>This is exactly the kind of non-scientific response that's going to pull SETI
>down the tubes Paul. Care to recant?
Not really, Chip; it was a non-scientific question. (Or rather, a
Social-Science question, which most physical scientists would do well to
dodge.) You're asking me to guess as to ETI's motives, thought process and
constraints, as well as their technology, and I just can't do that. I
suppose I could say "ETI won't use lasers because Prof. Cohen has proven
that they're not the most efficient medium of interstellar communication."
But how do I know they've read your articles?
OTOH, I can't say "ETI will use lasers because they haven't read Prof.
Cohen's articles," since they may well have their own Prof. Cohen to guide
their actions!
So it's quite frankly anybody's guess whether radio, or lasers, or
anything else, will work. I for one say: do the experiments -- *all* of
them we can afford to do -- and see where they lead us. Arguing about
what ETI might be thinking is fruitless.
And now I need to bow out of the speculative discussion of the day. I
have work to do for our members. (And thanks again, Chip, for including
yourself in that select company.)
73, Paul
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H. Paul Shuch, Ph.D. Executive Director, The SETI League, Inc.
433 Liberty Street, PO Box 555, Little Ferry NJ 07643 USA
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