The Royal Society Declares SETI a Failure
For years SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) has been scouring the skies looking for signs of radio waves or other evidence of life on other planets. Thus far the project has become a gigantic failure. You think the Maytag Remairman is lonely? Try working at SETI. Now the Royal Society, Britain’s premiere think tank, who once counted Isaac Newton among its members, has said that we need to stop hoping for contact by radio waves. What should we do instead? Navel gaze.
From the Telegraph here:
Professor Paul Davies, a physicist at Arizona University will tell a meeting at the Royal Society that the best way of proving that extra-terrestrial life exists elsewhere in the universe is to use evidence from earth.
The meeting at the Royal Society, which will include representatives from Nasa, the European Space Agency and the UN Office for Outer space Affairs marks the 5th anniversary of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) programme. Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society will also lead one of the sessions.
Prof Davies said: We need to give up the notion that ET is sending us some sort of customised message and take a new approach.”
We used to work upstairs from those hippy star gazers. Every time we passed them in the hall the standing joke was to ask if they had heard anything today…. One female employees sole purpose in life appeared to be to feed all of the squirrels and birds (and undoubtedly rats)outside her office window. She used to bring in sacks of corn and seeds everyday and spread it all over the place. She also drove a Prius (with the plate SETICAT)…..Go figure.
Nice life if you can get it.