Questions to ask Dr. Tarter
- Are we sure we could recognize an artifical signal from
the background noise of the Universe?
- Are cell phones and satellites interfering with radio
astronomy and is this problem getting worse?
- What is the SKA and how will it be funded? (she might talk
about this)
- Should SETI be government funded or is it better funded in the
private sector (as it is now).
- Is it better to do targetted searches or better to do random
searches?
- How does the discovery of extra-solar planets help SETI?
- If you could build you dream SETI detection machine, what would
it be?
- Does the established scientific community think SETI is a waste
of time and resources?
- Is it likely that a signal has actually been received by our
equipment but we haven't recognized it due to lack of processing
power?
- In your most optimistic view, when do you think we will detect
the first signal (10 years, 100 years, 1000 years?)
- Could other aliens receive our signals (from TV or military radar?)