Reply policy and signal type: assumptions drawn from minimal source information

A scenario is developed under which a discovery of extraterrestrial technology is made by one of the World’s search for exterrestial intelligence (SETI) programs. The nature of the signal received gives an absolute minimum of information as to the nature of the senders. Current SETI detection and reply policy is examined under these assumptions. Current policy calls for prompt and public release of signal information and stellar coordinates upon announcement of a discovery. The SETI protocol calls for no reply until authorized by international consultations. It is argued that changes are needed in these policies to guard against the possibility of unauthorized replies that could severely complicate long-term interstellar communication.     

Space nuclear power: technology, policy, and risk considerations in human missions to Mars

There is a large discrepancy between potential needs for nuclear propulsion and power systems for the human exploration of Mars and the current status of R&D funding, public opinion, and governmental support for these technologies. Mission planners and spacecraft designers, energized by the recent claims of possible discovery of life on Mars and responding to increased public interest in the human exploration of Mars, frequently propose nuclear reactors and radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for interplanetary spacecraft propulsion and for power supply on the surface of Mars. These plans and designs typically assume that reactors will be available "on-the-shelf," and do not take the extensive R&D costs required to develop such reactors into consideration. However, it is likely that current U.S. policies, if unchanged, will prohibit the launch of nuclear reactors and large RTGs in response to a perceived risk by the public.     

Got life? Hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror (and that's just with the press)

It may be hoped that an initial discovery of extraterrestrial life and its disclosure will be done by accident. An event of that kind would have its own dynamic, and while communications about the discovery might be strained at times, there would be less likelihood that lines of inquiry and discourse would have already been taken by the participants and the press. In an ideal world (or worlds), the discovery would come ready-made with a picture or pictures that would be useful as an immediate verification of its reality. But such is not the way of the real world (or worlds, apparently). Lessons learned from the publication of the ALH84001 results in Science magazine are indicative of what may be a more likely scenario. Nonetheless, even that publication was held in confidence for much of the time leading up to NASA's press conference, and the science team doing the work was accordingly insulated from press inquiry while the work was underway. Envisioning a Mars sample return mission, or other, similar sort of endeavor that may involve a dedicated team of scientists—working under continual public scrutiny—it is clear that the circumstances that surround any fundamental discovery about life in the sample would be quite different. Planning for a communications strategy to support the operations of a Mars sample receiving facility (or facilities) must take those circumstances into account. An optimization of the time spent communicating the results of the facility's work should acknowledge the time and effort required, and make provisions for the work to proceed without extensive interruptions—and without being influenced by the expectations of the press or the public. This paper will discuss some of the initial planning associated with the communications strategy surrounding such a facility.     

Got life? Hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror (and that''s just with the press)

It may be hoped that an initial discovery of extraterrestrial life and its disclosure will be done by accident. An event of that kind would have its own dynamic, and while communications about the discovery might be strained at times, there would be less likelihood that lines of inquiry and discourse would have already been taken by the participants and the press. In an ideal world (or worlds), the discovery would come ready-made with a picture or pictures that would be useful as an immediate verification of its reality. But such is not the way of the real world (or worlds, apparently). Lessons learned from the publication of the ALH84001 results in Science magazine are indicative of what may be a more likely scenario. Nonetheless, even that publication was held in confidence for much of the time leading up to NASA's press conference, and the science team doing the work was accordingly insulated from press inquiry while the work was underway. Envisioning a Mars sample return mission, or other, similar sort of endeavor that may involve a dedicated team of scientists—working under continual public scrutiny—it is clear that the circumstances that surround any fundamental discovery about life in the sample would be quite different. Planning for a communications strategy to support the operations of a Mars sample receiving facility (or facilities) must take those circumstances into account. An optimization of the time spent communicating the results of the facility's work should acknowledge the time and effort required, and make provisions for the work to proceed without extensive interruptions—and without being influenced by the expectations of the press or the public. This paper will discuss some of the initial planning associated with the communications strategy surrounding such a facility.     

