SETI: A Coverup in plain sight?

Although SETI potentially represents humanity’s best chance of making open contact with an extraterrestrial civilization, its members are surprisingly guarded about what they would do in the event of a positive detection, for a variety of reasons. Human and national security is an important factor, but is in fact relatively low on the list of SETI priorities in the event of a detection. What would really motivate secrecy are the demands of the modern scientific establishment, and particularly the need to verify results before publication.

Source: Why SETI Might Not Disclose a Signal


Interestingly, in that article Paul Davies, who was head of the post-detection taskgroup until very recently, openly says that they would cover up a signal as long as it took to make scientific analysis. Anyone want to take a guess at how long that could take? SETI could have already discovered a signal years ago and aren't telling us for whatever reasons.

Even if one doesn't believe in the UFO cover-up, it's very interesting that scientists would b interested in keeping something like this secret for their own set of reasons. and that's before the government even got involved.

What do you all think? Would SETI go screaming to the rooftops if they got a good, reliable signal? Or would they be able to keep it quiet?

reply to post by kristobal


Its not a very big suprise is it? Would you rather tell someone something, knowing it might be false, and have them freak out or wait a while and tell someone something, you know to be the absolute truth, and have them freak out?

They are just covering their asses IMHO.

MOTF!

I agree with MOTF. I also believe that SETI would stay quite should they have found a signal. Gives them time to examine it, and rule out any possible discrepancies. On the other hand, we all know that big brother gov't is lurking behind their shadows and could also possibly confiscate any data that SETI would have proven to be true, thus, silencing any form of disclosure that we can ever dream of.

What do you guys think about the role of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and all of the money he pumped into SETI so they could build the new "Allan Array"?

Wikipedia

Does accepting private money make SETI more or less transparent to the public?

Originally posted by kristobal
What do you guys think about the role of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and all of the money he pumped into SETI so they could build the new "Allan Array"?

Wikipedia

Does accepting private money make SETI more or less transparent to the public?

It just means that SETI owes Paul Allen a good ole back scratchin'. I would say it had to depend on the major investor's intrests and agenda.

On the other hand though, those people at SETI have made it their lifes work to persue the truth about ETs. I highly doubt that, if they found a truly genuine signal, someone wouldn't deffinately spill the beans.

MOTF!

There are all kinds of reasons why SETI would be hesitant to declare to the public that they've received an intelligent radio signal from somewhere other than Earth. I suspect that SETI, while not officially an agency of the U.S. Government, operates under a protocol that could make them legally or financially responsible for releasing to the public any information that might be damaging or threatening to national security. And the government might consider news of alien intelligence just that, seeing as how it might cause all kinds of social, political and economic turmoil. (Or not.)

But I suppose, more importantly, it would be necessary to basically get the entire scientific community to absolutely verify such a monumental thing, and that could take a long, long time.

reply to post by kristobal


Ive wondered this long before now, and part of me (perhaps the conspiracy theorist in me) thinks they may have already had signals and kept quiet about it. I can understand the point of views of verification, but would'nt that still be releasing too much in the eyes of some. Who decides whether this would even get released in to the scientific community for annalysis?

I reckon they'll release anything that is'nt total proof. Just to show that they are doing valid work and to give people something to chew on. Keep them happy. Anything with any true meaning will get swept under the ever bulging carpet, untill one day someone breaks their silence and then get painted as a nut job who's out for his or her own interests, and so the cycle will continue.

I would like to think that they would be as transparent as this. but behind every operation today is a table full of powerfull people that make it their bussines to conceal (by any means) the truth that would benefit humankind so much.

Imagine the strategic, economic and social implications of intercepting a digital stream of data from somewhere deep in space, just spewing advanced information in our direction. Even if scientists could decode only a small percentage of the message, it would still be the most valuable information on planet earth. Do you think that the government would allow, for a second, amateur astronomers or other nations collecting and analyzing the same signal? I think not.

reply to post by kristobal


Exatly, the Gov's of this world have lied about a lot less, this would be huge. It also makes me wonder whether SETI is just the public face of this branch, and theres secret efforts happening around the world that no one knows of. There could even be some info war going on between country's. To be the first to gain maximum advantage from any signals and the possable info they could contain.