Extraterrestrial intelligence

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Extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) refers to hypothetical intelligent extraterrestrial life. No such life has ever been verifiably observed to exist. [1] The question of whether other inhabited worlds might exist has been debated since ancient times. [2] The modern form of the concept emerged when the Copernican Revolution demonstrated that the Earth was a planet revolving around the Sun, and other planets were, conversely, other worlds. [3] The question of whether other inhabited planets or moons exist was a natural consequence of this new understanding. It has become one of the most speculative questions in science and is a central theme of science fiction and popular culture. [4]

Contents

An alternative name for it is "Extraterrestrial Technological Instantiations" (ETI). The term was coined to avoid the use of terms such as "civilizations" "species" and "intelligence", as those may prove to be ambiguous and open to interpretation, or simply inapplicable in its local context. [5]

Intelligence

Intelligence is, along with the more precise concept of sapience, used to describe extraterrestrial life with similar cognitive abilities as humans. Another interchangeable term is sophoncy , being wise or wiser, first coined by Karen Anderson and published in the 1966 works by her husband Poul Anderson.

Sentience, like consciousness, is a concept sometimes mistakenly used to refer to the concept of intelligence and sapience, since it does not exclude forms of life that are non-sapient (or more broadly non-intelligent or non-conscious). [6]

The term extraterrestrial civilization frames a more particular case of extraterrestrial intelligence. It is the possible long-term result of intelligent and specifically sapient extraterrestrial life.

Probability

The Copernican principle is generalized to the relativistic concept that humans are not privileged observers of the universe. [7] Many prominent scientists, including Stephen Hawking [8] have proposed that the sheer scale of the universe makes it improbable for intelligent life not to have emerged elsewhere. However, Fermi's Paradox highlights the apparent contradiction between high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilization and humanity's lack of contact with, or evidence for, such civilizations. [9]

So far, there is no observation of extraterrestrial life, including intelligent extraterrestrial life. [10]

The Kardashev scale is a speculative method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement, based on the amount of energy a civilization is able to utilize. [11]

The Drake equation is a probabilistic framework used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. [12]

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence

There has been a search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence for several decades, with no significant results. [13] Active SETI (Active Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) is the attempt to send messages to intelligent extraterrestrial life. Active SETI messages are usually sent in the form of radio signals. Physical messages like that of the Pioneer plaque may also be considered an active SETI message.

Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence (CETI) is a branch of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence that focuses on composing and deciphering messages that could theoretically be understood by another technological civilization. The best-known CETI experiment was the 1974 Arecibo message composed by Frank Drake and Carl Sagan. There are multiple independent organizations and individuals engaged in CETI research.

The U.S. government's position, in line with that of most relevant experts, is that "chances of contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence are extremely small, given the distances involved." [14] [15] This line of thinking has led some to conclude that first contact might be made with extraterrestrial artificial intelligence, rather than with biological beings. [16] [17] [18]

The Wow! signal remains the best candidate for an extraterrestrial radio signal ever detected, though the fact that no similar signal has ever been observed again makes attribution of the signal to any cause difficult if not impossible. [19]

On 14 June 2022 astronomers working with China's FAST telescope reported the possibility of having detected artificial (presumably alien) signals, but cautions that further studies are required to determine if some kind of natural radio interference may be the source. [20] On 18 June 2022 Dan Werthimer, chief scientist for several SETI-related projects, reportedly noted that “These signals are from radio interference; they are due to radio pollution from earthlings, not from E.T.” [21]

Potential cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact

The potential changes from extraterrestrial contact could vary greatly in magnitude and type, based on the extraterrestrial civilization's level of technological advancement, degree of benevolence or malevolence, and level of mutual comprehension between itself and humanity. [22] Some theories suggest that an extraterrestrial civilization could be advanced enough to dispense with biology, living instead inside of advanced computers. [22] The medium through which humanity is contacted, be it electromagnetic radiation, direct physical interaction, extraterrestrial artefact, or otherwise, may also influence the results of contact. Incorporating these factors, various systems have been created to assess the implications of extraterrestrial contact.

