Doing Science, Not Fantasy

IN 1960 ASTRONOMER FRANK DRAKE issued his now famous formula by which he attempted to calculate the likelihood of intelligent life existing in the universe, other than on Earth, the intelligence of which is sometimes questionable. The equation is based upon information at hand sixty years ago; the number of galaxies in the known universe, the number of stars in the known galaxy, the theoretical number of planets orbiting the billions of stars, and a projected likelihood of the number of planets being suited, by their physical characteristics, to being able to sustain life. A project, using radio telescopes, to search deep space for signals from extraterrestrial sources was instigated, project "OZMA", which was subsequently replaced by project "SETI", a more comprehensive search, using telescopes around the world. SETI, despite the the unfortunate withdrawal of congressional funding, exists to this day, privately funded. Enrico Fermi, the famous atomic scientist who along with Robert J. Oppenheimer helped design and construct America's atomic bomb during World War Two, became a true kill joy in the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life by asking a single question: "If they're out there, where are they, and why haven't we heard from at least one of them?" True to science, he supplied his own mathematical formulations to substantiate his skepticism, work which, to this day, bears witness to his simple question: there is as of now absolutely no evidence, not a shred of it, to indicate that there exists life of any sort, let alone intelligent, anywhere than on planet Earth. And yet, we persist. Work now is being done with visual as well as radio telescopes. In 1995 the first planet orbiting a star other than Sol was discovered. Telescopes became more powerful, and were launched into orbit, clear of earth's befogging atmosphere. Over the next twenty five years, the discovery of verified extra solar planets accrued like pop corn bursting forth in a paper bag in a microwave oven; with ever increasing rapidity. We stand now at well over five thousand known planets, and the popping has but barely begun. It is highly conceivable that at least one of these, and there must be billions, indeed harbors intelligent life, and that such life has indeed been broadcasting signals towards Earth. However, the expense is great, the galaxy is large, and, well, our boat is so small. It is easy to imagine that an entire galaxy of pulsing signals could get lost amid all the background static the universe puts out, and that the signals are there, but that we, with our puny limits on wavelengths and instruments simply have not yet picked them up, but one day will, hopefully soon. Nothing currently being done on planet Earth is more intellectually exciting. The only barriers to its success are the nay sayers; religious fanatics who only concern is their fervent hope that God comes to Earth soon to rapture them into heaven, the conservative philistines with no imagination nor curiosity, and last but not least, the overly imaginative and insufficiently honest paranormal community, whose members live in their own fantasy world, interacting with aliens of their own imagination, creating science fiction scenarios and embracing them like drug hallucinations, while ignoring the far more exciting reality of solid, traditional, empirical research science. To all such who stand in the way of valid investigation, we can only say; lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.