The SETI Post-Detection Committee
[formally
"Taskgroup on Post-Detection Science and Technology of the IAA SETI
Permanent Study Group "]
Background: Why do we
need a "SETI Post-Detection Committee"?
There are good and plausible arguments that suggest
that there are likely to be many other civilisations in our Galaxy, with whom
we may be able to communicate. There are other good and plausible arguments
that suggest that these other civilisations are likely to be rare or absent.
Frankly, our knowledge of how life evolves is inadequate, and the only way that
we will know if there is "anyone out there" is by going and taking a
look.
The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence
(SETI) is a worldwide effort involving several different groups. These groups
(see links below) use radio-telescopes or other detectors to try to eavesdrop
on communications from these other civilisations. Our level of technology
happens to be passing through a critical threshold at the moment, such that if
other civilisations are common, and are using the types of signal that we are
searching for, then we are quite likely to get our first detection some time in
the next few years.
If we do get such a detection, how will we
react? How will we know whether it is a real detection or a hoax? The
"SETI Post-detection committee" was set up to "advise and
consult on questions stemming from the discovery of a putative signal of
extraterrestrial origin". It consists of experts from a number of
different fields (astronomy, engineering, signal processing, computer science,
biology, sociology, etc) who have already spent some time thinking through the
issues involved.
The SETI Post-detection committee is a
sub-committee of the "SETI
Committee" of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). The IAA is a scientific institution devoted to
fostering the development of astronautics for peaceful purposes. At present the
IAA is composed about 1140 Members from 60 countries, and has close
associations with the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the
International Institute of Space Law (IISL).
Note that the Post-Detection Committee does
not itself investigate or follow-up claimed detections, but would only become
involved after a putative detection had been supported by an internationally
recognised scientific institution or organisation.
Further Information
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