Slashdot Mirror
Shortlist of Possible ET Addresses
An anonymous reader writes "Yahoo News is reporting that Astronomer Margaret Turnbull of the Carnegie Institution has released a 'top 10' list of potential inhabitable star systems. NASA is planning on using this top 10 list as the targets for their Terrestrial Planet Finder a 'system of two orbiting observatories scheduled for launch by 2020.'"
"...private philanthropists who pay for the bulk of their work may find out first when and if extraterrestrial life is discovered." I think that in the event of finding E.T life, SETI just might, you know, tell some other people as well.
This search for 'habstars' (habitable star systems) is really fascinating, and perhaps even practical in an offhanded way. What better way to inspire future astronomers and astrophysicists than to find some beautiful blue-green jewel like ours out there, even if we can't detect signs of intelligent life.
This would be a lot more motivating and captivating than scanning the heavens for shapes of creatures from mythology, which is no better than looking for pictures of Jesus or the Virgin Mary in a cheese sandwich.
Once we find something out there worth travelling to, then it would automatically spur thoughts of developing means to get there. Even if such dreams aren't possible due to the limits of known physics, it's still a noble and instinctive goal, like our grazing ancestors had in seeking greener pastures. Who knows where such thoughts might ultimatley lead?
Cancellation means that you attract attention and maybe protest from Joe Q Public. Posponed indefinitly means you won't get as much heat on you, and still have the same results. De Facto, those are two of the same effect for a project (stopped and get no funding), just one is with a more "softer" on PR...
C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
visit randi.org
I hate to break it to you, but the world will go on after you die. There will be people just as bright and interested in things like this as you are (or aren't).
Astroscience is about advancing the species, not the nation, not the corporation, not the individual, but humanity itself. In space are the answers to all of our questions (origins of life, divinity or lack thereof, the nature of sentience, possible existence of other dimensions, the relative success of our species and planet compared to other species and planets). We are as ignorant about such things as we were about electricity not too long ago. Because there are those who would prefer we stay that way, for sake of the belief we are somehow the center and culmination of all universal existence (how absurd!), it's necessary for those who know better to push these projects forward even though the results won't be present until long after we're dead.
I found this paragraph highly concerning "Today it is in fact a group of very generous philanthropists who will get the call before we get a press conference," Tarter said. They include Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Microsoft chief technology officer Nathan Myhrvold. Is this for real? NASA (who pulled funding on SETI years ago) is now asking them for free advice and the Microsoft bosses are going to be the first ones to get the heads up on ET civilizations? Damn, that could be dangerous for more reasons than I can think of.
From what I've read, some of the stars are under 5 light years away. That's within near today technology to send a probe and get information back within somebody's lifetime. Say, 30 years to for it to get there, 5 years back.
Of course, we need to improve some more on artificial intelligence. We don't need something that can converse, but we do need something that can make decisions about proper behavior for unexpected events.
I don't read AC A human right