"Are We Alone? That question has haunted humankind since first we realized that the points of light in the night sky are other suns. Today we have the technology to seek a definitive answer! The SETI League is participatory science. We are the international grass-roots organization dedicated to privatizing the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Together, hundreds of members in dozens of countries are keeping alive the quest for our cosmic companions. "
Paul Shuch

Introduction by Laura Lee
Are We Alone? (Isn't that a rather narcissistic, lonely arrogance?) But if not, then when will "They" finally call us to say hello? (Or have they already dropped by?) The signs of life are out there: planets circling distant suns, and the stuff of life -- amino acids (the components of DNA) and water --- detected in deep space. And what are the odds, given the billions of stars out there, that intelligent life has developed technology similar to ours to utilize the same laws of physics that we do with radio astronomy. Would they choose this means, or others, to signal their presence? Or do they have the equivalent of TV and radio which has already sent out years of information containing waves to distant parts, with a show and tell display of who we really are? (Not that "I Love Lucy" is what NASA would choose as our signature card.) So, how is SETI (The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) a group of radio astronomers eager to intercept ET's phone call, doing now without government funding? How has the effort evolved since the early days? How many ways are there to detect ET signals, and how do they calculate the chances of detecting ET's call? (Better, we hope, than finding a needle in a haystack) Paul will describe SETI's history --- the first SETI effort, Project Ozma, the pivotal Order of the Dolphin Meeting (the dolphin being the metaphor for interspecies communication) attended by Carl Sagan and John Lily early in the careers, Frank Drake's Equation with which to estimate the odds and quantify life in the universe, and the single most tantalizing and enigmatic signal thus far received by SETI.

Want the SETI brochure? It's too big to email, so you'll have to request it by post. Email your name, postal address and additional comments to Paul Shuch directly at radio@setileague.org

Recommended Reading: "The Science of Aliens"

Visit the SETI League at: http://www.setileague.org

Paul Shuch Photos