FRANCE: Frank Drake, creator of the eponymous equation formulated to predict the probability of finding communicative extraterrestrial life in our galaxy, thinks that actively transmitting messages into outer space is a silly, expensive, and inefficient idea.
Drake’s opinion contrasts with that of Douglas Vakoch, Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute, who advocated for active, directed communication during a press conference at this week’s annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, claiming that doing so would be part of humanity “growing up.”
Kiki Sanford reports on the press conference at Boing Boing, where she summarizes both Vakoch’s stance and the supporting viewpoint of scientist Seth Shostak, who “rapidly and eloquently listed the reasons that behoove us to set resources to an active search for intelligent life beyond our solar system.”
Pakistan to get $3b loan from Islamic Trade Financing Corporation
ISLAMABAD: Islamic Trade Financing Corporation (ITFC) to provide Pakistan with a $3 billion loan, according to an official statement released...
