UFO Discussion

Date of Original News Article: 1 August 2005
Type of UFO News: UFO Discussion
Headline: Laser Exploration for Extraterrestrials

It was almost forty years after an endeavour to detect extraterrestrial phenomena began. It was proven to be fruitless as no small or great signals coming from the extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) have been discovered, though several more powerful instruments have been added, including laser.

A scientist, who was the first to undergo an ETI search with the use of radio telescope in 1960, predicted that an ETI would be discovered by the 1980s. It was not realised, so he revised his estimates, but had several unsuccessful attempts. The research was a cosmic enterprise and nobody knew if it would stay for more decades.

This has never hindered a group of Turks in Australia and United States from extending their study to the area of electromagnetic spectrum. The team was composed of a professor from Harvard University, a scientist from University of California, another scientist from Columbus Optical SETI Observatory, and a scientist from University of Western Sydney, who served as the head.

The experiment was the only study ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere and considered a sensitive one. According to the head, if ETI was available that time, they could have passed the radio brink and talked with other civilisations outside Earth through laser pulses. He explained that light waves carried more data than those radio waves. It was believed that the universe could be radio-silent, which meant that radio search initiatives and strategies for the wide array formation of a telescope, might result to nothing.

The scientist’s interest was caught after he read the 1960’s article about Project Ozma that was included in the American journal Physics Today. He was busy that time in finishing his Doctoral education and did not provide SETI with much attention. His interest that time was centred on the magnetism theories. He later established the physics group, which encompassed his own ideas on the fifth force’s existence. However, his efforts were not paid off.

In 1966, his attention was brought back to SETI. He attended the bioastronomy discussion in Capri, where he heard the explanations regarding optical SETI, as well as the ETI’s potential to be used for intergalactic conversation through lasers. Unlike many other participants in the conference, who were sceptical about the explanation, he was impressed with the talk. Consequently, he started his own probes when he went home.

He learned that not many works had been undergone in SETI. In 1988, he organised a symposium on SETI and launched his own optical SETI.

He has continued his search using optical SETI. In February 2001, he published an article, claiming that laser power rises from milliWatt to megawatt. He considered this as a great development that could help him with his research.

The use of lasers has long been practised by several scientists. The laser’s property provided a possibility to use it in communication. It was suggested that it could be employed for interstellar conversation instead of radio waves.

Until now, there has been no evidence of laser indications ever detected.