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ThE cASE f0r TrAnSmiTTin T0O...

SpAcE...

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by SETh

SETi inSTiTUTE

p0STEd: 25 MAy 2006

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WhEn TAlk TUrnS T0 SETi...

ThErE'S 0nE qUESTi0n ThAT'S AS c0mm0n AS cATfiSh...

WE'rE n0T br0AdcASTing T0 ThE AliEnS;

S0 whAT mAkES y0U Think ThEy'll bE br0AdcASTing T0 US ???

ThiS mAy STrikE ThE inn0cEnT mind AS A g00d p0inT...

bUT ThEn AgAin...

hAnging 0UT in A bAr All nighT wiTh0UT UTTEring A w0rd...

hArdly EnSUrES ThAT 0nE w0n'T hEAr dA c0nvErSATi0n...

whEn iT c0mES T0 inTErSTEllAr c0mmUnicATi0n...

0nE's mUTEnESS hAS n0Thing T0 d0 wiTh ThEirS...

ExcEpT inS0fAr AS 0nE's m0TivES...

f0r br0AdcASTing mAy bE widEly ShArEd...

iS ThAT plAUSiblE ???

c0Uld iT bE ThAT 0Ur rEAS0nS f0r n0T firing Up...

dA TrAnSmiTTErS And bEAming A big h0lA...

T0 ThE UnivErSE hAvE AlS0 0ccUrrEd...

T0 0ThEr gAlAcTic inhAbiTAnTS...

EnSUring A grEAT SilEncE And grim pr0SpEcTS ???

MAybE...

d0n'T Think S0...

0nE bEliEvEs y0Ur dEciSi0n T0 jUST liSTEn...

n' pErhApS TrAnSmiT lATEr...

hAS m0rE T0 d0 wiTh c0nSidErATi0nS 0f ThE m0mEnT...

dA mEriTS And piTfAllS 0f dElibErATE br0AdcASTing...

AS 0pp0SEd T0 ThE AccidEnTAl...

And pr0bAbly inEffEcTUAl...

00zing 0f 0Ur c0mmErciAl rAdi0 And TElEviSi0n...

inT0 SpAcE...

hAvE cErTAinly bEEn wEighEd...

in A R0AdmAp f0r ThE SEArch f0r ExTrATErrESTriAl inTElligEncE...

ThErE'S A pAgE 0f grAcEfUlly w0rdEd...

vErbiAgE ExplAining why mAny SETi SciEnTiSTS...

Think iT'S T00 EArly T0 Thr0w ThE big knifE SwiTch...

And pUT RAdi0 TErrA 0n ThE Air...

LiSTEd bEl0w ArE ThE principAl ArgUmEnTS 0f dA STUdy:

bUT AfTEr EAch ArgUmEnT...

ThErE is A pArAgrAph in which...

iT iS c0nSidErEd...

whether...

AliEnS w0Uld c0mE T0 ThE SAmE c0nclUSi0nS wE hAvE...

if n0T...

if 0Ur rEAS0ning iS T00 pr0vinciAl...

ThEn 0Ur dEciSi0n n0T T0 SEnd inTEnTi0nAl SignAlS...

iS mErEly ThAT...

0Ur dEciSi0n...

will givE liTTlE inSighT inT0 ThE br0AdcAST p0liciES 0f 0ThEr w0rldS...

0Ur firST c0nTAcT wiTh An ExTrATErrESTriAl S0ciETy...

pr0bAbly w0n'T bE ThEir firST c0nTAcT...

Why ???

bEcAUSE Any0nE...

wE hEAr iS g0ing T0 bE fAr bEy0nd 0Ur TEchn0l0gicAl lEvEl...

AfTEr All...

AliEn NEAndErThAlS w0n'T bUild micr0wAvE TrAnSmiTTErS...

if ThEy d0...

ThEy h0bblE ThEir USEfUlnESS by bUilding ThEm 0UT 0f ST0nE...

WE'll 0nly rEcEivE A S0lid SignAl...

fr0m TEchnicAlly Acc0mpliShEd S0ciETiES...

AT 0Ur lEvEl 0r bEy0nd...

