OSR
 
 
 

OSR Declaration of Principles
 
 

December 1998

OSR - Organization for SETV Research
8860 Corbin Blvd.
Suite 118
Northridge, CA 91324 USA
osr-admin@setv.org
http://www.setv.org
 

OSR-D-01-1298

OSR Declaration of Principles
 

Authors Note:
During third quarter of 1998, a fairly informal group of OSR members developed
this Declaration of Principles for ratification by the entire membership.
 

December 1998

OSR - Organization for SETV Research
8860 Corbin Blvd.
Suite 118
Northridge, CA 91324 USA

OSR-D-01-1298

CHANGE INCORPORATION LOG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IV
DOCUMENT CONTRACT LOG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .V
1.0 SCOPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .1
1.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1.2 Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1.2.1 SETV Search Model Inclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1.2.2 SETV Terminology.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1.3 Implications and Principles of SETV.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1.4 The Role of OSR in SETV Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
1.5 OSR Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . .4
Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
3.0 PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
3.1 Preparation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
3.2 Working out the Necessary Technical Arrangements. . . . . . . . . . . . .6
3.3 Confirming or Disconfirming Authenticity . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
3.4 A Worldwide Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
4.0 CONCLUDING PRINCIPLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . .. . . . . . . . . . .11
4.1 Dealing with the Unknown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .. . . . . . . . . . .11
4.2 Other Possible Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .11
5.0 REFERENCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .11

Released By:___________________
 

CHG LTR	INITIAL	SECTION	AUTHORITY	PAGES AFFECTED	DATE	INITIAL	SECTION
--		All		Init Draft	11/9/98
--		All		Second Draft	11/14/98
--		All		Third Draft	1/5/99
--		All		Fourth Draft	1/15/99

DOCUMENT CONTRACT LOG
 
 

DATE	CHANGE	REV No.

1.0 SCOPE

   This document includes all the necessary definitions, terms, guiding principles, professional duties and procedural matters as they pertain to the scientific business activities of the Organization for SETV Research. 

   OSR is an not-for-profit organization devoted to gathering and disseminating scientific data which may or may not be consistent with the conjecture that our solar system and the Earth is being visited by exploratory machines of extraterrestrial origin. This document, among describing other ideals, sets out the governing principles that OSR will observe in carrying out its primary function:
 

1. The acquisition, confirmation, verification and dissemination of scientifically collected data on anomalous observational phenomena of suspected extraterrestrial origin and
2. In the event that OSR's activities result in contact with an intelligence of extraterrestrial origin, the unconditional divulgence and distribution of that information.

   The mainstream scientific community has conjectured that it is technologically and statistically possible that extraterrestrial intelligence's, hereafter to be called ETI, or exploratory machines of extraterrestrial origin may be present in our solar system. If true, it is possible that the activities of some of these ETI may occur on or near Earth. Any such visitations would affect the physical environment in scientifically measurable ways. The Search for Extraterrestrial Visitation (SETV) is the attempt to acquire rigorous, verifiable evidence of any such event in a manner that is acceptable to the standards of the scientific community.

1.2.1 SETV Search Model Inclusions

SETV includes the search for:

1. Any kind of Probe of extraterrestrial origin,
2. Crewed spacecraft of extraterrestrial origin,
3. Sentient machines of extraterrestrial origin,
4. Millimeter wave radio or optical emissions within the solar system of suspected extraterrestrial origin,
5. Other phenomena of extraterrestrial origin beyond our present technological or perceptual comprehension.

