Our own Dan Werthimer went before the U.S. House of Representatives to present the current status of SETI research. Here is the full text of his testimony. Video is available at this location.

Thanks, Matt - a good read.

Sobering to find out (it was new to me) that there are only two dozen - 24 - scientists across the whole planet conducting the actual observations we help to analyse. Do we as a species really have that little curiosity about our possible galactic neighbours?

Is there an oral (question and answer) component to this form of congressional testimony? If so, can anyone suggest a link to a recording or transcript? I'd be interested to know how the congress members engaged with the issues Dan raised.

I plan to add the video once that is made available.

- Matt

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-- BOINC/SETI@home network/web/science/development person
-- "Any idiot can have a good idea. What is hard is to do it." - Jeanne-Claude

Congratulation and Thank You Mr. L,
From Natsumi Mieko Kimi Katou.
I do look forward to the video. In which I did download, On behalf of Berkeley, and Seti. I am enrolled into the program. and Will continue with this, unless told otherwise. I do hope to get in touch with Mr Anderson, The signer of the Certificate. and hope to make my way to Berkeley soon. I will be honest with this. In my notation of the program. I did note the program of Boinc, Runs smoothly on my end. Nothing wrong. Unless if I am on the Net. It will at times pause it's self. But that is about it.

Natsumi Mieko Kimi Katou.
Researcher, and CEO - COO
World Public Media International
Natsumi Katou Productions.

Dear Dan Werthimer
I'm an amateur astronomer and I search the heavens for 30 years always looking and trying to improve my research. I discovered something. I fabricated a device that can see through Titan's atmosphere in the visible spectrum. I would send the technical details of my invention to SETI.

Wsfm

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I am hoping that this testimony and the way it was cordially received may be an indication of continued interest and funding for the Radio Telescopes and SETI as well.

There simply was not enough emphasis on the collaborative aspects of SETI at Home and the multitudes of people running the program and providing the data processing. More emphasis on the "human" aspect of this volunteer effort and the willing collaboration of so many from so many of the Nations of the world. This in turn would show the Congress that funding provided would allow SETI to continue to operate engage many people and perhaps even evolve in a greater enterprise in the "search".

Some feedback on whether the testimony bore fruit would be appreciated..

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Never engage stupid people at their level, they then have the home court advantage.....

Some feedback on whether the testimony bore fruit would be appreciated..

That feedback will come when they vote on funding. The US of A is under budget sequestration so any funding will be a victory.

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Thanks for telling us about this, Matt.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Thanks for telling us about this, Matt.

+1

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Since I'm new to all, I don't know much.. I love the screensaver but I don't know how to interpret it.. Is there somewhere I can go that would explain all that.. I was probably given that info at one time and managed to overlook it..


Thank You
Robin Conkel-hAnnan

Since I'm new to all, I don't know much.. I love the screensaver but I don't know how to interpret it.. Is there somewhere I can go that would explain all that.. I was probably given that info at one time and managed to overlook it..

Welcome to S@H.

In the homepage there is a section "About" in the upper left with some useful links.

I have just read the statement of Dan Werthmeier and I want to make an addition to the "Fragility of SETI Research" section mentioning the "roughly one million dollars" founding per year.
I am running SETI since 1999. Currently, In BOINC combined, I currently draw from the wall some 10 kwh daily (in my better days it was over 50 kWh daily). THIS MEAN MONEY ALSO (about $1 per day for me now). Read it FOUNDING.
Ask Pythagoras (the one with the table) in what would that translate for ONE YEAR of ALL CONTRIBUTORS. At least a few TENS OF MILLIONS of dollars.
Now if all SETI contributors will STOP crunching ONE day per month (some 3% of the electricity bill) AND DONATE the corresponding money it seems that the founding may DOUBLE (without seriously affecting the computing power). The same strategy on a weekly basis is left as an exercise for the reader.

Happy crunching
Adrian Oncica (SolRad)
http://boincstats.com/signature/-1/user/12194/sig.png

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Great to see Shostak & Wertheimer at the US House of Representatives. Be even better if there was a similar hearing at the Houses of Parliament in London. Would have been nice to hear more about the contributions of the 1/3rd non-American SET experts.
What is clear though is the fragility of the funding (at Greenbank & Arecibo) & thank heaven for a few well off people who have put their money where their mouth is.

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Hey Matt, I've found a copy of the hearing on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afM_DJLFHgY

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Hey Matt, I've found a copy of the hearing on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afM_DJLFHgY

SETI has a good chance of continued funding IMHO because of the interest it generates among the young in science. The gallery was filled with students who had a choice of attending any hearing of their choice.

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I just watched the video and I'm very impressed that at least several of the committee members had some serious, thoughtful questions and seemed to understand the answers.

As I watched the presenters, I found only one small thing disappointing: they both missed an opportunity to allay some of the potential fears that were hinted at regarding "what if they're not friendly?"

Point could have been made that, if they're advanced enough to receive, decode and 'figure out' ANY or all of the stuff we've been squirting into space for about seven decades ANYWAY, they still have to GET HERE to hurt us, and that would also imply space travel technology that we only have in science-fiction movies.

If anything, that should inspire some research and funding for faster-than-light "drives" for future spacecraft. Without that, we're at higher, though miniscule risk and the discovery of ET's is just a fun idea, other than for the really good reasons the SETI representatives presented.

And yes, I run SETI on my PC, along with several other of the BOINC apps.

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Undoubtedly the met with Representatives after the hearing as well. Would be interesting to seek any insight they might have gleaned on RT funding..

Matt can you approach both and ask?

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Never engage stupid people at their level, they then have the home court advantage.....

你们好！

你们好！

How you doin?

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Just saw a mention of this on Space.com

"We'll Find Alien Life in This Lifetime, Scientists Tell Congress"

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