S0 iT'S qUiTE p0SSiblE ThEy'vE bEEn EngAgEd...

in plAnET-T0-plAnET c0mmUnicATi0n f0r cEnTUriES 0r millEnniA...

c0nSEqUEnTly...

ThESE S0ciETiES c0Uld bE USing An ESTAbliShEd...

gAlAcTic pr0T0c0l f0r inf0rmATi0n inTErchAngE...

An 0rdErly wAy 0f d0ing ThingS ThAT iT bEh00vES...

US T0O...

imiTATE...

SincE ThiS SEEmS inEviTAblE...

Think 0f ThE pr0T0c0lS f0r ExchAnging inf0rmATi0n 0n ThE inTErnET...

iT w0Uld clEArly bE bETTEr f0r US T0 ESchEw TrAnSmiTTing...

LiSTEn first...

n' lEArn ThE pr0T0c0l...

AfTEr All...

U'll bE nEw mEmbErS in ThE gAlAcTic clUb...

AT firST flUSh...

ThiS S0UndS rEAS0nAblE...

if y0U p0ST A wEb pAgE...

wiTh0UT kn0wlEdgE 0f HTML...

iT will diSplAy AS f0UrTh-rATE gibbErish...

T0 Any0nE STUmbling Acr0SS iT...

0nE...

mUST hAvE STAndArdS...

AfTEr All...

bUT...

ThEn AgAin...

ThE mErE ExiSTEncE 0f A SignAl fr0m EArTh...

Appr0priATEly f0rmATTEd...

0r 0ThErwiSE...

mighT inTrigUE rETirEd AliEnS wiTh...

TimE 0n ThEir hAndS...

D0n'T y0U Think...

ThAT if An ExTrATErrESTriAl S0ciETy f0Und Any TrAnSmiSSi0n fr0m US...

ThEy w0Uld SpEnd...

ThE Eff0rT rEqUirEd T0 figUrE 0UT...

h0w iT'S Enc0dEd...

And p0SSibly ExTrAcT 0nE's mESSAgE ???

EvEn nEw clUb mEmbErS ArE All0wEd T0 TAlk...

dESpiTE ThE fAcT ThAT ThEy hAvEn'T...

yET lEArnEd ThE clUb'S SEcrET hAndShAkE...

N0T bEing vErSEd in ThE nicETiES 0f inf0rmATi0n ExchAngE...

SEEmS A rAThEr ArTificiAl rEAS0n...

f0r 0nE's dEciSi0n T0 br0AdcAST...

And w0Uld bE EvEn lESS c0mpElling f0r ThEm...

ThiS iS An ArgUmEnT f0r pr0crASTinATi0n...

n0T cEASElESS SilEncE...

0nE cAn't imAginE ThAT All ThE AliEn S0ciETiES...

in 0Ur UnivErsE ArE SiTTing 0n ThEir prEhEnSilE AppEndAgES...

AwAiTing TEchnicAl mAnUAlS...

OnE cAn'T Aff0rd T0 br0AdcAST...

TrAnSmiTTing iS c0mpArAblE in c0ST T0 rEcEiving...

bUT UnlikE ThE lATTEr...

mighT n0T EliciT A pAy0ff f0r cEnTUriES...

GivEn ThAT 0nE'S bUdgETS ArE An0rExic...

ThE bEST Thing T0 d0 n0w iS liSTEn...

wAiT...

A STrATEgy ThAT hAS AT lEAST A chAncE 0f An EArly pAy0ff...

in AddiTi0n...

ThErE'S n0 p0inT...

in g0ing 0n ThE Air f0r A fEw minUTES 0r A fEw h0UrS...

Any TrAnSmiTTing pr0jEcT...

ThAT h0pES T0 bE hEArd mUST bE pErSiSTEnT...

which mEAnS ThE TrAnSmiTTEr nEEdS T0 STAy wArm f0r hUndreds...

Th0USAndS 0f yEArS...

wEll...

iT'S TrUE ThAT ThErE ArEn'T EASy rES0UrcES...

f0r 0nE's rESEArchE...

T0 m0UnT mAj0r TrAnSmiTTing pr0jEcTS T0dAy...

bUT 0f c0UrSE...