Museums, seti and community awareness

Commentators on the social implications of detecting an extraterrestrial civilisation have stressed the need for community education and awareness during the SETI search, and for public sources of accurate, authoritative information if and when a signal is detected. Museums have a role in community education and are recognised by the community as authoritative sources of expert information. They are, therefore, well placed to be important conduits through which information on the progress of SETI programs and any signal detection can be channelled to the public. Via both exhibitions and in-house educational activities, museums are able to provide long-term community education and awareness programs and can respond quickly with detailed and accurate information in the event of a detection. This paper will consider the role of museums in educating the public about SETI. It will present suggestions for ways in which SETI researchers can develop mutually profitable relationships with museums, and also consider some of the reasons why museums might choose not to become involved with SETI, because of the wildly sensationalised and often mis-informed controversy which has surrounded it.     

A SETI metapolicy: New directions towards comprehensive policies concerning the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence

At present we have only one agreed public policy for handling the detection of an extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), the ‘First SETI Protocol’ of 1989, which guides action in the immediate aftermath of detection, even though SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) constitutes an active search for such a detection. The purpose of this paper is to set out areas in which policies might fruitfully be developed, including reviewing the rationale and investment in SETI, handling ETI artefacts, and approaches to direct contact. ‘Negative’ possibilities will be examined, for example, whether an ETI artefact or data should be purposefully destroyed.     

Detection of antipodal signalling and its application to wideband SETI

The SETI community is becoming increasingly interested in extending its searches to include wideband signals, such as information-bearing beacons. However, prior to discovery of a target signal, a SETI receiver has no knowledge of the signal parameters (bandwidth, carrier frequency, modulation type, etc.) and so detection can be very challenging, especially at low signal-to-noise ratios. However, this paper shows by example that there exist signal classes and corresponding detection methods that permit straightforward discovery of wideband signals of unknown structure. The example given is a form of binary antipodal signalling that utilises spread-spectrum modulation, which offers benefits to the receiver in terms of immunity to noise/interference and ease of detection. The proposed detection method is a ‘symbol-wise’ autocorrelation process that takes advantage of the cyclostationarity property of modulated signals. Detection sensitivity is suboptimal in comparison with what is possible if the target signal structure is known. However, this deficit can be overcome by processing longer timespans of signal, providing scope for detection at extremely low signal-to-noise ratios. It is postulated that antipodal signalling represents an attractive option for interstellar beacons because it is both power efficient and there exists a simple complementary detection method not requiring explicit coordination between the transmitter and receiver. This in turn suggests there is a case for extending future SETI searches to include this class of signal.     

Building and maintaining the constituency for long-term space exploration

The exploration of space is a long-term endeavor that will require strong public support to weather societal and political changes over the period of its implementation. In August 2006, George Mason University's Center for Aerospace Policy Research organized a workshop to address this issue. The sustainability of space exploration was investigated from a variety of perspectives by invited experts from the space sector as well as from the market research and public relations fields. This paper summarizes the results of the workshop. It presents market research data along with recommendations for an active strategic communications effort as well as public engagement to enhance public support for space exploration, especially among the younger age groups which tend to be uninterested in space activities.     

Radial velocity search for low mass companions of nearby stars

The detection of substellar companions of nearby stars is very difficult, because these objects are very faint and are located close to their bright parent stars. One way to attack this problem is to look for small periodic motion of the bright star, induced by the gravitational attraction exerted by the unseen small companion. Over the past decade stellar spectroscopy has been used by a few teams to monitor the radial velocities of several samples of stars, with a threshold for detection of companions well below the substellar limit of about 0.08 M. So far, only a few possible spectroscopic binaries have been identified where the unseen companions might be substellar.Recently, radio observers discovered that the millisecond pulsar PSR B1257+12 displays periodic variations in the pulse arrival times, indicating the existence of at least three unseen companions in circular orbits around the pulsar. This is the first convincing case for an extra-solar planetary system. This discovery suggests that planetary systems can form in very different situations, and therefore may prove to be common.     

