Seti at Home

"Jim Fisher" wrote in message . ..
Okay, I've had the screen saver on for years now. Have processed tons of
data. I still haven't seem my name in lights for the first to "discover"
intelligent noise from Out There. I keep up with the SETI website from time
to time but there's never any really new developments. I keep waiting for
another "Wow Signal" experience similar to what happened many years back
when SETI was getting started (see
http://www.setileague.org/articles/calibwow.htm).

So, the question is, is there anyone here that is "in the know" about this
stuff that can say that there have been a few similar "Wow" experiences
during this entire Seti@Home project?

It's probably the biggest waste of time ever perpetrated on the
computing public. Early in the program a NASA engineer put it
this way:

"Seti@Home is the equivalent of dipping the tip of your pinky
into the middle of an ocean and expecting to catch a fish."

Try it for 20, 200 or 2000 years, it won't make any difference.

RickW

"Rick" wrote in message

It's probably the biggest waste of time ever perpetrated on the
computing public.

Bullsquat. Distributed computing is a very sound, proven and efficient
method of computing large amounts of data. Anyone above idiot level knows
their chances of contributing something Really Significant is astoundingly
low. But it you don't ever look at the sky, you'll never see a falling
star, you know?

Besides, it's a cool screen saver.

If anyone who knows what the heck they are talking about cares to comment on
my original question, I'm all ears.

--
Jim Fisher

"Jim Fisher" wrote in message .. .
"Rick" wrote in message

It's probably the biggest waste of time ever perpetrated on the
computing public.

Bullsquat. Distributed computing is a very sound, proven and efficient
method of computing large amounts of data. Anyone above idiot level knows
their chances of contributing something Really Significant is astoundingly
low. But it you don't ever look at the sky, you'll never see a falling
star, you know?

Besides, it's a cool screen saver.

If anyone who knows what the heck they are talking about cares to comment on
my original question, I'm all ears.

I'd say NASA knows what the heck they are talking about, and
they are the ones who declared the project to be a royal waste
of time. This is not a slight against distributed processing in
general, just against this project in particular.

RickW

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 18:56:44 -0500, "Jim Fisher"
typed:

So, the question is, is there anyone here that is "in the know" about this
stuff that can say that there have been a few similar "Wow" experiences
during this entire Seti@Home project?

I gave up using Seti@home long ago. Assuming someone discovers a sign
of intelligent life, then what? It'd be years before they get an answer
from us (owing to the fact radio doesn't travel faster than speed of
light)

I use ud.com which is similiar but they are researching cancer cure or
other health benefit and not searching for ET. It's much more practical
and has immidiate uses for any discoveries.
--
All viruses and spams are automatically removed by my ISP before
reaching my inbox.

"Jim Fisher" writes:

Okay, I've had the screen saver on for years now. Have processed tons of
data. I still haven't seem my name in lights for the first to "discover"
intelligent noise from Out There. I keep up with the SETI website from time
to time but there's never any really new developments. I keep waiting for
another "Wow Signal" experience similar to what happened many years back
when SETI was getting started (see
http://www.setileague.org/articles/calibwow.htm).

So, the question is, is there anyone here that is "in the know" about this
stuff that can say that there have been a few similar "Wow" experiences
during this entire Seti@Home project?

From what I heard there have been around 16 unexplained signals
up to about 12 months ago. That does not mean they are extrateretrial
in origin, just that we cannot explain them away, as far as I know
none of those signals has had a repeat observation.

As for the sugestions below that its a waste of time, well maybe
but then again if we dont look we wont find. Trouble is people
want instant results and when they dont get instant results
they tend to drift away as one or two seem to have. No one
ever said there would be instant results if any, we all know
it would be a time consuming effort with the possiblitly of
no hard results. But as I say if we dont look then theres
no chance at all is there unless anyone lands from another world
in central park!!. So I wouldnt get too despondent about it, its
a big place out there!.


--
Jim Fisher

SETI has been likened to the 'Cargo Cults' of the south Pacific during
WW2. When the SeaBees would come in and build airstrips and set up radio
antennas, the islanders noted that very soon a great iron bird appaered
out of nowhere and unloaded crates full of goodies. In like fashion,
they proceeded nearby to erect huts and string up vines between trees to
summon the iron bird. They were very serious, but it gradually began to
sink in that the iron bird was not responding. In like fashion, SETI
assumes that aliens would be using something as primitive as radio for
interstellar signalling. It'd be about like trying to communicate across
the Atlantic on a jungle drum. Or trying to find 'gravity waves' among
the din of terrestrial tectonic/ seismic noise.

oc

NASA was originally told by congress not to fund SETI projects.
That has since been retracted and they will again get involved
with the SETI League http://seti.org

see also http://seti.org/seti_nai/Welcome.php

Like the man said, he wanted someone who knew what they were
talking about.

