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Projects: SETI@home
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In 1989, the International Academy of Astronautics' SETI committee
wrote the following recommendations for what observers should do
following the detection and confirmation of an extraterrestrial
signal. These nine principles for disseminating information about
a detection have since been accepted and/or endorsed by a number
of scientific and technical organizations.
- Any individual,
public or private research institution, or governmental agency
that believes it has detected a signal from extraterrestrial intelligence,
should seek to verify that the most plausible explanation for
the evidence is the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence
rather than some other natural phenomenon or anthropogenic phenomenon
before making any public announcement. If the evidence cannot
be confirmed as indicating the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence,
the discoverer may disseminate the information as appropriate
to the discovery of any unknown phenomenon.
- Prior to
making a public announcement that evidence of extraterrestrial
intelligence has been detected, the discoverer should promptly
inform all other observers or research organizations that are
parties to this declaration, so that those other parties may seek
to confirm the discovery by independent observations at other
sites and so that a network can be established to enable continuous
monitoring of the signal or phenomenon. Parties to this declaration
should not make any public announcement of this information until
it is determined whether this information is or is not credible
evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. The
discoverer should inform his/her or its relevant national authorities.
- After concluding
that the discovery appears to be credible evidence of extraterrestrial
intelligence, and after informing other parties to this declaration,
the discoverer should inform observers throughout the world through
the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams of the International
Astronomical Union, and should inform the Secretary General of
the United Nations in accordance with Article XI of the Treaty
on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration
and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Bodies. Because
of their demonstrated interest in and expertise concerning the
question of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence, the
discoverer should simultaneously inform the following international
institutions of the discovery and should provide them with all
pertinent data and recorded information concerning the evidence:
the International Telecommunications Union, the Committee on Space
Research of the International Council of Scientific Unions, the
International Astronautical Federation, the International Academy
of Astronautics, the International Institute of Space Law, Commission
51 of the International Astronomical Union and Commission J of
the International Radio Science Union.
- A confirmed
detection of extraterrestrial intelligence should be disseminated
promptly, openly, and widely through scientific channels and public
media, observing the procedures in this declaration. The discoverer
should have the privilege of making the first public announcement.
- All data
necessary for confirmation of detection should be made available
to the international scientific community through publications,
meetings, conferences, and other appropriate means.
- The discovery
should be confirmed and monitored and any data bearing on the
evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence should be recorded and
stored permanently to the greatest extent feasible and practicable,
in a form that will make it available for further analysis and
interpretation. These recordings should be made available to the
international institutions listed above and to members of the
scientific community for further objective analysis and interpretation.
- If the evidence
of detection is in the form of electromagnetic signals, the parties
to this declaration should seek international agreement to protect
the appropriate frequencies by exercising procedures available
through the International Telecommunications Union. Immediate
notice should be sent to the Secretary General of the ITU in Geneva,
who may include a request to minimize transmissions on the relevant
frequencies in the Weekly Circular. The Secretariat, in conjunction
with advice of the Union's Administrative Council, should explore
the feasibility and utility of convening an Extraordinary Administrative
Radio Conference to deal with the matter, subject to the opinions
of the member Administrations of the ITU.
- No response
to a signal or other evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence
should be sent until appropriate international consultations have
taken place. The procedures for such consultations will be the
subject of a separate agreement, declaration or arrangement.
- The SETI
Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics, in coordination
with Commission 51 of the International Astronomical Union, will
conduct a continuing review of procedures for the detection of
extraterrestrial intelligence and subsequent handling of the data.
Should credible evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence be discovered,
an international committee of scientists and other experts should
be established to serve as a focal point for continuing analysis
of all observational evidence collected in the aftermath of the
discovery, and also to provide advice on the release of information
to the public. This committee should be constituted from representatives
of each of the international institutions listed above and such
other members as the committee may deem necessary. To facilitate
the convocation of such a committee at some unknown time in the
future, the SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics
should initiate and maintain a current list of willing representatives
from each of the international institutions listed above, as well
as other individuals with relevant skills, and should make that
list continuously available through the Secretariat of the International
Academy of Astronautics. The International Academy of Astronautics
will act as the Depository for this declaration and will annually
provide a current list of parties to all the parties of this declaration.
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