Civilizations Beyond Earth

Douglas A. Vakoch is Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, as well as Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute. He serves as Chair of both the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Study Group on Interstellar Message Construction and the IAA Study Group on Active SETI: Scientific, Technical, Societal, and Legal Dimensions. His books include Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI), Psychology of Space Exploration: Contemporary Research in Historical Perspective, and Ecofeminism and Rhetoric: Critical Perspectives on Sex, Technology, and Discourse.

“At a time when new planets are being discovered around other stars at an unprecedented rate, this collection provides a much needed guide to the human impact of discovering we are not alone in the universe.” • International Journal of Anthropology“For years sections of the SETI [Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence] community have bemoaned the fact that the social sciences are often sidelined in favour of the hard sciences when it comes to SETI discussion. Civilizations Beyond Earth starts to redress the balance, edited skillfully by Douglas Vakoch, the only sociologist on staff at the SETI Institute in California, and Albert Harrison, a psychologist from the University of California.” • Astronomy“…a fascinating collection of essays examining how humanity might react to extraterrestrials…While [the book] is academically rigorous, it’s also accessible…it remains an essential introduction for anyone interested in SETI, xenobiology and UFOs.” •ForteanTimes

• List of FiguresAcknowledgementsIntroduction: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence as an Interdisciplinary EffortAlbert A. Harrison and Douglas A. VakochPART I: DOES EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE EXIST?Chapter 1. Are We Alone? Estimating the Prevalence of Extraterrestrial IntelligenceSeth ShostakChapter 2. Encountering Alternative Intelligences: Cognitive Archaeology and SETIPaul K. WasonChapter 3. The Lifetimes of Scientific Civilizations and the Genetic Evolution of the BrainAlan J. PennyChapter 4. ‘L’ on EarthKathryn DenningPART II: REACTIONS TO DISCOVERING LIFE BEYOND EARTHChapter 5. Can SETI Fulfill the Value Agenda of Cultural Anthropology?Donald E. TarterChapter 6. American Attitudes about Life beyond Earth: Beliefs, Concerns, and the Role of Education and Religion in Shaping Public PerceptionsGeorge PettinicoChapter 7. Cultural Beliefs about Extraterrestrials: A Questionnaire StudyWilliam Sims BainbridgeChapter 8. The Science and Politics of SETI: How to Succeed in an Era of Make Believe History and PseudoscienceAlbert A. HarrisonPART III: COMMUNICATION WITH EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCEChapter 9. Cultural Aspects of Interstellar CommunicationCarl L. DeVitoChapter 10. Cosmic Storytelling: Primitive Observables as Rosetta AnalogiesHarry Letaw, Jr.Chapter 11. Direct Contact with Extraterrestrials via Computer EmulationWilliam Sims BainbridgeChapter 12. The Inscrutable Names of God: The Jesuit Missions of New France as a Model for SETI-Related Spiritual QuestionsJason T. KuznickiChapter 13. ET Phone Darwin: What Can an Evolutionary Understanding of Animal Communication and Art Contribute to Our Understanding of Methods for Interstellar Communication?Kathryn Coe, Craig T. Palmer, and Christina PomianekChapter 14. A Journalistic Perspective on SETI-Related Message CompositionMorris JonesNotes on Contributors