SETI - Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Is it possible?

SETI or Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is a US based organisation set up on 20 November 1984 in the state of California, USA. The mission that SETI set out to do was to hunt for intelligent extraterrestrial life on other planets. SETI is made up of respectable and learned scientists. Its work is a serious one. They use sophisticated technologies to search, detect and contact any alien life in the universe. SETI's work must not be confused with the theories of self-styled "know a lot" alien UFO experts whose antics are available on TV shows like 'Ancient Aliens'. These people take their inspiration from people like the Swiss, Erich Von Daniken and the American, Giorgio A. Tsukalos.

SETI uses technologies mostly centred on radio emitting systems and are planning to use a laser soon to help them contact an alien civilisation.

SETI has for the past 35 years been attempting to locate an alien civilisation. Its efforts have been boosted by recent finds of earth-like planets located in a zone much like our planet is from our sun and could possibly hold life. However, hitherto they have not detected any extraterrestrial civilisation similar to ours. This need not mean that humans are alone in the universe, but when our own galaxy is so immense, imagine he size of the universe with its countless galaxies and their native planets. it is possible that on some planets harbour alien life which might include aliens with similar or better communication technologies.

But what I find is the enormity and the high improbabilities of finding intelligent life on another world for the reasons of; their existence with sophisticated technologies, that only primitive life such as microbes, animals and vegetation, that they may have existed but were wiped out in a catastrophe, sheer distance, they may not have developed sophisticated technologies like us and their non-existence.

In order for an alien to contact us, they must be using the same kind of technologies that we use in the form of radio telescopes on the ground such as SETI's own Allen Space Array, America's National Science Foudation's of America's Arecibo Telescope and Britain's Jodrell Bank radio telescopes and orbiting space telescope such as the American Kepler telescope and TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. If they did not, then there will not be a chance that they will either be able to contact us or receive a signal from us.

Another matter to consider is that they may be using radically different interstellar communications technologies that we have not conceived yet. If that is the case, any signals from them even if they reach our planet, it will not be received by us. It is akin to someone using a smartphone trying to call someone else who is using a 19th century landline phone.

It is, possible that in the enormity of the size of the galaxies as well as our own Milky Way, that many planets harbour simple microbial life, or simple animals. Can you talk   about advanced technology or even football to a microbe or a mouse?

Another consideration to view is that they may have existed far in the distant past when mankind was not developed as it is now, but due to some catastrophe such as a collision with a huge comet, or an onslaught by a sudden large burst of gamma radiation from their sun or even a massive eruption by a super volcanic eruption, they were annihilated with none or  few survivors. Our own planet has experienced such events from the demise of the dinosaurs from a comet strike, the extinction of mega fauna due to volcanic eruption and that humans of today were survivors from Africa which killed of large populations on the Earth due to a super volcano.

There is a possibility that they exist but have not developed as far as we have and therefore will not be able to capture signals from us. What if their state of technological development is akin to Middle Ages Europe and Asia with contemporaneity with Central and South America, but we are at our present stage of technological development? It is like sending a wireless message from a computer to someone using smoke signals. 

Interstellar space is incalculably vast. If an extraterrestrial civilisation with similar communications technologies exists, the sheer unfathomable vastness might not allow our signals to be strong enough to have the integrity for them to reach that extraterrestrial civilsation. With distance, the strength and integrity of any radio signal or laser beam, will weaken and vanish.

In addition, an intelligent life form on another world may not be the same kind of carbon-based life forms which is what we humans are. They could be a different kind of life form, perhaps with advanced technologies, but are completely dissimilar to ours and they cannot communicate with us due to the kind of language they use. It is like they are similar to insects but we are mammals. Despite being technologically advanced their might not be able to comprehend us.

Lastly, an extraterrestrial civilisation capable of sending and receiving messages might exist at all. So far, NASA has detected many earth like planets which might support life. Some are about the size of our Earth whilst others are much larger. But so far, no indication of intelligent or any life at all.  Are we indeed all alone in space? I hope not. What about you?

In conclusion, when we examine the points made, I think a great deal of patience, sobriety and perseverance is needed in our quest to find any form of life on another world. We, perhaps, should not expect too much from the search for extraterrestrial life, but we must not dismiss the efforts of SETI or NASA. How do we know for absolute certainty that there are not any technologically advanced societies out there. 

 Links:

1. https://seti.org/

2. https://www.jodrellbank.net/

3. https://www.naic.edu/

4.  https://tess.mit.edu/

5.https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/main/index.html