| Personal background |
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Hello all.
I live in Little Rock, AR and have been interested in space flight and science fiction since my early teens. I am a member of the National Space Society and the Mars Society. I am interested in the social aspects of space colonization.
By profession, I am a psychologist with emphases in biopsychology and psychological assessment.
Hobbies include amateur radio, space flight, science fiction, chess and politics.
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| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
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1. Basically, I think that extraterrestial life almost certainly exists, but I am not sure if time/distance considerations will ever allow intelligent life to communicate. However, the possibility makes it worth all the effort put in to trying to discover such communications. But the probability is so small that I think the project should be funded entirely from private funds as I understand is currently the case. Actually finding a signal from another intelligent race would generate such profound consequences that it would be one of the few transformational points in the history of the human race.
2. I have no idea when, how, or even if humans will discover signals from other sentient beings. The broad benefits and dangers are relatively obvious and have been dealt with extensively in the science fiction literature. Of course, once we know that a particular alien species exists, then the circumstances may be associated with some not-so-obvious dangers and benefits, but we won't know that until come contact takes place.
3. Maybe I'm being too pessimistic, but I think that any beacon likely to be successful would be either impossible at our current level of technology or prohibitively expensive. When we reach the level of being able to modify variable stars, generate black holes, or manipulate similar quantities of energy (or alternatively be able to communicate using tachyons or similar particles) then we can realistically begin to think of a beacon.
4. I run SETI@home in order to be part of an effort, which, if successful is likely to transform all life on the planet. I like the efficient way it is run and it's ease of use. The fantastic response suggests that this is one of those cases where a reasonable amount of effort by a large number of people can possibly truly produce world-changing results. |
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