1.2.2 SETV Terminology
 

1. The term 'ETI' will be used to refer to all such extraterrestrial manifestations unless otherwise expressly stated.
2. The term 'visitation' will be used to refer to any form of ETI that has entered our solar system within a heliocentric spherical volume of 1000 AU radius, for whatever purpose. (1 AU »1.4956 x 10¹¹ meters)
3. The term 'entity' or 'entities' refers collectively to ETI probes, ETI crewed spacecraft and sentient machines of ETI origin.
4. The term 'probe' refers to any ETI object that is used to explore or sample the environment of our solar system or the Earth.
5. The term 'crewed spacecraft' refers to a vessel that contains biologically or organically based intelligent creatures that are in control of the vessel.
6. The term 'sentient machine' refers to an object of ETI origin that is neither a probe nor a crewed spacecraft, but through virtue of its technological complexity has qualities equal to those of an intelligent creature.
7. The term SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is a search model which has traditionally searched for distant electromagnetic (microwave radio frequency) energy emissions from other star systems, in the hope of detecting verifiable signs of ETI. The SETV model is distinct from SETI in that SETV focuses entirely on a search for evidence of ETI anywhere within the predefined volume of our own solar system.

1.3 Implications and Principles of SETV

   The statement that any ETI present in our solar system is technologically equal or superior to humanity does not necessarily imply that the ETI is also culturally superior. Regardless of the technological or cultural level of ETI, irrefutable proof of the existence of ETI will have a measureable effect on human culture and society and may lead to a process of rapid technological advance. While this might lead to short-term economic, political and religious difficulties, the potential long-term philosophical, technological and cultural benefits to humanity outweigh these short-term inconveniences. An active and mutually beneficial dialogue with an ETI entity would accelerate this process.

   There may be risks associated with detecting or initiating contact with technologically superior ETI whose behaviour, ethics, and morality are unknown and unpredictable. However, at present humanity has no substantial verified evidence for extraterrestrial visitation, which suggests that if ETI entities are present in the solar system their intentions are not malign: if they wished to harm humanity and were capable of doing so, they would already have harmed us.

   The existence of ETI entities, should it be proved, is equally relevant to all human beings on the planet. In principle, the proof will have an impact on the future of all individuals regardless of race, creed or nationality. The same principle will apply to any entity detected: national, political, racial, sexual and religious distinctions, or any other system used by humans to classify other humans¹, will have little or no importance to an extraterrestrial entity.

   A SETV detection event may require immediate response because, in this case, detection cannot easily be distinguished from contact. In this respect SETV detection differs markedly from that defined in classical SETI. All SETV experiments should therefore incorporate a post-detection protocol to cover the eventuality that detection and contact occurs simultaneously or in rapid succession.

   Various bodies, including nations, technologically based corporations, or the global military complex may believe it is in their interests to control the sites of data acquisition as well as the data, or pursue contact experiments without public scrutiny. All SETV experiments will take all possible steps to avoid this set of circumstances. Whenever prudent, any successful SETV experiment will immediately notify non-partisan supranational bodies, and if necessary, intimately involve them in all further aspects of the project.

   At present, no internationally recognised body has established principles, protocols or guidelines for SETV activities. Two "Declarations of Principles" exist for SETI efforts^2,3; however, they are of very limited use in the context of SETV. Until such time as an international body writes a governing set of documents encompassing all SETV activities, OSR's governing documents must suffice. OSR welcomes other groups or projects with similar visitation experiment to adopt the declaration of principles set out in this document and its supporting protocol documents wherever they are applicable.

   In the event of detecting or establishing contact with an ETI entity it becomes apparent that the entity's own intentions are in conflict with or supercede the declaration of principles set out herein, these intentions should be respected unless there is an overriding humanitarian, or security reason for ignoring the entity's wishes

1.4 The Role of OSR in SETV Research

The Organisation for SETV Research (OSR) is a not-for-profit organization devoted to acquiring data that may help explain any anomalous observational phenomena, hereinafter to be referred to as AOP, which are susceptible to scientific observation and which may provide evidence of visitation by extraterrestrial entities. OSR has no opinion on whether extraterrestrial entities currently exist in our solar system, but strongly believes there is scientific value in conducting experiments which may disconfirm or deny the null hypothesis that states they are not present.

   OSR is also eager to explore potential relationships with other organizations and teams that are pursuing similar SETV research in a rigorous scientific way.