That is most certainly not you.

Terry Groff


"Rick" wrote in message
...
"Jim Fisher" wrote in message
.. .
"Rick" wrote in message

It's probably the biggest waste of time ever perpetrated on
the
computing public.

Bullsquat. Distributed computing is a very sound, proven and
efficient
method of computing large amounts of data. Anyone above
idiot level knows
their chances of contributing something Really Significant is
astoundingly
low. But it you don't ever look at the sky, you'll never see
a falling
star, you know?

Besides, it's a cool screen saver.

If anyone who knows what the heck they are talking about
cares to comment on
my original question, I'm all ears.

I'd say NASA knows what the heck they are talking about, and
they are the ones who declared the project to be a royal waste
of time. This is not a slight against distributed processing
in
general, just against this project in particular.

RickW

SAH has stated from the outset that there will be no "WOW"
announcements until all of the data is processed. They recently
went back to Arecibo to review a few of the more outstanding
signals found and those Workunits are currently being processed
along with the continued processing of the other millions of
WU's. When the current phase is completed, The BOINC phase will
begin using a different scope located at Parkes observatory in
Australia to cover a larger area in the southern hemisphere.

Please see http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/setifuture.html

I am currently a beta tester for the BOINC project working on the
Astropulse client.

Terry Groff



"Jim Fisher" wrote in message
. ..
Okay, I've had the screen saver on for years now. Have
processed tons of
data. I still haven't seem my name in lights for the first to
"discover"
intelligent noise from Out There. I keep up with the SETI
website from time
to time but there's never any really new developments. I keep
waiting for
another "Wow Signal" experience similar to what happened many
years back
when SETI was getting started (see
http://www.setileague.org/articles/calibwow.htm).

So, the question is, is there anyone here that is "in the know"
about this
stuff that can say that there have been a few similar "Wow"
experiences
during this entire Seti@Home project?

--
Jim Fisher

"Imp" wrote in message
Assuming someone discovers a sign
of intelligent life, then what?

Well, then we humans have an answer to one of the Big Questions concerning
our place in the universe. The earth's axis won't tilt, tides won't rise
and there probably won't be peace on earth but we will have answered one of
the great Fundamental Questions that have bugged many people for a few
hundred-thousand years.

It'd be years before they get an answer
from us (owing to the fact radio doesn't travel faster than speed of
light)

I'm glad there aren't more people who share your cynicism about this search
for enlighten embodied in SETI. We'd still be too scared to sail the oceans
for fear of falling off the edge.

Finding out that we are not Alone in the universe will be one of the most
profound discoveries in the history of science. We may get that answer from
SETI, Mars exploration or digging into Europa. We may never find out. But
the search - no matter the futility of it - is worthwhile.

I use ud.com which is similiar but they are researching cancer cure or
other health benefit and not searching for ET. It's much more practical
and has immidiate uses for any discoveries.

Yeah, well, I feed the hungry in Afghanistan which trumps your ud.com.

--
Jim Fisher

"Terry Groff" writes:

"Frog" wrote in message
...

"Jim Fisher" writes:

Okay, I've had the screen saver on for years now. Have
processed tons of
data. I still haven't seem my name in lights for the first
to "discover"
intelligent noise from Out There. I keep up with the SETI
website from time
to time but there's never any really new developments. I
keep waiting for
another "Wow Signal" experience similar to what happened many
years back
when SETI was getting started (see
http://www.setileague.org/articles/calibwow.htm).

So, the question is, is there anyone here that is "in the
know" about this
stuff that can say that there have been a few similar "Wow"
experiences
during this entire Seti@Home project?

From what I heard there have been around 16 unexplained signals
up to about 12 months ago. That does not mean they are
extrateretrial
in origin, just that we cannot explain them away, as far as I
know
none of those signals has had a repeat observation.

SAH has recently re-observed 160 signals. Theye are being
processed as we speak.

Thanks for that I am a little out of date....



As for the sugestions below that its a waste of time, well
maybe
but then again if we dont look we wont find.

Here, here

Trouble is people
want instant results and when they dont get instant results
they tend to drift away as one or two seem to have. No one
ever said there would be instant results if any, we all know
it would be a time consuming effort with the possiblitly of
no hard results. But as I say if we dont look then theres
no chance at all is there unless anyone lands from another
world
in central park!!. So I wouldnt get too despondent about it,
its
a big place out there!.

Central Park? Do you think anyone would notice? :-)

Well I dont usualy belive rumours, so its all true then? ;-)

Well there it is then, stay away from Cenral Park, even Aliens.


Terry