The implications of extraterrestrial contact, particularly with a technologically superior civilization, have often been likened to the meeting of two vastly different human cultures on Earth, a historical precedent being the Columbian Exchange. Such meetings have generally led to the destruction of the civilization receiving contact (as opposed to the "contactor", which initiates contact), and therefore destruction of human civilization is a possible outcome. [23] However, the absence of any such contact to date means such conjecture is largely speculative.

UFOlogy

The extraterrestrial hypothesis is the idea that some UFOs are vehicles containing or sent by extraterrestrial beings (usually called aliens in this context). [13] As an explanation for UFOs, ETI is sometimes contrasted with EDI (extradimensional intelligence), for example by J. Allen Hynek. [24] In 2023, House lawmakers held a hearing to examine how the executive branch handles reports of UFOs.

In culture

The theories and reception of the probability of intelligent life has been a recurring cultural element, particularly of popular culture since the prospect and achievement of spaceflight. New Mexico has even declared in 2003 the 14th of February as the Extraterrestrial Culture Day. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake equation</span> Estimate of extraterrestrial civilizations

The Drake equation is a probabilistic argument used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Extraterrestrial life, or alien life, is life that originates from another world rather than on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been scientifically conclusively detected. Such life might range from simple forms such as prokaryotes to intelligent beings, possibly bringing forth civilizations that might be far more, or far less, advanced than humans. The Drake equation speculates about the existence of sapient life elsewhere in the universe. The science of extraterrestrial life is known as astrobiology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fermi paradox</span> Problem of the lack of evidence for alien life despite its apparent likelihood

The Fermi paradox is the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life and the apparently high likelihood of its existence. Those affirming the paradox generally conclude that if the conditions required for life to arise from non-living matter are as permissive as the available evidence on Earth indicates, then extraterrestrial life would be sufficiently common such that it would be implausible for it not to have been detected yet.

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is a collective term for scientific searches for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Methods include monitoring electromagnetic radiation for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other planets, optical observation, and the search for physical artifacts. Attempts to message extraterrestrial intelligences have also been made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Drake</span> American astronomer and astrophysicist (1930–2022)

Frank Donald Drake was an American astrophysicist and astrobiologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kardashev scale</span> Measure of a civilizations evolution

The Kardashev scale is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement based on the amount of energy it is capable of harnessing and using. The measure was proposed by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev in 1964, and was named after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SETI Institute</span> Not-for-profit research organization

The SETI Institute is a not-for-profit research organization incorporated in 1984 whose mission is to explore, understand, and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe, and to use this knowledge to inspire and guide present and future generations, sharing knowledge with the public, the press, and the government. SETI stands for the "search for extraterrestrial intelligence".

The zoo hypothesis speculates on the assumed behavior and existence of technologically advanced extraterrestrial life and the reasons they refrain from contacting Earth. It is one of many theoretical explanations for the Fermi paradox. The hypothesis states that extraterrestrial life intentionally avoids communication with Earth to allow for natural evolution and sociocultural development, and avoiding interplanetary contamination, similar to people observing animals at a zoo. The hypothesis seeks to explain the apparent absence of extraterrestrial life despite its generally accepted plausibility and hence the reasonable expectation of its existence.

The Great Filter is the idea that, in the development of life from the earliest stages of abiogenesis to reaching the highest levels of development on the Kardashev scale, there is a barrier to development that makes detectable extraterrestrial life exceedingly rare. The Great Filter is one possible resolution of the Fermi paradox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence</span> Branch of SETI

The communication with extraterrestrial intelligence (CETI) is a branch of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) that focuses on composing and deciphering interstellar messages that theoretically could be understood by another technological civilization. The best-known CETI experiment of its kind was the 1974 Arecibo message composed by Frank Drake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First contact (science fiction)</span> Science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life

First contact is a common theme in science fiction about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient species' first encounter with another one, given they are from different planets or natural satellites. It is closely related to the anthropological idea of first contact.

