Hawking search for aliens hardly urgent

Because Stephen Hawking is a giant in the field of theoretical physics, when he talks, people listen. When asked the reason for the recently announced $100 million search for alien life, Hawking responded, "We are alive. We are intelligent. We must know."

Although the quest for knowledge should be unending, research dollars are finite. As humans, we are able to make choices and, in a world faced with burgeoning problems of great urgency, investor Yuri Milner had many options for his generous gift, other than seeking signals from other solar systems or other galaxies.

Milner said, "The scope of our search will be unprecedented: a million nearby stars, the galactic center, the entire plane of the Milky Way and 100 nearby galaxies." Three days later, NASA announced the discovery of a planet, a "close cousin" to Earth.

Consider the distances and times that are involved. This recently discovered, possibly habitable, planet lies 1,400 light years from Earth. Thus, any signal detected coming from it was initiated 1,400 years ago. A signal coming from an Earthlike planet in the galaxy nearest our own would travel at the speed of light, and it would take at least 25,000 years to arrive here.

Forget about space travel: NASA's craft which recently flew near to Pluto was traveling at 30,000 miles per hour. At that speed, it would take more than 31 million years to reach that "close cousin."

So, while establishing priorities in this troubled world about spending $100 million on research, instead of probing deep space, maybe it would make more sense to probe the deep mysteries buried in the mind of a human who decapitates other humans, and in the minds of those who are able to be convinced that such acts are justified. This seems urgent.

Donald G. Westlake

Wheaton