"We will sit quietly and listen": new project Milner and Hawking on Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Technologies / / December 19, 2019
Entrepreneur Yuri Milner and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has launched a new project on search of extraterrestrial civilizations. Project budget - $ 100 million, and scientists believe that its effectiveness is 100 times more in comparison to previous attempts to find extraterrestrial life. We figured out that what constitutes the project.
Not only that is the same mixture of conflicting emotions, as the question of the existence of extraterrestrial life. This delight at the thought that there is someone other than us, and the tension of the unknown, and the horror of what this one might not be so good and fluffy, like a man. After all, we are, right?
Therefore, the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) has a huge following and no less critical.
SETI - the common name for on Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project.
For the first time about the search for extraterrestrial civilizations started talking in 1959. Then there was the article "The search for interstellar communications
ยป. It describes the radio wave search method that could potentially be emitted civilizations, the level of development which is similar to ours. Despite the lack of results in 1971, NASA has taken over the funding of the SETI, and since then the number of such projects increased tenfold.All projects within the SETI can be divided into two groups:
- Search for extraterrestrial signals.
- Sending a "dial tone", which could potentially look for other civilizations.
The first approach is considered more secure, as in this case, we can control the contact with the civilizations that theoretically will protect the planet from invasion.
Project Milner and Hawking
Project Milner and Hawking refers to the first group. Most likely, for the realization of this project was made by Hawking, as he has repeatedly opposed the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. One of the arguments of physics is that they may be more developed than we are, and can result in catastrophe contact with them.
Yuri MilnerThat is why we will not send anything, and will sit quietly and listen.
While it is known only three names in the project:
- Yuri Milner - the main investor.
- Stephen Hawking - partner Milner.
- Frank Drake - the project manager.
At a press conference, Milner and Hawking told that the essence of the project is to search for radio signals from the telescopes Green Bank, Lick Observatory and Parks.
For information processing will use the research center of power and Berkeley SETI @ home - computer users around the world who want to support the project.
benefits of the project
The project is interesting for several reasons. First of all, it is the possibility of contact with other civilizations. Moreover, Milner said that all the data collected by telescopes, will be in the public domain, which means that they can be used by anyone.
It is difficult to say that Milner and Hawking are optimistic about the project:
It is likely that we will not find anything.
However, even in case of failure, the creators are not going to throw the project in the next 10-20 years.