From: skingsle@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Stuart A Kingsley)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science
Subject: THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OPTICAL SETI
Date: 11 Oct 92 13:47:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: magnus.CMM.0.90.4.718811225.skingsle
Organization: The Ohio State University


        From the author of the January 1992 six-part EJASA (THE ELECTRONIC
    JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE ATLANTIC) article (Vol. 3,
    No. 6A-6F) on Optical SETI (OSETI).  The following material, which has
    been slightly modified, was featured in the October 1992 issue of EJASA
    (Vol. 4, No. 3):


                 FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OPTICAL SETI

                            Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley

        As a result of the January EJASA article and floppy disk versions
    that I mailed to key members of the laser communications community, I
    was asked during the summer by Dr. David L. Begley of Ball Aerospace
    Systems Group, to organize a conference on Optical SETI for SPIE (The
    International Society of Optical Engineering).  Dr. David Begley is the
    previous chairman of the Free-Space Laser Communications conferences.
    
        The SETI conference was originally planned to be a single session in
    SPIE's Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies V conference, chaired
    by Dr. Stephen Mecherle of TRW, Inc.  Twelve months ago, I would not
    have believed that one year after publication of the EJASA article, we
    would be in the position to organize what is effectively, though
    unofficially, the First International Conference on Optical SETI.

        Let it be noted here that the word "optical" is used in a manner
    familiar to optoelectronics (photonics) engineers and scientists, as an
    umbrella term.  It denotes that part of the spectrum where optical]
    devices, e.g., lenses, are used for focussing electromagnetic energy.
    It is a superset of both "visible" and "infrared".  Astrophysicists are
    advised to adopt the more modern definition to avoid confusion in the
    scientific endeavor called Optical SETI.  Thus, the statement "optical
    and infrared SETI" is incorrect - rather it should be stated as "visible
    and infrared SETI".  The word "optical" is not to be taken as being
    synonymous with the word "visible", since the former covers all
    electromagnetic frequencies from the far-infrared to the ultra-violet.

        Even though the summer vacation period was a difficult time to
    organize a conference, I was able to get so many papers at short notice,
    that the single session was extended into a dedicated conference with
    three sessions and a separate published proceedings (approximately 200
    pages).  The latter will be available (hopefully) shortly after the
    conference and will constitute the first publication on this subject.
    The OSETI conference follows on immediately after the Free-Space Laser
    Communication Technologies V conference.

        This SETI event will be of particular interest to laser
    communications scientists and engineers.  It presents the opportunity to
    help resolve the dichotomy within NASA that while lasers are fine for
    GEO to GEO, GEO to LEO, deep-space and interstellar communications, ETIs
    would not use such technology to signal emerging technical civilizations
    (us).  The first session has been devised to bring the laser
    communications community up to speed on Microwave (Conventional) SETI
    (MSETI) and general SETI related matters.  The second and third sessions
    are specifically devoted to Optical SETI topics.  Since I thought it
    important to get a variety of opinions as to the veracity of SETI and
    the efficacy of the optical approach, I have included many shades of
    opinion.

        We are fortunate in being able to have Arthur C. Clarke kick off
    this conference from his home in Sri Lanka.  We are working to set up a
    live international satellite link with Arthur C. Clarke but at a minimum
    we will have a video-taped address.  These days, Clarke's health
    precludes extensive travelling.  We are also investigating the
    possibility that NASA Select TV could cover the entire conference on a
    live or taped-delayed basis.  If you cannot attend this conference but
    would like to see it transmitted by NASA Select, write to SPIE and NASA
    Headquarters requesting this coverage.  The more people lobby for this
    the more likely we will get the cooperation of the concerned parties.
    For those with a TVRO (TeleVision Receive Only) satellite dish, NASA
    Select TV is available on Satcom F2R (72 W), Transponder 13.  Look out
    for coverage of the HRMS switch-on on NASA Select TV tomorrow
    (October 12).

