1. What is the SETV Hypothesis?

A: The SETV hypothesis is a null hypothesis and can be experimentally tested. Experiments include: the construction of passive and active autonmous data acquisition platforms using commercial off-the-shell (COTS) hardware; the collection and verification of unambigous scientific data; an attempt at optical/radio contact or communication with such probes if they are present.

2. What does the SETV Search Strategy Involve?

A: The SETV search model embodies both near and far search space. The near part of the SETV strategy focuses on setting up ground-based instrumentation platforms to search for ETI probes scrutinizing Earth, and the far part is Solar System SETI (S3ETI), which involves a mm-wave (milimeter-wave) radio frequency search for probe telecommunications leakage out to a heliocentric radial distance of 1000 astronomical units (AU). The SETV experiment is ambitious in its attempt to cover this volume of space, yet entirely achievable using existing technologies utilized within an organized framework. It's an objective "results-oriented" strategy worthy of research in our continuing desire to answer the question, "Are we alone?"

3. What distinguishes SETV from SETI?

A: The foremost difference is where we look for technical markers of extraterrestrial intelligence. SETI or formally the "Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence", is a search model which uses microwave as applied to radio astronomy and very recently has (finally) accepted optical wavelengths as a valid search strategy. Incidentally, Stuart Kingsly, the Director of Columbus Optical SETI (COSETI) has been the vanguard of Optical SETI for years. Microwave SETI is essentially a radio based search model whose proponents look for technical signatures of ETI civilizations way-out-there or any location in the galaxy. Whereas, SETV proponents search for technical markers of probes, proxies, machines, craft and phenomenon of suspected extraterrestrial origin which are inside heliocentric radius of the Earth's Solar System, or near the Earth, or are operating inside the atmosphere of Earth.

4. Why do you claim SETV is not UFOology?

A: UFOology is the study of Human generated reports of anomalous observational phenomena (AOP) events of suspected extraterrestrial origin. Humans do not make for good data acquisition systems, they are prone to perceptual errors during moments of stress. Memory of AOP events are often distorted, relative to the observer's academic and experiential knowledge-base. SETV, however is an instrument based search. Indeed, most OSR designed instrument platforms specifically eliminate Human error, by eliminating Human operators from the design, the platforms operate autonomously. Certain platforms do utilize Humans but only as part of the experiment.

5. What is the proper pronunciation of the acronym SETV?

A: SETV is pronounced "SET..Vee".

6. How do you collect the data?

A: The Organization for SETV Research or OSR was formed to implement the SETV search model. It is the ongoing goal of OSR to identify features of AOP phenomenon of suspected extraterrestrial origin. AOP features are matched to respective sensors. Platform instrumentation is comprised of inexpensive personal computer based (PC) Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) as the base 'platform' controller. Platforms are 'personalized' to match feature physics using characterized sensors. Data is captured and stored on the PC hard disk for later analysis by OSR scientists and possibly OSR will consult other organization/institution scientists.

7. Who gets the data and who is your customer?

A: The first persons to receive the data are the principle researchers, involved in the experiment. The customer of the data is Humanity. The process of disseminating collected data is important to understand. OSR can not just publish any data. OSR team members are designing protocols which mandate proper behavior in the collection of data, the management of data, the verification of the data and the proper dissemination of collected verified data. Part of these protocols describe the methodology to acquire the data, by mandating well understood scientific method. When data has 'passed' or is in compliance with all of the protocols then the data will be distributed using accepted channels of dissemination, openly and freely.

8. What is the Organization for SETV Research and what is its relationship to SETV?

A: The Organization for SETV Research is the parent institution for the promotion of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Visitation or SETV. The OSR organizes, promotes, conducts debates and generally educates the technical public in the suspected ongoing extraterrestrial visitation phenomenon. The organization designs, manages and conducts scientific instrumented experiments to verify specific AOP phenomenal information which has been identified by SETV scientists. SETV is a heterotic search model which traces its lineage to the SETA and the SETI search models. The three schemas are legitimate search models in their own merit.

9. How long has the Organization for SETV Research been extant?

A: The Organization for SETV Research was formed when the organization was registered with the InterNIC. At that time, OSR became a non-profit InterNet organization by e-mail reflector association. This is a new and growing organization model which uses the InterNet to create business relationships with remotely located organization members! The Organization for SETV Research was formed April 21, 1998, by two engineers, a hardware/software contractor and a JPL-NASA spacecraft engineer.

Formally the OSR became functional with the creation of the organization's private, closed and topic moderated e-mail reflector forum which was created two weeks later.

10. Where did the acronym SETV come from?

A: The acronym "SETV" or formally, "Search for ExtraTerrestrial Visitation" evolved during the design of the organization by two engineers. Originally it was desired to form an organization to augment science and to 'bridge' the gap between lay UFOology and official narrow band SETI. OSR believes that UFOology is a wasteland of mostly non-sense. While there are useful information to be had, "one must wade in a cesspool of paranoia, delusion, lies, disinformation, BS and outright quackery to find information!" There is useful information to be had. Mostly contained in the form of Human generated anecdotal data reports which depict eyewitness visual observations of strangely behaving machines, spherical objects and other phenomena of suspected extraterrestrial origin.

