New Assumptions to Guide SETI Research by NASA Researcher

Astrogeology, Asteroids, Robots, Space Flight & Extraterrestrial Matters

S. P. Colombano, of NASA's Ames Research Center, just reported that in light of our most recent understanding of the age of the planetary systems that might support life, he discusses the set of assumptions that currently guide SETI research and make recommendations for a new, more “aggressive” approach. In light of the challenges described above he proposes the following approach to future SETI exploration, in the following directions:

• Engage physicists in what might be called “speculative physics”, still grounded in our most solid theories but with some willingness to stretch possibilities as to the nature of space-time and energy.
• Engage technologists in futuristic exploration of how technology might evolve, especially with or without Artificial Intelligence, “Evolvable Robotic Systems” and symbiosis of biology with machines.
• Engage sociologists in speculation about what kinds of societies we might expect from the above developments, and whether and how they might choose to communicate.
• Consider the UFO phenomenon worthy of study in the context of a system with very low signal-to-noise ratio, but nevertheless with the possibility of challenging some of our assumptions and pointing to new possibilities for communication and discovery.

Additional Information:

1. The proposals of this white paper relate to questions 2 and 3 of the Alien Mindscape article (how intelligent life communicates and how it can be detected) in that it addresses the fundamental issue of the potential nature and technological age of intelligent life.
2. One of the recommendations made is to study UFO reports as a low signal to noise ratio phenomenon. Big Data Analysis could approach several existing data bases such as 130,000 pages of declassified U.S. Air Force documents, National UFO Reporting Center Database and several other international data bases.
3. Other "interesting" sources (here).