1.5 OSR Projects

Although it may adopt additional approaches sometime in the future, at present OSR will pursue two primary SETV strategies, either of which may generate evidence for extraterrestrial visitation:

1. Designing and deploying autonomous or remote-control electronic data acquisition systems, hereinafter to be referred to as the SETV DAS platforms, to acquire substantive and quantitative data on AOP,
2. Designing and deploying terrestrial (Earth-based) platforms that seek to initiate intelligent contact or communication should extraterrestrial entities exist.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

Documents
 

Name	Number

3.0 PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

These SETV principles and procedures are divided into four stages:
1. Preparation.
2. Working out the necessary technical arrangements.
3. Confirming or disconfirming authenticity.
4. A worldwide dialogue.

3.1 Preparation

   All procedures shall take into account the following adaptation of the first three irrevocable directives spelled out in the "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic" ⁴ signed by representatives of 14 diverse religions at the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions:

1. Have respect for ETI, and avoid violence;
2. Speak and act truthfully, avoiding lies and deception;
3. Deal honestly and fairly with ETI, avoiding any temptation to exploit the situation for personal greed.

   All procedures should also take into account the fundamental principles or metalaws that all intelligent species in the universe likely follow, such as a peaceful and friendly welcome, freedom from harm, intrusion and capture, an effort to understand each other, respect for each other's customs and creeds, help when needed, and cooperation in science and technology as well as the arts and social sciences.

   Procedures at all stages should give serious consideration to how ETI itself desires to be treated, based solely on our understanding, empathy, and respect. It is inappropriate for us to reject ETI expectations and requests simply because they differ from our human beliefs, customs, norms and laws.

   The researcher should make the proposed set of procedures widely available on the World Wide Web, through scientific meetings, or in other ways. (Throughout these procedures, the word "researcher" means the person who establishes initial contact with ETI, or the leader of the research team that does so, or the leader of the OSR or SETV project. Alternatively, the entire OSR could function as the researcher, at least in the later stages.)

   In order to improve the proposed procedures, the researcher should solicit criticism and suggestions--peer review--from relevant colleagues around the world. This could be done through establishing a small supportive organization (such as OSR) or advisory panel for the project, through scientific meetings, through the World Wide Web, and through other formal and informal channels.

3.2 Working out the Necessary Technical Arrangements

1. Establish the technical aspects of communication;
2. To arrange for evidence of authenticity;
3. To explore any security needs.

   The SETV researcher is responsible for implementing this second stage. This stage begins whenever the SETV researcher detects an anomalous phenomenon, or believes they have received evidence of a communication purportedly from some nearby form of extraterrestrial intelligence.

   If detection occurs, the post detection protocols established for handling the data must be followed. In particular, the measurement equipment must be checked for proper operation and calibration as soon as possible. Furthermore, it will be necessary to collect several consecutive sets of unambiguous data to aid in the verification process.

   If communication develops during this stage, it will presumably consist of brief, practical, back-and-forth messages. The tone of all human messages should be respectful, cooperative, friendly, enthusiastic, non-adversarial. ETI's intentions are presumed friendly and altruistic, or at least peaceful and benign, unless its behaviour clearly indicates otherwise. Unusual, bizarre or absurd behaviour should not automatically be considered hostile. However, if any message or request from ETI at any stage clearly indicates some serious threat to human health or peace, the appropriate authorities must be notified.

   The eventual goal of these procedures is to confirm detection of genuine ETI and to establish an educative and scientific dialogue between humankind and ETI. At an early stage, therefore, arrangements must be made for confirmation of authenticity and for security.

   The eventual worldwide dialogue will be much more useful if scientists, engineers, politicians, religious leaders, business leaders, academics, teachers, reporters, international officials, and the general public take ETI's existence (and its communications, if any) very seriously. In order to achieve this, it will be necessary to verify that the phenomena's origins are cannot be anything other than extraterrestrial. Otherwise most people will not pay much attention to the content of the ETI dialog primarily because each year numerous people claim to have detected ETI and many messages to our society claim to be of extraterrestrial origin. At this early stage, therefore, the researcher must collect or choose the most convincing possible evidence of authenticity. If communication has developed, ETI and the researcher together can be responsible for this. Security is also important so that a successful dialogue between ETI and humankind can continue for many years.