        The "Grand Old Man" of SETI, Dr. Bernard M. Oliver, who is extremely
    critical of the optical approach, will demonstrate for the first time to
    the laser communications community why ETIs would not use lasers for
    (SETI) interstellar communications.  We also have Professor Frank
    Tipler, a strong critic of SETI, explaining why both Microwave and
    Optical SETI is a waste of time since he thinks that we are the first
    civilization in this galaxy.  Noted philosopher, Professor Neil Tennant,
    will present his ideas as to why there could be major problems in
    actually decoding the message on an ETI signal.  There will be a
    discussion roundtable at the end of the conference, moderated by Nobel
    laureate Charles Townes (1964 - masers/lasers), who earlier will be
    talking about his Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Optical SETI laser work, and the
    CO2 OSETI observations presently being conducted by Dr. Albert Betz on
    Mt. Wilson.

        Note, that as with previous SETI publications, the latest SETI book
    by Frank Drake and Dava Sobel "Is Anyone Out There?" hardly mentions the
    optical approach.  This conference intends to redress that omission.
    This "controversial" OSETI conference should be a "fun" event but you
    don't need to be a laser communications engineer or SETI scientist to
    attend - just a curiosity about "our" place in the grand scheme of
    things.

        You are encouraged to remail this material to anyone you know with
    interests in SETI.  You might like to print out the program below and
    pin it up on your astronomical society, company, faculty, or school
    notice board.




        Here now is the Advance Technical Program:


                                   OE/LASE '93

               THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE (SETI)
                             IN THE OPTICAL SPECTRUM

                            SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1867

    Location: Los Angeles Airport Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, California,
    USA.

    Conference Chairman: Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley, Fiberdyne Optoelectronics.
    Co-chair: Dr. Monte Ross, Laser Data Technology, Inc.


             SESSION 1 - INTRODUCTION AND CONVENTIONAL MICROWAVE SETI

    Session Chairman - Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley, Fiberdyne Optoelectronics.

    Thursday, January 21, 1993

    Afternoon
    1:30 to 6:00 pm

        "Let there be light"
        (Keynote Address)
        Arthur C. Clarke
        Chancellor - International Space University, Sri Lanka.
        (30 minutes)
        Recorded or live video address from his home in Sri Lanka.
        (1867-01)


        "The NASA search for evidence of extraterrestrial technologies"
        (Keynote Paper)
        David Brocker
        (30 minutes)
        Project Manager, HRMS
        SETI Office
        NASA Ames Research Center
        (1867-02)


        "Strategies for SETI target selection"
        Dr. David W. Latham and Dr. David R. Soderblom
        (20 minutes)
        Dr. David W. Latham
        Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

        Dr. David R. Soderblom
        Associate Astronomer
        Space Telescope Science Institute
        (1867-03)


        "High-resolution microwave all-sky survey"
        Dr. Michael J. Klein and Dr. Samuel Gulkis
        (20 minutes)
        Dr. Michael J. Klein
        HRMS Program Manager
        Jet Propulsion Laboratory

        Dr. Samuel Gulkis
        Jet Propulsion Laboratory
        (1867-04)


        "SETI - a waste of time!"
        (Invited Paper)
        Professor Frank Tipler
        (30 minutes)
        Physics Department
        Tulane University
        (1867-05)


        "Using modern analytical philosophy (MAP) to sweep the MOP clean:
        Non-optical reflections upon untapped data, bad arguments and the
        nonexistence of Von Neumann interstellar probes."
        Clive Goodall
        (30 minutes)
        Department of Philosophy
        The Ohio State University
        (1867-06)


        "The decoding problem: do we need to search for extra terrestrial
        intelligence to Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence?"
        Professor Neil W. Tennant
        (30 minutes)
        Department of Philosophy
        The Ohio State University
        (1867-07)


    Evening

    Reception for the authors from this conference and the Free-Space Laser
    Communications V conference.



                            SESSION 2 - OPTICAL SETI I

    Session Chairman - Dr. Monte Ross, Laser Data Technology, Inc.

