astropulse, which many of us are waiting for.

In reply, we have received some info as to the fact that it that ever happens, it will be by receiving the same units of Seti but with the astropulse name. Sorry, but that to me would be awfull!!

They say that the information from where you can obtain the AP data is fron the same units os SETI, put possibly with some new calculations of a future application. Others say that it would have to be made from the same equipment they have at Berkeley for SETI as there is not enough funds to cover for a duplication of separate projects.

Others even suggested to ask David Anderson about it... so, I just throw the question in here and give my own personal point of view:

I would like it to be two separate issues!!
And, do we know if Astropulse will ever get into the waiting crowd??

I leave this as on open question.

Regards to all from Valencia, Spain

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Patience is a virtue.

The future PlanetQuest project will also partake in Astropulse.

www.planetquest.org

What is optical SETI?
Radio SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is the effort to
detect narrow-band radio signals. Nothing known other than technology
(i.e., a radio station) can make narrow-band signals-that is, signals
that you can tune into and out of with just a turn or two of the radio
dial. Optical SETI uses the same reasoning, but here again apparently
only technology can produce light pulses that last a billionth (nano)
of a second (although stars can collapse to make a millisecond pulsar
that can pulse a thousand times per second). Since PlanetQuest will be
using only the red part of the star's light to detect the transits of
planets across their stars, we plan to "beam-split" (divide off) the
blue light and send it to our nano-second diode detectors to see at the
same time if any of those stars are sending billionth-of-a-second
pulses toward us, as well. Thus you, the PlanetQuester, will be looking
for planets and extraterrestrial technology at the same time.

> I would like it to be two separate issues!!
> And, do we know if Astropulse will ever get into the waiting crowd??

I'm with Liberto. I've heard that Astropulse is going to basically run as a "sub-project" under SETI@home. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see AP finally moving toward production, but I would rather see it as a separate project also. With all due respect to the SETI project, I find the scientific applications of Astropulse to be much more valuable and would rather devote more of my crunching time to applications that promote a more "usuable" science (ie: Einstein, Predictor, Astropulse...)

If the AP workunits just become a separate type of workunit available from the SETI project I will likely not be contributing much to the project since I can't guarantee my time will be spent working for Astropulse. I'll give the time to its cousin Einstein@home which will guarantee that my crunch time goes toward astrophysics research.

Finally, I suspect that no matter how hard I've worked to say this as respectfully and diplomatically as possible, somebody is going to have the urge to flame me for "attacking" SETI or something like that. I'm not out to get SETI and I love the project. I've been a member since 1999 and I still think of it as the pioneer project in getting distributed computing out to the world. It's just that I now have choices, and I'd rather support projects with more immediate impact for our scientific community.

Anyway, that's my two bits.

Regards,
Clint

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Well Misfit I do know about Planet Quest, in fact our team has the official approval to be the translators of many of their articles for the Spanish speaking world! Actually several papers have been translated already.

You say: "The future PlanetQuest project will also partake in Astropulse. ...Thus you, the PlanetQuester, will be looking
for planets and extraterrestrial technology at the same time."


But it actually does not answer directly if they will do it separately or under the same units and project, which is the main issue of my question.

Respectfully answered.

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Patience is a virtue.

"I'd rather support projects with more immediate impact for our scientific community." (Quoted from The Ox, but applies to several post on this topic from the LHC board that originated this thread)

Funding agencies are much more likely to provide financing for projects like LHC or Einstein (or Predictor or CPDN for that matter) because of their more immediate and practical applications. However, since distributed computing has altruism at its foundations (we are all volunteers after all), I will continue to donate some computer time to SETI (with or without a separate Astropulse) since it would be the least likely project to be possible or successful without the donated time (that is, all four other projects--especially predictor and LHC--would likely be possible via traditional grant mechanisms).

@Scott

First of all, thanks for your congenial reply. I've been jumped in situations like this before.

> Funding agencies are much more likely to provide financing for projects like
> LHC or Einstein (or Predictor or CPDN for that matter) because of their more
> immediate and practical applications.

And that is another point I would make in keeping AP and SETI separate. I think more grant money is probably available for getting something like AP off the ground.

> However, since distributed computing
> has altruism at its foundations (we are all volunteers after all), I will
> continue to donate some computer time to SETI (with or without a separate
> Astropulse) since it would be the least likely project to be possible or
> successful without the donated time (that is, all four other
> projects--especially predictor and LHC--would likely be possible via
> traditional grant mechanisms).

I agree, Predictor especially is probably funded up to its ears. (LHC seems to have the money but not enough people to keep the project moving...) I guess my altruism lies more in the thought that I am helping advance usable science. However, I've seen the form of altruism you mentioned in discussions at Predictor with people constantly demanding to know about the non-profit status of the research. The Boinc community is without question a very interesting cross-section of people and attitudes.

Regards,
Clint

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