Active SETI is the attempt to send messages to intelligent extraterrestrial life. Active SETI messages are predominantly sent in the form of radio signals. Physical messages like that of the Pioneer plaque may also be considered an active SETI message. Active SETI is also known as METI.

A post-detection policy (PDP), also known as a post-detection protocol, is a set of structured rules, standards, guidelines, or actions that governmental or other organizational entities plan to follow for the "detection, analysis, verification, announcement, and response to" confirmed signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. Though no PDPs have been formally and openly adopted by any governmental entity, there is significant work being done by scientists and nongovernmental organizations to develop cohesive plans of action to utilize in the event of detection. The most popular and well known of these is the "Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence", which was developed by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), with the support of the International Institute of Space Law. The theories of PDPs constitute a distinct area of research but draw heavily from the fields of SETI, METI, and CETI.

The cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact is the corpus of changes to terrestrial science, technology, religion, politics, and ecosystems resulting from contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. This concept is closely related to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), which attempts to locate intelligent life as opposed to analyzing the implications of contact with that life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technosignature</span> Property that provides scientific evidence for the presence of technology

Technosignature or technomarker is any measurable property or effect that provides scientific evidence of past or present technology. Technosignatures are analogous to biosignatures, which signal the presence of life, whether intelligent or not. Some authors prefer to exclude radio transmissions from the definition, but such restrictive usage is not widespread. Jill Tarter has proposed that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) be renamed "the search for technosignatures". Various types of technosignatures, such as radiation leakage from megascale astroengineering installations such as Dyson spheres, the light from an extraterrestrial ecumenopolis, or Shkadov thrusters with the power to alter the orbits of stars around the Galactic Center, may be detectable with hypertelescopes. Some examples of technosignatures are described in Paul Davies's 2010 book The Eerie Silence, although the terms "technosignature" and "technomarker" do not appear in the book.

Breakthrough Initiatives is a science-based program founded in 2015 and funded by Julia and Yuri Milner, also of Breakthrough Prize, to search for extraterrestrial intelligence over a span of at least 10 years. The program is divided into multiple projects. Breakthrough Listen will comprise an effort to search over 1,000,000 stars for artificial radio or laser signals. A parallel project called Breakthrough Message is an effort to create a message "representative of humanity and planet Earth". The project Breakthrough Starshot, co-founded with Mark Zuckerberg, aims to send a swarm of probes to the nearest star at about 20% the speed of light. The project Breakthrough Watch aims to identify and characterize Earth-sized, rocky planets around Alpha Centauri and other stars within 20 light years of Earth. Breakthrough plans to send a mission to Saturn's moon Enceladus, in search for life in its warm ocean, and in 2018 signed a partnership agreement with NASA for the project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkeley SETI Research Center</span>

The Berkeley SETI Research Center (BSRC) conducts experiments searching for optical and electromagnetic transmissions from intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations. The center is based at the University of California, Berkeley.

<i>Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication</i> 2014 essay collection

Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication is a 2014 collection of essays edited by Douglas Vakoch and published by NASA. The book is focused on the role that the humanities and social sciences, in particular anthropology and archaeology, play in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The seventeen essays are gathered into four sections, which respectively explore the history of SETI as a field; archaeological comparisons for human-alien communication, such as the difficulties of translating ancient languages; the inferential gap between humans and aliens, and the consequences this would have for communication and trade; and the potential nature of alien intelligences.