   Consequently, it is important to discuss how to maintain the safety and integrity of later communications. This is the responsibility of the researcher. Having all raw data available on the World Wide Web as soon as possible will aid in security. If communication with ETI has developed, the researcher should ask ETI whether it is able to withstand all known attempts to undermine or sabotage these communications, and whether it is able to protect itself against all possible forms of human attack. If the answer to either question is 'no', then appropriate security arrangements must be negotiated with those capable of protecting the communications, ETI, and the researcher.

3.3 Confirming or Disconfirming Authenticity

   Responsibility for this third stage: a small committee chosen by the researcher, perhaps in consultation with an established skeptical or scientific organization or a major university. The complexity and formality of the process used to establish the committee would depend on the nature of the actual or proposed evidence, as will the scale of the confirmation process itself. If two or three quite different types of evidence are available or proposed, then two or three committees might be established simultaneously. This committee selection process will be better defined in the OSR Post-Detection Protocols.

   The committee members should be experts in the fields that are required by the data; this principle is extremely important since the committee's expertise must be credible. Committee members should be chosen only for their expertise. Political and other criteria should not be considered except that the members must come from at least three or four countries. The SETV researcher will be a full-fledged member of the committee as a consultant, but will not chair meetings and will not vote.

   The expertise required by the committee will depend on the types of actual or proposed evidence. One committee will be established early in the process, probably before data are collected. This committee will assess and critique the measurement equipment, calibration plans, and data collection techniques. If the researcher considers that any of the suggestions have merit, he or she may choose to modify the equipment or procedures in order to make them more acceptable to the committee, thus reducing the chances of wrangling later on. In addition to particular fields of expertise, the committee might also include one or two general disconfirmation experts, such as an established skeptic or debunker, or a computer hacker. The benefit of having disconfimation experts is that deficiencies in the data collection process that may lead to loss of credibility can be identified and corrected early. The committee might also include a non-voting observer to monitor and critique the committee's research procedures, and to report independently at the end of the process.

The committee's attitude toward ETI should be respectful, or at least neutral, rather than hostile or unfriendly. Especially if the data are highly unusual in some way, the committee should examine the data creatively, flexibly, and with an open mind.

   Concurrently, the committee must be extremely careful, cautious, and skeptical. They must operate within generally acceptable scientific principles and procedures. The committee should confirm authenticity only if the data leave virtually no doubt that the phenomenon can have none other than an extraterrestrial origin. If in doubt, the committee should respectfully request further data or should announce a false positive.

   Before a candidate incident is confirmed the researcher and the confirmation committee must try to avoid media attention concerning the candidate message. The confirmation committee may decide that it requires a total news blackout on its internal procedures and interim results in order to conduct its work successfully.

   If any media attention does develop, the researcher and the confirmation committee should state:
 

1. That a scientific effort to confirm or disconfirm authenticity is in progress,
2. and emphasize the importance of assuming at this stage that the data are not caused by ETI, and
3. Should try to keep media attention to a minimum.

   All potentially relevant data from this third stage should be carefully preserved and archived to the greatest extent feasible and practicable. After confirmation, all data in whatever form, raw or processed, should be made accessible to relevant researchers around the world.

3.4 A Worldwide Dialogue

   Once authenticity has clearly been confirmed, the purpose of this fourth stage is a dialogue between humankind and ETI. This dialogue must reflect a careful concern for the broad interests and well being of humanity.

   Ideally this dialogue should be a two-way conversation between two partners, but it may turn out to be quite one-sided (in either direction) if that is ETI's preference.

   In order to promote the well being of humanity, the contents of the entire dialogue should be made accessible around the world to the greatest extent feasible and practicable. Dissemination must not be restricted to just a few nations or special groups, the entire world must have access to the dialog. State authority may be necessary to provide security, but should not exercise any sort of control or censorship over the dialogue. Care should be taken to ensure that the entire dialogue is preserved for the benefit of future generations.