The DISC Quotient

D.I.S.C: Decipherment Impact of a Signal's Content.The authors present a numerical method to characterise the significance of the receipt of a complex and potentially decipherable signal from extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI). The purpose of the scale is to facilitate the public communication of work on any such claimed signal, as such work proceeds, and to assist in its discussion and interpretation.Building on a “position” paper rationale, this paper looks at the DISC quotient proposed and develops the algorithmic steps and comprising measures that form this post detection strategy for information dissemination, based on prior work on message detection, decipherment. As argued, we require a robust and incremental strategy, to disseminate timely, accurate and meaningful information, to the scientific community and the general public, in the event we receive an “alien” signal that displays decipherable information. This post-detection strategy is to serve as a stepwise algorithm for a logical approach to information extraction and a vehicle for sequential information dissemination, to manage societal impact.The “DISC Quotient”, which is based on signal analysis processing stages, includes factors based on the signal's data quantity, structure, affinity to known human languages, and likely decipherment times. Comparisons with human and other phenomena are included as a guide to assessing likely societal impact. It is submitted that the development, refinement and implementation of DISC as an integral strategy, during the complex processes involved in post detection and decipherment, is essential if we wish to minimize disruption and optimize dissemination.     

The meaning of Japan's space commercialization efforts

The gradual commercial utilization and application of the results of government-led space development programmes is a natural development. In Japan private sector involvement goes further than this because the government budget for space development is very limited. To remain competitive in an increasingly international market Japan now needs to develop a partnership between government and private enterprise to construct a system and structure that will directly benefit the public, otherwise the necessary support for space development will not be attained.     

一种ad hoc网络负载平衡混合路由协议

提出一种具有负载平衡能力的ad hoc网络路由协议(LBHR)。LBHR根据不同的网络拓扑结构变化速度,在按需路由和表驱动路由之间进行自然平滑的切换。LBHR采用以下措施来实现负载平衡:在一对源节点和目的节点间,使用多条路径来发送分组;过载的节点不参与路由发现过程。仿真结果表明,LBHR在分组投递率、端到端延时等方面具有较好的性能。     

Was the rocket invented or accidentally discovered? Some new observations on its origins

The history of spaceflight would not have been possible without a single object, the rocket—one of the most complex engineering feats in human history. However, a closer examination of the earliest history of the basic rocket, a gunpowder-propelled device developed in China around 900 years ago, suggests that it originated as an accidental discovery rather than as a deliberately planned invention. This paper will examine the evidence in support of the idea of accidental discovery, including new observations on the earliest concepts of rocket motion, not only in China but also in the West.     

Can the demos make a difference? Prospects for participatory democracy in shaping the future course of US space exploration

US space exploration policy deliberations tend not to include citizens who lack direct, vested financial interests in the space enterprise. Could expanding the circle of US space policy development players to involve citizens more aptly serve space exploration and the interests of American democratic society in the 21st century? I evaluate the merits and feasibility of citizen participation, drawing upon democratic theory and scholarship analyzing public participation in techno-scientific matters, previous experiences of public involvement in space exploration policy formation, and reflections on my professional experiences in space policy development. I argue that public engagement will enrich the debate surrounding the US future in space and may point toward a program American citizens will support as a meaningful future in the cosmos. I suggest three guiding principles and outline four mechanisms that, if embraced by US space policy makers, could foster meaningful public participation in informing the US space exploration agenda.     

Organizing and managing satellite solar power

Building an organization and management structure to create, launch, utilize and protect a satellite solar power energy system will require a global policy for the beneficial use of SSP. The fundamental organizational tasks are: (1) R&D, achieved through a project organization characterized by the integrated management of applied science, development research and construction engineering; (2) investment, generated by a series of groups creating financial vehicles for public and private investment; (3) transmission and distribution, characterized by attention to an engineering and maintenance process emphasizing high reliability; and (4) crisis response, demanding readiness for instant response to potential internal or external scenarios. A differentiated global organization spanning the long timeframe of SSP will need to have a central management core representative of all parts of the organization, with the capacity for self-renewal and re-adaptation. To be successful over its long timeframe, the SSP organization will need to build continuity and public confidence through intergenerational communication, public education, and community outreach. Integrating structures must be created at all levels of the organization, and should encompass joint work tasks and information-sharing among both industrial and government members. Developmental and alliance partners who support the formation and financing of a differentiated satellite solar power organization will share commensurately in the technologies and competencies that are created.     

