 php v7.3.33 |
|
Extraterrestrial Communications and Terrestrial Silence
I have always believed it impossible that, in a universe as huge and diverse as the one we inhabit, that the human race would be the only form of "intelligent" life.
It also seems likely that if evidence of an intelligible communication from an extraterrestrial source arrived it would be headline news around the world.
Especially since there is an organisation called SETI Institute (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) - financed in its early days by the US Government whose mission is to answer the question “Are we alone?”
Recently a DVD, Nassim Haramein's “Crossing the Event Horizon” [1], demonstrated evidence that we are in dialogue with extraterrestrials.
This story began in 1974 when the “Arecibo message”[2] was broadcast into space a single time via frequency modulated radio waves at a ceremony to mark the remodeling of the Arecibo radio telescope on 16 November 1974. It was aimed at the globular star cluster M13 some 25,000 light years away because M13 was a large and close collection of stars that was available in the sky at the time and place of the ceremony.
On Tuesday 21st August 2001 two new crop formations were reported near Chilbolton radio telescope in Hampshire, UK[3]. Both were very impressive looking and consisted of a large number of small 'pixels', which when viewed from the air formed a recognisable shape - unlike many other crop formations.
I agree with Nasan Harabein - so that we, the people, could have access to the message - but who is interested?
SETI's response “The crop circles are decorative, impressive, and provocative, but not informative. We can expect better from true extraterrestrial intelligence.”
The message was phrased in exactly the same form as humankind's message with precise variations which one might assume indicated differences between us and them.
SETI's response is transparently dismissive, I find it archetypical of human bureaucratic arrogance and ignorance.
So why would a human agency, charged with identifying extraterrestrial communication, be so dismissive - remember this crop circle appeared right opposite the gate of the highly guarded facility which has cameras and surveillance gear.
However looking at SETI's description of its Research:
“SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is an exploratory science that seeks evidence of life in the universe by looking for some signature of its technology.....Finding evidence of other technological civilizations however, requires significant effort.”
Like walking to the front gate and looking over the fence perhaps?
SETI: Scientists - searching for truth? Or bureaucrats raising funds for their empires?
For me the amazing thing is that we humans sent a message essentially saying "Please talk to us", someone did respond and the response - ignore them.
Exactly the same response as so many other bureaucracies (eg the Cancer councils etc.) who when confronted with the object for which they are raising "research" funds (eg a highly successful treatment for Cancer) universally proclaim "Ignore it!.
No wonder SETI is searching space for signs of intelligence for - as Monty Python[4] put it - "There's bugger all down here on Earth".
The Arecibo message and the Chilbolton response
The response from the air
|
