The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society ; FULL Study

I have seen the popular thread about the warning from ET's from the source GUARDIAN and I found the full and very long report done by the Royal Society and it is a very interesting read...
Although I havent read it all there is ALOT of info and some very interesting math to back it up
here is the link to the Table of Contents ( Each Chapter is able to be read in both regualr txt and .pdf)

Link to the Report done By the Royal Society...

A personal fave of an excerpt from the piece is

While scientists are obliged to assess benefits and risks that relate to their research, the political responsibility for decisions arising following the detection of extra-terrestrial life cannot and should not rest with them. Any such decision will require a broad societal dialogue and a proper political mandate. If extra-terrestrial life happens to be detected, a coordinated response that takes into account all the related sensitivities should already be in place. In 1989, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) approved a SETI post-detection protocol [51], which was developed by one of its committees. Despite the fact that it has subsequently been endorsed by the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), the procedures laid out in that document are not legally enforcible. If it remains a voluntary code of practice, it will probably be ignored in the event to which it should apply. Will a suitable process based on expert advice from proper and responsible scientists arise at all, or will interests of power and opportunism more probably set the scene (cf. [52])? A lack of coordination can be avoided by creating an overarching framework in a truly global effort governed by an international politically legitimated body. The United Nations fora constitute a ready-made mechanism for coordination. Member States of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) will need to place ‘supra-Earth affairs’ on the agenda in order to take it further to the General Assembly, with the goal of establishing structures similar to those created for dealing with threats arising from potentially impacting near-Earth objects [53].

Like i said this is a very good read and I just thought I would post as there are threads devoted to only one piece of this report and the whole thing is very interesting for Skeptics and Believers alike. I think it is alot of work and some very professional non biased opinions and cutting edge theories are expressed in a very "mature" way

Now Im gonna get back to reading and I cant wait to see yalls opinions

xoxo,
B3

Ahh nice. I'll have a read at that. Cheers!

Having read the article that OP linked to , I am refreshed to read that serious scientists are giving proper thought to the idea of life based on other chemicals than water.
People tend , rather unfortunately to assume (which in terms of proper scientific investigation is always a bad plan) that life can only exist in locations which have the chemical compositions that terran life is known for. However, the recent discovery of several impossible creatures, living in the harshest environs known to man, somewhat changes the attitude of those who look deeply into the matter of life on other worlds. We now know that life is a force to be reckoned with, and that the needs of life are different than we imagined, and less prohibitive than we could have believed.
Also refreshing, is to hear those who are involved in the official workings of the search for extra terrestrial life, and also the folks operating the missions to locate new extra solar planetary bodies, believe that the population may in fact react either positively or not at all to the potential discovery of alien life. Of further interest , is that the official bodies are begining to realise, or accept what the rest of us have known for some time, that religious persons are unlikely to be phased by a discovery of life outside our solar system.
In general , I think this report is possibly one of the most positive reports to have come out regarding this issue, in some time. A thoroughly encouraging document in all particulars, and one that I thank the OP for bringing to the attention of the membership.

Im very surprised...
the thread that only has one part of the many other parts is getting peoples discussion but this one which has got some amazing info for EVERYBODY and does not???
Is it that ATS members dont enjoy to read???

I would hate to say the content is too smart for most members??

I dunno!!!


Cmon ATS members this is huge collection of scientific data
what we all crave and desire


P.S.

Thanks to the above people for taking some time and Involving yourself with this intellectual read!

I've just read the introduction so far, and definitely plan to go back and read the other parts.
Even in the intro, some profound things were stated....

Advanced extra-terrestrial life might be inconceivable to us in its complexity, just as human life is to amoebae.

Probably one of the most interesting ideas in the intro...would we even recognize such advanced life as life?

The year 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the first search for radio signals originating from other civilizations, a remarkably optimistic endeavor in 1960, particularly bearing in mind that up to now all SETI experiments have provided a negative result. One, however, has to realize that these have probed only our neighborhood, up to about 200 light-years distant, whereas the centre of the Milky Way is 25000 light-years away from us. And even if there is no other intelligent life in the Milky Way, it could still be hosted in another of the remaining hundreds of billions of other galaxies.

Really puts the limited scope of SETI into perspective, for those why wonder why we haven't found anything yet...

Frequently, things are only seen in the proper context if observed from a far enough distance. The image of Earth taken by Voyager 1 from as near as about 40 AU, i.e. still within the outer regions of the Solar System, which depicts just a ‘pale blue dot’, proves insightful. As Carl Sagan [54] (p. 9) worded it: ‘Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light.’

