Fanning the Flames of SETI Passion

Paper number

IAC-12,A4,2,1,x13070

Author

Prof. H. Paul Shuch, The SETI League, Inc., United States

Year

2012

Abstract

A half-century of observational SETI science has led us reluctantly to accept the reality that SETI success will not come quickly.  Given the probable multi-generational nature of this quest, it is natural for participants to become discouraged.  Lacking any realistic prospect of instant gratification, organizations coordinating and promoting SETI experiments must seek incremental rewards to hold the interest of their supporters and practitioners in the face of ongoing null results.  The SETI League’s awards program was designed to provide intermittent reinforcement to the SETI public, offering acknowledgment of their efforts and thus occasionally fanning the flames of their SETI passion. Anything that can be done to combat scientific burnout and promote a realistic optimism can help to keep stakeholders engaged for the long haul.


KEYWORDS:

	SETI League, Awards, Giordano Bruno, Orville Greene, ETCC, ExtraTerrestrial Century Club

Abstract document

IAC-12,A4,2,1,x13070.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-12,A4,2,1,x13070.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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