Strategies and Advice for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. (arXiv:2107.07283v3 [astro-ph.IM] UPDATED)
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Wright_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jason T. Wright</a>
As a guide for astronomers new to the field of technosignature search (i.e.
SETI), I present an overview of some of its observational and theoretical
approaches. I review some of the various observational search strategies for
SETI, focusing not on the variety of technosignatures that have been proposed
or which are most likely to be found, but on the underlying philosophies that
motivate searches for them. I cover passive versus active searches, ambiguous
versus dispositive kinds of technosignatures, commensal or archival searches
versus dedicated ones, communicative signals versus “artifacts”, “active”
versus derelict technologies, searches for beacons versus eavesdropping, and
model-based versus anomaly-based searches. I also attempt to roughly map the
landscape of technosignatures by kind and the scale over which they appear. I
also discuss the importance of setting upper limits in SETI, and offer a
heuristic for how to do so in a generic SETI search. I mention and attempt to
dispel several misconceptions about the field. I conclude with some personal
observations and recommendations for how to practice SETI, including how to
choose good theory projects, how to work with experts and skeptics to improve
one’s search, and how to plan for success.
As a guide for astronomers new to the field of technosignature search (i.e.
SETI), I present an overview of some of its observational and theoretical
approaches. I review some of the various observational search strategies for
SETI, focusing not on the variety of technosignatures that have been proposed
or which are most likely to be found, but on the underlying philosophies that
motivate searches for them. I cover passive versus active searches, ambiguous
versus dispositive kinds of technosignatures, commensal or archival searches
versus dedicated ones, communicative signals versus “artifacts”, “active”
versus derelict technologies, searches for beacons versus eavesdropping, and
model-based versus anomaly-based searches. I also attempt to roughly map the
landscape of technosignatures by kind and the scale over which they appear. I
also discuss the importance of setting upper limits in SETI, and offer a
heuristic for how to do so in a generic SETI search. I mention and attempt to
dispel several misconceptions about the field. I conclude with some personal
observations and recommendations for how to practice SETI, including how to
choose good theory projects, how to work with experts and skeptics to improve
one’s search, and how to plan for success.
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