The Alien Communication Handbook

Scientists have been searching for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations since Frank Drake's first radio survey in 1960. But what would actually happen if SETI's search succeeds? Is there any way we could even make sense of the signal we receive?

Written by an expert in communication systems and translation technology, this book explores the science of interstellar communication. It explains how this process may unfold, how an ET communication link would work, the types of information it could convey and how professionals, amateurs and ordinary people like you would participate in the effort to understand what another civilization has to say.

Along the way, the book introduces readers to many aspects of modern-day communication systems and computing. Featured as well are dozens of illustrations, photos and real-world examples, rounding out this compelling foray into the mechanics of interstellar communication.

Scientists, policy makers,and all interested in the likely future discovery of alien life will want to read this book.

• Steven J. Dick, Former NASA Chief Historian

Authored by an expert in communication systems and translation technology A fun and rigorous foray into how alien communication would work Illustrated with dozens of figures to help readers visualize key concepts

Auteur
Brian S. McConnell is an expert in communication systems and translation technology, having worked for over ten years in developing translation and localization platforms for startups and growth-stage companies. McConnell is the author of Beyond Contact-A Guide To SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations (2001), O'Reilly & Associates, as well as numerous papers about interstellar communication and anti-cryptographic message design. In 2016 he co-authored the SpringerBrief A Design For A Water Based Spacecraft Known as the Spacecoach which detailed a spacecraft architecture based on electric propulsion using water and crew consumables as working mass, a design pattern which could radically decrease the mass budgets and costs of crewed interplanetary missions.

Résumé
"The author does a very thorough job of introducing the reader to the relevant concepts of communication theory, signal modulation techniques, data representation, computing, and the processing effort required to comprehend fully the data received. ... The book is very comprehensive on these topics ... . This is an interesting book with many important insights." (Michael A. Garrett, The Observatory, Vol. 143 (1292), February, 2023)

Contenu
Chapter 1. C-Day.- Chapter 2. The Limits of Communication.- Chapter 3. Animal Communication.- Chapter 4. A Timeline of Events.- Chapter 5. Information Delivery.- Chapter 6. Modulation.- Chapter 7. Lessons From Computing and Communications.- Chapter 8. Entropy: Measuring Order and Randomness.- Chapter 9. Algorithmic Communication Systems.- Chapter 10. Images.- Chapter 11. Three-Dimensional Images and Models.- Chapter 12. Four Dimensions (Video and Simulations).- Chapter 13. Sound.- Chapter 14. Communicating Fundamental Units and Scientific Information.- Chapter 15. Semantic Networks and Constructed Languages.- Chapter 16. Genomic Information.- Chapter 17. The Galactic Internet.- Chapter 18. The Message Analysis and Comprehension Effort.- Chapter 19. What Could We Learn from Another Civilization?