Rethinking ETI
- Paper number
IAC-06-A4.2.03
- Author
Dr. Allen Tough, University of Toronto, Canada
- Year
2006
- Abstract
As a scientific field progresses, it may occasionally reach a point where a fundamental re-examination of the core phenomenon is useful. After 45 years of null results, the SETI field may have reached such a point. The field might benefit greatly from rethinking the nature of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI). This paper reports on a recent effort to rethink ETI. Is ETI flesh-and-blood or post-biological? What are its capabilities, ethics, goals, projects, and other major features? How could our searches be improved? What are the major differences between this study and a somewhat similar study completed by the author 20 years ago (reported in JBIS in 1986)?
- Abstract document