    Friday, January 22, 1993

    Morning
    8:30 to 11:30 am

        "Fundamental factors affecting the optimum frequency range for SETI"
        (Invited Paper)
        Dr. Bernard M. Oliver
        (30 minutes)
        Deputy Chief, NASA SETI Office
        NASA Ames Research Center
        (1867-08)


        "The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) in the optical
        spectrum and professional optical SETI: a review"
        Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley
        (30 minutes)
        President
        Fiberdyne Optoelectronics
        (1867-09)


        "An economic rationale for extraterrestrials using lasers for SETI"
        Dr. Monte Ross
        (20 minutes)
        President
        Laser Data Technology, Inc.
        (1867-10)


        "Infrared SETI"
        Professor Charles H. Townes
        (30 minutes)
        Department of Physics
        Space Sciences Laboratory
        University of California, Berkeley
        (1867-11)


        "Use of lasers for interstellar beacons, communications and travel"
        Dr. John Rather
        (20 minutes)
        NASA Headquarters
        (1867-12)


        "Optical SETI from the southern hemisphere"
        Dr. Guillermo A. Lemarchand, Dr. Gregory M. Beskin,
        Dr. Fernando R. Colomb, and Dr. Mariano Mendez
        (20 minutes)
        Dr. Guillermo A. Lemarchand
        Visiting Fellow
        Center for Radiophysics and
        Space Research
        Cornell University

        Dr. Gregory M. Beskin
        Special Astrophysical Observatory
        Soviet Academy of Science

        Dr. Fernando Raul Colomb
        Director
        Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomia

        Dr. Mariano Mendez
        Researcher
        Observatorio Astronomico de La Plata
        (1867-13)



                            SESSION 3 - OPTICAL SETI II

    Session Chairman - Dr. James R. Lesh, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

    Friday, January 22, 1993

    Afternoon
    1:00 to 2:00 pm

       "Application of one measure of search merit to optical SETI"
        Dr. D. Kent Cullers
        (20 minutes)
        Signal Detection Sub-System Manager
        SETI Project
        NASA Ames Research Center
        (1867-14)


        "Large M-ary pulse position modulation and photon buckets for
        effective interstellar communications"
        Dr. Monte Ross
        (20 minutes)
        President
        Laser Data Technology, Inc.
        (1867-15)


        "Amateur optical SETI"
        Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley
        (20 minutes)
        President
        Fiberdyne Optoelectronics
        (1867-16)


        Workshop/Panel Discussion
        4.00 - 6.00 pm

    Moderator - Professor Charles H. Townes, University of California,
    Berkeley.

        General Discussion Roundtable
        Possible inclusion of Arthur C. Clarke in discussion via telephone.


        To receive a copy of the Advance Technical Program from SPIE which
    also provides information about registration, accommodation and costs to
    attend this conference (see details below), contact Rosa Cays
    (rosa@mom.spie.org) or Terry Montonye (terry@mom.spie.org) at:

        SPIE
        P.O. Box 10
        Bellingham
        WA 98227-0010
        Tel: (206) 676-3290
        Fax: (206) 647-1445


        The manuscript due date is December 21.  It will be possible to
    accept a couple of late papers on Microwave and Optical SETI if bios and
    abstracts are submitted to the conference chairman for approval before
    November 15.  For more information and to submit abstracts, Stuart
    Kingsley can be contacted at:

        Fiberdyne Optoelectronics
        545 Northview Drive
        Columbus
        Ohio 43209
        Tel: (614) 258-7402
        Fax: (614) 258-7459
        OSETI Bulletin Board System (BBS): (614) 258-1710
        Internet: skingsle@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
        CompuServe: 72376,3545


    OE/LASE '93 includes symposia over the period 16-23 January 1993 on the
    following subjects:

    Free-Space Laser Communications V (January 20-21, 1993).
    The Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in the Optical
    Spectrum (January 21-22, 1993).
    Laser Engineering (January 17-22, 1993).
    Optoelectronic Processing and Interconnects (January 17-23, 1993).
    Biomedical Optics '93 (January 16-22, 1993).

        There are also educational short courses (January 17-22, 1993) and
    two technical exhibitions, the Medical Exhibition (January 16-17, 1993),
    and the Laser and Sensor Exhibition (January 19-21, 1993).


    Registration
                              Member         Working         Non-
                                              Group         Member
    Full Conference*          $355            $380           $415
    Author (full conf.)       $290            $310           $340
    One day                   $165            $175           $190
    Author (one day)          $140            $150           $165
    Students (no lunch)       $ 60            $N/A           $ 70

    *Rate for a three-day conference.