ThiS SAyS n0Thing...

Ab0UT whAT ThE AliEnS mighT ch00SE T0 d0...

FUrThErm0rE...

iT'S UnclEAr ThAT A TrAnSmiSSi0n pr0jEcT nEEdS T0 bEAm AwAy f0r E0nS...

SchEmES ThAT pr0vidE S0mE Synchr0nizATi0n EvEnT...

S0mE clUE AS T0 whEn A S0ciETy mighT bE liSTEning...

cAn rEdUcE ThE nEcESSiTy...

f0r An UnrEmiTTing TwEnTy4/7 br0AdcAST SchEdUlE...

0nE ExAmplE 0f SUch A Synchr0nizATi0n EvEnT...

iS whEn A plAnET pASSES in fr0nT 0f iTS SUn...

AS SEEn fr0m An0ThEr STAr SySTEm...

bUT ThE p0inT hErE iS ThAT A biT 0f clEvErnESS mighT pAy 0ff big...

All0wing A Sh0rT-TErm TrAnSmiTTing SchEmE T0 w0rk...

AS l0ng AS Th0SE y0U ArE Trying T0 rEAch...

hAvE A l0ng-TErm inTErEST in rEcEiving...

ThESE S0rTS 0f c0nSidErATi0nS...

c0Uld mAkE bEAming SignAlS fAr m0rE ATTrAcTivE...

AT lEAST f0r 0Ur m0rE-AdvAncEd gAlAcTic brEThrEn...

TrAnSmiTTing iS A dipl0mATic AcT...

LETTing 0ThErS kn0w...

0f 0nE's prESEncE mighT bE dAngEr0US...

And OnE Sh0Uld d0 iT wiTh A biT m0rE cUlTUrAl mATUriTy...

Any crEATUrES 0UT ThErE mighT bE mAlEv0lEnT 0r hUngry...

wE d0n'T kn0w A grEAT dEAl Ab0UT AliEn bEhAvi0r 0r EATing hAbiTS...

S0 y0U c0Uld ArgUE ThAT c0ncErn...

iS mErE pArAn0iA...

STill...

ThErE ArE rEAS0nAblE pE0plE...

wh0 w0Uld c0mE d0wn 0n ThE SidE 0f cAUTi0n...

EvEn if ThE chAncE ThAT An inTErSTEllAr...

pIng...

w0Uld bE AnSwErEd...

wiTh A phAlAnx 0f inc0ming r0ckETS iS miniScUlE...

iT'S hArd T0 gUArAnTEE ThAT iT'S zEr0...

givEn ThE rUin0US c0nSEqUEncES...

iT'S bETTEr T0 bE SilEnT And SAfE...

in TrUTh...

0f c0UrSE...

0nE cAn'T ASSUmE ThAT ExTrATErrESTriAl S0ciETiES w0Uld bE S0 cAUTi0US...

And SEri0USly AdvAncEd cUltUres...

c0Uld SUrEly pr0TEcT ThEmSElvES...

by USing 0ff-Sh0rE TrAnSmiTTErS...

0r SignAling SchEmES ThAT d0n'T bETrAy ThEir whErEAb0UTS...

An ArgUmEnT ThAT All AliEnS will bE SilEnT...

prEmiSEd 0n AnAlySiS 0f ThEir dEfEnSE nEEdS...

SEEmS wEAk AT bEST...

ThE b0TT0m linE's iS ThiS:

whilE wE cAn c0nc0cT vAri0US rEAS0nS why br0AdcASTing mighT bE... inc0nvEniEnT 0r p0SSibly dAngEr0US...

n0nE 0f ThE ArgUmEnTS pr0ffErEd All0wS US T0 c0nclUdE...

ThAT 0Ur rEAS0nS f0r SilEncE ArE UnivErSAlly ShArEd...

WE Sh0Uld ThErEf0rE c0nTinUE...

T0 kEEp 0Ur mETAl EArS ATTUnEd...

T0 SpAcE...

S0mE...

0nE...

S0mEwhErE iS SUrEly cUri0US En0Ugh...

And brAvE En0Ugh...

T0 SpEAk Up...

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Sp@cE

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