The Rio scale was proposed in 2000 as a means of quantifying the significance of a SETI detection. The scale was designed by Iván Almár and Jill Tarter to help tell policy-makers how likely, from 0 to 10, it is that an extraterrestrial radio signal has been produced by an intelligent civilization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of extraterrestrial life</span> Overview of and topical guide to extraterrestrial life

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to extraterrestrial life:

References

  1. ↑ Bennett, Jeffrey (2017). Life in the universe. United States: Pearson. p. 3-4. ISBN   978-0-13-408908-9.
  2. ↑ Plurality of Worlds: The Extraterrestrial life Debate from Democritus to Kant, by Steven Dick, Cambridge University Press 1984
  3. ↑ The Extraterrestrial Life Debate: 1750-1900, by Michael J. Crowe, Dover Publications, 2011
  4. ↑ Spinks, Peter (May 21, 2013). "Are we alone?" . SMH.com.au .
  5. ↑ Keith Cooper (August 20, 2024). "Are we alone? Intelligent aliens may be rare, new study suggests". Space.com . Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ Yolles, Maurice (2022-12-13). "Consciousness, Sapience and Sentience—A Metacybernetic View". Systems. 10 (6): 254. doi: 10.3390/systems10060254 . ISSN   2079-8954.
  7. ↑ Peacock, John A. (1998). Cosmological Physics . Cambridge University Press. p.  66. ISBN   0-521-42270-1.
  8. ↑ Hickman, Leo (25 April 2010). "Stephen Hawking takes a hard line on aliens". The Guardian . Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Krauthammer, Charles (December 29, 2011). "Are we alone in the universe?". The Washington Post . Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  10. ↑ Kaufman, Marc (12 October 2022). "Life, Here and Beyond". NASA Astrobiology. Retrieved 3 February 2023. No life beyond Earth has ever been found; there is no evidence that alien life has ever visited our planet. It's all a story.
  11. ↑ Kardashev, Nikolai. "On the Inevitability and the Possible Structures of Supercivilizations", The search for extraterrestrial life: Recent developments; Proceedings of the Symposium, Boston, MA, June 18–21, 1984 (A86-38126 17-88). Dordrecht, D. Reidel Publishing Co., 1985, p. 497–504.
  12. ↑ Zaun, Harald (1 November 2011). "Es war wie eine 180-Grad-Wende von diesem peinlichen Geheimnis!" [It was like a 180 degree turn from this embarrassing secret]. Telepolis (in German). Heise.
  13. 1 2 "The search for ET is a detective story without a body" by Nigel Henbest, New Scientist, March 9, 2013, p. 53.
  14. ↑ Larson, Phil (5 November 2011). "Searching for ET, But No Evidence Yet". White House. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  15. ↑ Atkinson, Nancy (5 November 2011). "No Alien Visits or UFO Coverups, White House Says". UniverseToday . Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  16. ↑ Hollingham, Richard. "What if the aliens we are looking for are AI?". BBC.com . Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  17. ↑ Wall, Mike (14 November 2016). "Electronic E.T.: Intelligent Aliens Are Likely Machines". Space.com . Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  18. ↑ ""Alien Artificial Intelligence is Out There" --And It's Billions of Years Old". The Daily Galaxy. 2019-01-01. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  19. ↑ "Was the Wow! Signal Alien?". Skeptoid. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  20. ↑ Byrd, Deborah (4 June 2022). "Has China's FAST telescope detected alien intelligence?". Earth & Sky . Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  21. ↑ Overbye, Dennis (18 June 2022). "A Chinese Telescope Did Not Find an Alien Signal. The Search Continues. China's astronomers have been initiated into the search for extraterrestrial intelligence with the kind of false alarm that others in the field have experienced for decades". The New York Times . Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  22. 1 2 Harrison, A. A. (2011). "Fear, pandemonium, equanimity and delight: Human responses to extra-terrestrial life". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 369 (1936): 656–668. Bibcode:2011RSPTA.369..656H. doi:10.1098/rsta.2010.0229. PMID   21220289. S2CID   39284787.
  23. ↑ Kazan, Casey (1 August 2008). "The Impact of ET Contact: Europe's Scientists Discuss The Future of Humans in Space". Daily Galaxy. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  24. ↑ Fuller, Curtis (1980). Proceedings of the First International UFO Congress. New York: Warner Books. pp. 157–163.
  25. ↑ "Extraterrestrial Culture Day landed on Feb.14". Beacon NWCIowa.edu . 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
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