While on the other hand, orthodox SETI is intransitive to other non-narrow band SETI search models, i.e., they seem only willing to accept their strategy as the valid method to search for technical markers of extraterrestrial intelligence.

It can be reasoned that Earth could be visited, derived from many having experienced multiple personal daylight CE-IIIs (visual observation of anomalous observational phenomenon within 500 feet) of strange machines. Also, the anecdotal experience is seemingly supported by approximately fifty years of similar recorded Human events which includes thousands of eyewitness testimonies by truck drivers, airline pilots, secretaries, military pilots, llama herders, propulsion physicists, goat farmers, astronomers and US Presidents (Jimmy Carter), et gross, people in nearly every profession and country. Further, supported by thousands of chemical emulsion film still photographs, emulsion film movies, and recently, video tape images which depict objects which are visually similar to objects which author saw with own eyes. Also, the actitivities of generally hidden efforts of small groups of engineers and scientists who, starting in the late 1960s, began scientifically instrumenting these high performance anomalous arial objects, thereby forming a loosely knit " Near Earth ET Instrumentation" community. These efforts coupled with the tens of thousands of anecdotal eyewitness data, and author's own personal daylight CE-IIIs provided powerfull evidence to author that Earth may be being visited by suspected ET probes, machines, and proxies. This type information is often referred to as "invisible college" information. All of this is the suspected result of visitation. We in the OSR are interested to search for suspected ET probes, machines, and proxies here or near by. This is the schema from which the phrase SETV evolved.

Also it is convenient to use the 'energy' of the public accepted SETI name, author coined the term "SETV" which more accurately describes the heterotic nature of SETV a descendant from its parents and narrow band (microwave SETI and optical SETI).

11. Where does the funding come from?

A: Currently the Organization for SETV Research is privately funded and is a non-profit by association organization. However this will change, to full non-profit status in the future.

12. What is a Light Year?

A: A light year or LY is the distance that a photon of light travels (2.99792458 x 10^8 or ~300,000 meters per second in vacuum) in one year.

13. What is the Water-hole frequency and why does radio/microwave SETI use it?

A: This was posted on the SETI-League's 'open' SETI-L list by radio astronomer Noel Welstead. It was nifty answer.


Date sent: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 20:45:38 +1000
From: "Noel C. Welstead"
Organization: Seti Research & Communtiy Development Institute Limited
To: Bob Keeter , "seti@sni.net"
Subject: Re: SETI Why is it so quiet at the "water hole"?

Dear Bob & list,

Whilst it is true that a signal transmitted on the "Water Hole" band may be attenuated in this matter the benefits of sending the signal at these frequencies far out weighs the attenuation / absorption effects.

Any other race that has discovered radio astronomy would realize the probability that there maybe other races out there that may have made the same discovery. The fact that most of the Universe is Hydrogen and that it is the most primitive element makes it a "special frequency" as the microwave energy that is emitted at this frequency allows Radio Astronomers to use this "hiss" to map the distribution of the most abundant element in the Universe. A sort of invisible map that shows the structure of unseen objects on the macro scale.

Here on Earth we have been mapping the Universe at these frequencies for nearly 50 years, so Radio astronomers have been listening for much of this time from more and more places around the world from bigger and better observatories.

A smart Alien may also realize the importance of this frequency range, and wanting to be discovered or wishing to advertise it's presence in the cosmos may just send out a signal for another civilisation to detect. Us radio astronomers listening to the hiss of the cosmos may just pick up this signal during a normal scientific project and make the most important discovery since man looked into the sky and wondered what all those lights were.

Most matter in the cosmos started out as hydrogen and was further synthesized in the heart of stars during a process of "nucleo- synthesis" that fused the hydrogen nuclei into heavier elements. These same elements are contained in every molecule that you and I are made from. In other words, the Hydrogen line and water hole frequencies are rather special to us all, and just maybe a place for us to meet our cosmic neighbours at.

Regards Noel C. Welstead
SETI-League Volcor
Eastern Australia.

14. What is a Kardashev civilization?

A: Nikolai Kardashev proposed a classification scheme to denote civilization evolution identified by their (capability of) usage of energy. There were three types identified:


TYPE I civilization uses only the energy available to it from resources on its planet,
TYPE II civilization uses all the energy radiated by its star,
TYPE III civilization uses all the energy radiated by its galaxy.

15. What does the astronomical term "Right Ascension" mean?

A: Right ascension, means the Hour angle at Greenwich.

16. What does the astronomical term "Declination" mean?

A: Declination, with regard to the equator.

17. What does the term 'POD' in the context of SETV?

A: The term 'Pod' describes the behavior of multiple objects of suspected extraterrestrial origin operating in precision yet independant action of one and another. The term is borrowed from Dolphin behavioral research, whereby the leader Dolphin in a pod communicats group behavior information. It may be likened to the US Navy's precision flying and acrobatics team, the Blue Angels.

Several independant data sources, notably Dr. Harley Rutledge, Dr. Bruce Cornet, and Dr. Paul Hill all describe similar observational 'flight' behavior of suspected extraterrestrial machines. References will be added later. Please check back.