Analysis Of The Allen Telescope Array

Physics & Theory
• SETI o The Allen Telescope Array
- The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is a LNSD, also known as a “Large number of small dishes” array and is a new piece of technology to radio astronomy. What is different about it is that it is not one big dish, but a series of smaller dishes combined to make one larger one.
- The ATA is highly effective and much cheaper for SETI to conduct more than one survey at once in the search of extra-terrestrials.
- The ATA detects radio waves that can be emitted from outer space in the distant stars. SETI searches for extra-terrestrial life using this method.
- The ATA has a series of smaller dishes that bring radio waves to a focus point just like a large dish and converts them to electric signals
This means that they could a completely different species or even extinct now.
• We have no ways of travelling to them as we do not have the technology to do so
• If the extra-terrestrials did have the technology to come to us, why would they still be using such basic technology such as radio transmissions?
• We do not know if the extra-terrestrials are hostile. They may do us more harm than good. Just like the British when they first settled in Australia. They tried to kill off the Indigenous, who were more primitive and did not have the technology the British did. Similarly, if humans were seen as the primitive race in the universe, why would the aliens who had the technology to visit us, not takeover our planet.
• Also with even if we found another intelligent life form, how would we understand what they were saying to us?

Arguments for SETI
• Despite many people thinking that the government is wasting their money and funding this project when they could be focusing it on issues on earth. The US government isn’t actually funding SETI and is not using your tax money unless you want it to. SETI is funded by wealthy philanthropists such as Paul