    **There is no separate registration rate for the SETI conference.

        Attendees for the SETI conference will have to pay for two days.  If
    you can spare the time, attendees are recommended to take in the
    Wednesday morning and afternoon, and Thursday morning sessions of the
    Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies V conference, as this
    technology is very relevant to Optical SETI.  The cost for the full
    conference period (three days) is little more than for the two day OSETI
    conference alone.


    SPIE Proceedings Volume 1867              $ 35

        These proceedings will also include a copy of Dr. Lesh's large
    review paper on NASA's optical communications activities, which is to be
    presented at the Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies V
    conference.


    Accommodation

    Los Angeles Airport Hilton Hotel (OE/LASE '93 Conference Center)
    5711 West Century Boulevard
    Los Angeles, California 90045, USA
    Tel: (310) 410-4000
    Fax: (310) 410-6250

    Rates:
    Single or double (government)              $81
    Single or double                           $89 - $109


    Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel
    5855 West Century Boulevard
    Los Angeles, California 90045, USA
    Tel: (310) 641-5700
    Fax: (310) 337-5358

    Rates:
    Single or double (government)              $80
    Single or double                           $85 - $105


        NOTE:

        Articles on SETI have appeared in recent magazine publications,
    which include the September issue of LIFE magazine, the October issue
    of ASTRONOMY, and the November/December issue of SMITHSONIAN AIR &
    SPACE.  See also recent issues of TIME and NEWSWEEK.  The November
    issue of SKY & TELESCOPE has a long article by Robert Naeye about
    Microwave SETI, and mentions the optical approach.  This is the first
    published popular account of OSETI in the printed media.

        This month, in celebration of the Quincentennial of Columbus'
    discovery of the Americas and the official start of NASA's Microwave
    Observing Project (MOP), now renamed the High Resolution Microwave
    Survey (HRMS), I have begun the construction of what is believed to be
    the world's first Amateur Optical SETI (AMOSETI) Observatory.  This will
    be based around a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope of about 10-inch
    aperture.  The telescope will probably be the new Meade LX200, as it is
    one of the most advanced on the market today for use under computer and
    CCD control.  Thus, Columbus Day (October 12) not only sees the official
    start for the most detailed Microwave SETI activity to date, but also
    the start of Amateur Optical SETI.

        In the last paper of the conference, I will be reporting on the
    amateur approach to Optical SETI and any work done to date on my
    observatory system.  EJASA will from time to time carry progress reports
    on this activity and the outcome of the conference.  As I indicated in
    last January's EJASA Optical SETI article, it is my intention that
    AMOSETI will become a world-wide activity for amateur astronomy groups
    and societies.  In the January 1993 issue of EJASA, there will an
    addendum to last January's EJASA article, including updated conference
    program information.

        This week, SPIE is mailing the full OE/LASE '93 program.  Please
    note the new dedicated fax number for Fiberdyne Optoelectronics.  I look
    forward to meeting with you in Los Angeles in January.

        Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley


October 11, 1992 (T - 1 day to the big switch-on)
File: SPIESETI.1


 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 * Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley, CEng, MIEE, SMIEEE,                             *
 * Consultant.                                                             *
 * Member: The Planetary Society,                                          *
 * Space Studies Institute,                                                *
 * Columbus Astronomical Society.                                          *
 * Volunteer: SETI Group, Ohio State.                                      *
 *                                                                         *
 *                                    "Where No Photon Has Gone Before &   *
 *                                   The Impossible Takes A Little Longer" *
 *                                                 __________              *
 * FIBERDYNE OPTOELECTRONICS                      /          \             *
 * 545 Northview Drive                        ---   hf >> kT   ---         *
 * Columbus, Ohio 43209                           \__________/             *
 * United States                                                           *
 * Tel: (614) 258-7402                     ..    ..    ..    ..    ..      *
 * Fax: (614) 258-7459                    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     *
 * OSETI Bulletin Board System (BBS):         ..    ..    ..    ..         *
 * Modem: (614) 258-1710,                                                  *
 * 300-9600 Baud, MNP, 8N1.                                                *
 * Internet: skingsle@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu                            *
 * CompuServe: 72376,3545                                                  *
 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *