Intelligent Life on Earth? The Impact of the New Solar Economy on Communication Networks and Technologies, Including the Search for (and Possibly Communication with) Extraterrestrial Intelligence
ISOMÄKI, RISTO (2008)
2008
Tiedotusoppi - Journalism and Mass Communication
Yhteiskuntatieteellinen tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2008-07-31
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-19360
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-19360
Tiivistelmä
The rapid changes in information technology which, to a large extent, took place in the 1990’s have changed our society in important ways, in a very short period of time. In 2008 the humanity is again facing a major technological revolution. The next important technological change, which has already started to happen, will be the shift from a centralized energy system, dominated by steam turbines and fossil fuels, to a much more decentralized way of producing energy, an energy system which will largely be based on solar power and other forms of renewable energy. “Intelligent Life on Earth?” investigates, how these changes in the energy system will influence our (mass) communication technologies and networks.
The thesis has been divided into seven separate chapters. Chapter one analyzes the changes which are now taking place in our energy system. It also tries to assess, which of the numerous different alternative energy techniques might, according to the very latest information, rise into a dominant position in the near future. The second chapter analyzes the impact of the new energy system on television, radio and mobile phone networks and on the internet. The third chapter concentrates on a spesific, somewhat futuristic solar power plant concept known as a solar chimney or as a solar windmill. If the concept will be taken seriously, it will involve the construction of the highest structures ever built by humans. The third chapter discusses the energy production and economic potential of solar chimneys and tries to assess their potential impact on the development of various kinds of communication networks.
Many of the proposed solar power station concepts would consist of vast fields of large parabolic reflectors or Fresnel lenses. Such reflector fields could also be used, with certain modifications, as gigantic radio telescopes after they would no longer function well as solar power plants. Numerous different parabolic antennas can be linked to each other so that they form, together, a very large radio telescope. This means that some of the new solar power plants could also become important tools for radio astronomers. It would also be technically possible to use the same antenna fields for searching artificial radio signals which might have an extraterrestrial origin, or for sending radio messages to space.
Chapter number four takes a brief look at the history of radio astronomy and at its special branch known as SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligences. The fifth chapter analyzes, how the changes in our energy production systems may influence the resource base available for radio astronomers and for the various SETI programmes. Chapter six tries to assess, whether it would be technically possible for the humans to send to the space radio messages which might still be detectable even in other, nearby galaxies. The seventh chapter concentrates on the question of the contents: if we some day decide to send radio messages to the stars, exactly what should we send?
Asiasanat:
Mass communication, solar energy, renewable energy, SETI, CETI.
The thesis has been divided into seven separate chapters. Chapter one analyzes the changes which are now taking place in our energy system. It also tries to assess, which of the numerous different alternative energy techniques might, according to the very latest information, rise into a dominant position in the near future. The second chapter analyzes the impact of the new energy system on television, radio and mobile phone networks and on the internet. The third chapter concentrates on a spesific, somewhat futuristic solar power plant concept known as a solar chimney or as a solar windmill. If the concept will be taken seriously, it will involve the construction of the highest structures ever built by humans. The third chapter discusses the energy production and economic potential of solar chimneys and tries to assess their potential impact on the development of various kinds of communication networks.
Many of the proposed solar power station concepts would consist of vast fields of large parabolic reflectors or Fresnel lenses. Such reflector fields could also be used, with certain modifications, as gigantic radio telescopes after they would no longer function well as solar power plants. Numerous different parabolic antennas can be linked to each other so that they form, together, a very large radio telescope. This means that some of the new solar power plants could also become important tools for radio astronomers. It would also be technically possible to use the same antenna fields for searching artificial radio signals which might have an extraterrestrial origin, or for sending radio messages to space.
Chapter number four takes a brief look at the history of radio astronomy and at its special branch known as SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligences. The fifth chapter analyzes, how the changes in our energy production systems may influence the resource base available for radio astronomers and for the various SETI programmes. Chapter six tries to assess, whether it would be technically possible for the humans to send to the space radio messages which might still be detectable even in other, nearby galaxies. The seventh chapter concentrates on the question of the contents: if we some day decide to send radio messages to the stars, exactly what should we send?
Asiasanat:
Mass communication, solar energy, renewable energy, SETI, CETI.