Security considerations in signal detection

This paper maintains that international security considerations are likely to present major problems to the community of scientists who first confirm the existence of an extraterrestrial technology. The discussion focuses on those activities that will affect the SETI community should a detection be made. It is probable that security agencies will require official debriefings, signal monitoring, some forms of information management, and a voice in science policy with regard to reply. The SETI community has, in the past, underestimated the constraints that are likely to be placed upon them in the post-detection environment. Such constraints present major problems for the scientific community. Response to these constraints should be discussed prior to detection.     

基于车辆定位的北京公交智能调度指挥系统

介绍了先进的北京市公共交通智能调度指挥系统 ,包括其各个子系统。着重描述其中的公交车辆定位系统 ,该系统采用高精度的差分 GPS、无线数据传输和话音调度 ,利用已有的模拟集群通信系统 ,终端显示为先进的地理信息系统。整个系统将给调度员提供方便、直观、含位置及状态的全方位车辆信息 ,提高公共交通运营的效率     

Rethinking public–private space travel

On May 24, 2012 SpaceX's Dragon capsule was launched and in doing so became the first commercially built vehicle to berth with and carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). It successfully completed its mission and returned to the Pacific Ocean on May 31, 2012.¹ The docking of Dragon represented a historic moment where a commercial enterprise managed to achieve that which had previously only been accomplished by governments. “In the history of spaceflight – only four entities have launched a space capsule into orbit and successfully brought it back to Earth: the United States, Russia, China, and SpaceX”.² While this is a monumental accomplishment for private industry, we cannot ignore the value of public–private partnerships and the role that government played in enabling this incredible achievement.In this paper I will examine how public–private partnerships are enabling the development of the commercial space industry, viewed through the lens of the Rethinking Business Institutional Hybrid Framework put forward by University of Oxford professors Marc Ventresca and Alex Nichols in their Rethinking Business MBA course. I intend to demonstrate that the NASA versus Commercial Space argument is a false dichotomy and that only by working together can both sectors continue to push the boundaries of space travel and exploration. I plan to do this by first discussing how the NASA-SpaceX partnership came about and the reasoning behind it. I will then explore what a public–private partnership (PPP) is, as compared to other government privatization schemes, and explain why Space Act Agreements are significantly different from anything done previously. I will then analyze the impact of these agreements and outline their benefits in order to demonstrate the value they create, especially in areas of mutual value creation and economic development.     

Shadow detection for mobile robots: Features,evaluation, and datasets

ABSTRACT

Shadows have long been a challenging topic for computer vision. This challenge is made even harder when we assume that the camera is moving, as many existing shadow detection techniques require the creation and maintenance of a background model. This article explores the problem of shadow modelling from a moving viewpoint (assumed to be a robotic platform) through comparing shadow-variant and shadow-invariant image features — primarily color, texture and edge-based features. These features are then embedded in a segmentation pipeline that provides predictions on shadow status, using minimal temporal context. We also release a public dataset of shadow-related image sequences, to help other researchers further develop shadow detection methods and to enable benchmarking of techniques.     

The benefits brought by space—General public versus space agencies perspectives

Space agencies and governments have been long striving to find justification for the budgets allocated to non-commercial space missions. The most frequent justifications were scientific discoveries, technological development as well as national prestige. The current study aims to have a different look at the question “Which are the benefits brought by space?” by investigating/sampling/interrogating the public opinion and identifying the perception and view of the generation that form the bulk of the taxpaying citizens for the immediate future and will be actively financing any future missions. The study focuses on the answers provided to an online survey by an international sample of population. The target individuals are in the age range of 25–44 and are users of social networks. They are either employed or students, but they are not directly involved with the space sector. The survey aims to establish whether the promotional activities of ESA, NASA and other space agencies are aligned with the perceived benefits of this sample population. Is space contributing to what the target people consider important? What could be done to improve/change this perception? How did the public perception evolve? Which are the biggest problems humanity is confronted with today according to the sample population? Could space help addressing these major problems? The paper will firstly present the statistical analysis of the sample answers and the conclusions that can be drawn from them. In a second step it will compare the perceptions and expectations of the public in regards to space with the current space agencies strategies and identify the gaps and discontinuities.