   Various media should be used to disseminate knowledge and ideas from ETI, and to collect questions and other responses from a wide range of people. These media might include television, radio, the World Wide Web, file transfer protocol, newspapers, magazines, books, scientific meetings, academic research journals, textbooks, and courses for students and adults. With the possible exception of views that promote violence, oppression, intolerance or paranoia, no particular views or ideologies should be excluded from the dialogue.

   Responsibility for this stage is a small flexible committee of appropriate experts to oversee the dialogue and encourage participation around the world. This Dialogue Committee should be between 9 and 20 members, with 11 being an ideal number to establish a quorum. The expertise of the members should be in fields that are relevant to the process of this dialogue--fields such as education, linguistics, adult learning, journalism, television, and the Internet (World Wide Web). The members of this committee should be chosen only for their competence in supervising the dialogue: political and other similar criteria should not be considered except that the members must come from at least five nations. Although the committee will operate independently from all other organizations, it may form subcommittees or agreements with particular organizations if that will enhance or improve the success of the dialogue. Not more than eight months after the Dialogue Committee is appointed, its work and composition need to be reviewed by some internationally recognized body, along with the most productive institutional arrangements for its continuing work, if such a review would likely be highly beneficial to the dialogue.

   The selection of this committee should be completed in fourteen days or less after the announcement of ETI's authenticity. If Unesco, the IAA SETI Committee, IAU Commission 51, the United Nations secretariat, the United Nations University, the UNU Millennium Project, or a global news organization meets both of the following criteria, that organization should within fourteen days choose the committee members in cooperation with the SETV researcher. This criterion is:
 

1. The organization has already studied the situation and has prepared itself to choose a competent committee within fourteen days of confirmation. Ideally the organization has already cooperated with the researcher in developing a draft list of members, and has already approached several potential members, thus ensuring successful completion of the selection process within seven days.
2. The organization guarantees that it will immediately provide (or immediately obtain from other sources) a level of 'no-strings' funding and resources that will enable the committee to function rapidly and effectively for the next 12 months.

   If more than one organization meets both criteria, the organization that meets them best should proceed with the task. If none of the seven organizations listed above meet both criteria, the committee will be chosen by OSR.

   A few major universities might be invited to establish centers to study the new extraterrestrial knowledge. Such centers would be designed to play a key role in understanding the implications of the extraterrestrial messages for our physical sciences, social sciences, philosophy, engineering and other fields within those universities. Additional questions for ETI might arise from their work.
 

4.0 CONCLUDING PRINCIPLES

   Because the characteristics of extraterrestrial intelligence (and life) are totally unknown to us at this stage, we cannot be certain that these procedures and guidelines will fit the actual situation that emerges. In particular, it may turn out that we do not have nearly as much responsibility and choice as this declaration of principles suggest. An extremely intelligent and knowledgeable ETI may have its own ideas about how to prove its authenticity and how to move toward a dialogue with us.

   The importance of the preceding paragraph cannot be overstated. It may be the most important paragraph in the entire document.

4.2 Other Possible Goals

   The principles and procedures in this document focus on achieving an educative and scientific dialogue. Additional goals are also possible, of course, that go far beyond the scope of these procedures. Depending on the situation, humanity may want to establish a diplomatic, political, commercial, or other cooperative relationship with ETI or with its home civilization. For such purposes, presumably the United Nations and other appropriate worldwide organizations will assume leadership and responsibility on behalf of humankind.
 

5.0 REFERENCES

1. Tough, A., Small Smart Interstellar Probes,
   Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 51, pp. 167-174, 1998
2. Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence,
   Acta Astronautica Vol. 21. No. 2. pp. 153-154, 1990
3. Billingham, John, IAA Position Paper: A Decision Process for Examining the Possibility of Sending
   Communications to Extraterrestrial Civilizations, SETI Institute, March 28, 1996
   http://www.seti-inst.edu./iaa-position-paper.html
4. Hans Kung and Karl-Josef Kuschel (eds.), A global ethic: The Declaration of the Parliament of the
   World's Religions. London: SCM Press, 1993.