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Language: en
you're watching a Nova science Now video
podcast
Jill Tarter has a big question on her
mind are we alone
humans have been asking it forever
as the Director of The seti Institute
it's tarter's job to find the answer
well to look at least
what she is searching for are
electromagnetic signals that stand out
from the background noise of space
signals that might be products of an
extraterrestrial civilization
no information just a proof of their
existence
answers that question
and so that to me is you know the the
pot of gold at the end of a rainbow if
you wish
if by chance we do detect a cosmic dial
tone or even a specific message what
then
if we detect a signal
we'll do everything that we can at this
site
to make sure that it isn't our own
technology that's fooling us
or that it isn't a deliberate hoax
that's a big possibility for us and one
of the things that we will do to rule
out hopes is to call up another
telescope if we get an independent
confirmation
then it pretty much rules out a hoax and
once we've alerted the astronomical
Community we will in fact tell the world
we'll tell the world because a signal
isn't being sent to the Allen telescope
array isn't being sent to California
it's being sent to the planet Earth
and the planet Earth deserves to know
about
as a resident of planet Earth and as a
study researcher tartar has had to think
long and hard about what many of us have
never considered the ethics of
extraterrestrial conversation
so if we get a signal should we reply
well
who's going to speak for Earth
what would we say
that's a little bit above my pay scale
so most of the people that are working
on seti have informally agreed that if
we receive a signal we won't transmit
back until there's been some Global
consensus about these big questions
should we transmit because some people
are likely to say gee you know if you're
if you're camping out in the jungle
maybe you shouldn't shout at night
because the tigers will come and eat you
up right some people have a fear of the
unknown a fear of the different and
would not want to transmit many people
would say yes we should transmit and you
should tell my story or describe my
religion or my view of the world or my
country
so there's a lot to be discussed
having a protocol for et communication
is all well and good but could Earth as
a whole ever reach a group consensus
about our reply
it's this really high road ethically and
intellectually and Freeman Dyson who's
just a marvelous physicist every time he
hears me say this he just laughs out
loud and he said Jill if you ever
announce that you've detected a signal
and give the description of what it is
and where it's coming from anybody
anybody with a transmitter at their
disposal is going to get on the horn and
Shout whatever they want in spite of
your high-minded principles and then he
Chuckles and he says and wouldn't that
be just about the best characterization
of 21st century Earth in an unorganized
cacophony
in the meantime Tarter and her team have
their eyes and satellites to the sky and
their hopes up we've also thought very
hard about how we're going to celebrate
and we plan for Success so whenever we
observe there's there's champagne on Ice
just in case
finally answering an age-old question
seems like a perfect excuse for a bit of
bubbly
for more on Jill Tarter and the search
for extraterrestrial intelligence watch
Nova science now airing Wednesday July
23rd on PBS or join us online at pbs.org
Nova slash science now