Extraterrestrial Altruism

Beschreibung

Extraterrestrial Altruism examines a basic assumption of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI): that extraterrestrials will be transmitting messages to us for our benefit. This question of whether extraterrestrials will be altruistic has become increasingly important in recent years as SETI scientists have begun contemplating transmissions from Earth to make contact.Should we expect altruism to evolve throughout the cosmos, or is this only wishful thinking? Would this make biological sense? Is it dangerous to send messages to other worlds, as Stephen Hawking has suggested? Would extraterrestrial societies be based on different ethical principles? Extraterrestrial Altruism explores these and related questions about the motivations of civilizations beyond Earth, providing new insights that are critical for SETI.Chapters are authored by leading scholars from diverse disciplines—anthropology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, cosmology, engineering, history of science, law, philosophy, psychology, public policy, and sociology. The book is carefully edited by Douglas Vakoch, Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute and professor of clinical psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. The Foreword is by Frank Drake.This interdisciplinary book will benefit everybody trying to understand whether evolution and ethics are unique to Earth, or whether they are built into the fabric of the universe.
Extraterrestrial Altruism examines a basic assumption of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI): that extraterrestrials will be transmitting messages to us for our benefit. This question of whether extraterrestrials will be altruistic has become increasingly important in recent years as SETI scientists have begun contemplating transmissions from Earth to make contact.Technological civilizations that transmit signals for the benefit of others, but with no immediate gain for themselves, certainly seem to be altruistic. But does this make biological sense? Should we expect altruism to evolve throughout the cosmos, or is this only wishful thinking? Is it dangerous to send messages to other worlds, as Stephen Hawking has suggested, or might humankind benefit from an exchange with intelligence elsewhere in the galaxy? Would extraterrestrial societies be based on different ethical principles, or would we see commonalities with Earthly notions of morality? Extraterrestrial Altruism explores these and related questions about the motivations of civilizations beyond Earth, providing new insights that are critical for SETI.Chapters are authored by leading scholars from diverse disciplines—anthropology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, cosmology, engineering, history of science, law, philosophy, psychology, public policy, and sociology. The book is carefully edited by Douglas Vakoch, Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute and professor of clinical psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. The Foreword is by Frank Drake.This interdisciplinary book will benefit everybody trying to understand whether evolution and ethics are unique to Earth, or whether they are built into the fabric of the universe.
Discusses the important issue of whether there are dangers in transmitting signals into space to make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence Clarifies the many meanings of altruism—from taking care of close relatives to helping complete strangers—and asks why extraterrestrials would care about us Offers an interdisciplinary approach to extraterrestrial altruism Advances innovative approaches to communicating altruism through pictures, mathematics, and logic—providing new insights into designing interstellar messages that convey humankind’s highest values First comprehensive volume on extraterrestrial altruism With a Foreword by Frank Drake Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autor*in

Douglas A. Vakoch

Themen in »Extraterrestrial Altruism«

Are ETs Altruistic? Conflict and Predation Contact with Extraterrestrials Interstellar communication Models of Altruism SETI Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Universal Ethics

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From the book reviews:

“This volume, edited by Vakoch (SETI Institute; California Institute of Integral Studies) is an unusual collection of 19 articles by researchers in diverse fields such as anthropology, astrophysics, history of science, engineering, computer science, environmental science, psychology, philosophy, nuclear warfare, and dolphin research. … This book gives a broad perspective on the human condition and will be enjoyable to readers with a wide range of interests. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional readers.” (T. Barker, Choice, Vol. 52 (4), December, 2014)

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