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Arecibo Observatory Facing Massive Budget Cuts
SirLurksAlot writes "Many supporters of the SETI@home project have recently received a message informing them of impending budget cuts for the Arecibo Observatory and asking them to show their support for the project by writing to Congress. The letter also informs supporters that there are currently two bills (Senate bill 2862 sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton, and a similar House bill, H.R. 3737), which are intended to secure funding for the project. According to The Planetary Society, the current plan for the Arecibo Observatory involves cutting funding by more than 60% from $10.4 million to just $4 million by 2011."
Well, a Nobel prize is useful for the cash it provides to the winner, but the question certainly meant what useful things has it produced for the world at large? Did knowledge of some light-years-distant binary solve world hunger, and no one was told about it?
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
....SETI went through their entire spectrum twice and hasn't found anything yet.....
And they never will. The probability, by statistical calculations, that there is another planet such as the earth, capable of supporting physical, intelligent life is essentially zero.
Alone the spacing of stars disqualifies half of all stars in all galaxies from hosting a planet like ours. Factors such as star spectrum and star mass, planet mass and distance to star, composition, rotation, nearly circular orbit, magnetic field and other parameters must all be met, in order for a planet to have life as we know it. Complex physical life MUST be carbon based, because the binding energies of other possible chemistries, such as silicon are too strong for really the complex structures needed for life.
It appears that our solar system and earth itself were carefully engineered to be able to sustain life. It is clearly evident that if the calculations for the probability for having another planet like ours are made, taking into account all the above and other factors, the truth expressed by the prophet Isaiah comes forcefully to mind:
Isaiah 45:18 For so says the LORD the Creator of the heavens, He is God, forming the earth and making it; He makes it stand, not creating it empty, but forming it to be inhabited. I am the LORD, and there is no other.
SETI is a huge, colossal waste of money. At least though this particular waste of money doesn't get people killed, such as war does.
All theory is gray