Reminds us of how insignificant we are in the vastness of the Universe...just a pale, blue speck in the sky.

I would definitively agree this article if nothing else is written in a humbling manner about our species as a WHOLE...

Our planet is just a a blue speck and we are pretty much just the amoebe to the possible life out there...
I still havent finished it all ha so much great content but I have skipped around here and there and go back

this is one of my faves so far....

What will be the moral character of the alien intelligences we meet? Friendly? Beneficent? Honest? Deceitful? Aggressive? Hostile? Will our extra-terrestrial neighbours be subject to sin? Will they have fallen, so to speak? Or, might the aliens have escaped the scourges that plague us here on Earth? I suggest that we begin our speculation using two diametrically opposed scenarios, both based on existing assumptions. I label one the celestial saviour model and the other the alien enemy model. According to the first model, an alleged extra-terrestrial civilization on an extrasolar planet came into existence earlier than we did on Earth. ETI have evolved longer than we have. They have progressed further. They have progressed not only in science and technology, but also in morality and medical care. Being more advanced than we in every respect, ETI come to Earth from our heavens to bring us advanced science, peace on Earth, a long life and prosperity. This model anticipates a secular form of salvation

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we find the alien enemy model. This model is more characteristic of science fiction novels and movies, especially in the era immediately after the Second World War. The Orson Wells War of the Worlds plot has been repeated in numerous versions over the last 80 years; and perhaps it provides the paradigm for the alien enemy scenario. Accordingly, an extra-terrestrial civilization looks like an enemy nation out to conquer Earth. We Earthlings, then, must find a hero who can muster terrestrial resources to defend our planet and preserve our way of life. In War of the Worlds, the hero is a virus that makes the space aliens sick. In other cases, such as the movie Independence Day, it is terrestrial military action that brings down the enemy in the skies. What may be significant here is that the alien enemy model dominates fiction, whereas the celestial saviour model is much more familiar to UFO believers and to scientific researchers.

and a very nice conclusion to above said theories

Third, I forecast that theologians will conclude that intelligent alien beings would most probably be included in God’s gracious plan for redemption. George Coyne SJ, former director of the Vatican Observatory, presses this point forcibly. ‘How could he be God and leave extra-terrestrials in their sin? After all he was good to us. Why should he not be good to them? God chose a very specific way to redeem human beings. He sent his only Son, Jesus, to them and Jesus gave up his life so that human beings would be saved from their sin. Did God do this for extra-terrestrials?… There is deeply embedded in Christian theology… the notion of the universality of God’s redemption and even the notion that all creation, even the inanimate, participates in some way in his redemption’ ([10], p. 187). This is genuine redemption, not the pseudo-redemption of the secular celestial saviour.

reply to post by antibren


Antibren,

First let me say kudos to you for your OP and your disucssion. I too am interested in the recent development, as lacking in sensation it may be. Thats usually a sign that your on the right track. It can be frustrating for sure.

But hey, at least we each now have one more freind!

I do tend to have more of a cynical political opinion, and am just now exploring the aspects of what may be
"Alien" life. Heh heh I know my views are not the typical, so I tend to keep my mouth shut for the sake of "all those dumb questions" I would be found to be asking.

In all I tend to watch the power instituions and became intriqued when The Vatican talked about Alien Life.
I do find it interesting that The Church was interested in baptising them.

Alas I am not sure what to make of all of this, except to say that the more I know, it seems the less I know,
And along with the fact that its comforting to know that there is a vast universe out there.

Cheers, and look forward to great discussion. Stared and flagged!

Originally posted by antibren
Is it that ATS members dont enjoy to read???
I would hate to say the content is too smart for most members??

Don't worry mate, this is a good thread. The other post was easier to respond to quickly because there was little to read. Some folks are busy and others will have got side-tracked before reading it.

I will be back when I have had a bit more time to digest the research.

TIP: If you want to generate interest in a thread, then give members whose opinion you value the heads up and U2U them about the post. It's easy to not take in the significance of a thread at first glance.

Look at the views, not the posts, to see if you're getting the message out there. Even some of the best posted info doesn't always get a lot of replies, but hopefully it's getting views.

Hey OP, sadly here at this board on ATS the good, informative threads get flung to the wayside while all the usual crappy youtube videos and misinformed sensasionalist threads get all the attention.

As sad as this seems, that is the way it is and if it means anything I think this thread is excellent. I've already S&F it and am currently skimming the content with a cold one and a whisky on the table