Exo-Astrosociology and the Search for Technosignatures

Abstract

The search for extraterrestrial societies on exoplanets, exomoons, and artificial structures has thus far proven unsuccessful. Nevertheless, astrosociology focuses on the human dimension of space exploration, which involves everything humanity discovers in space, and that includes nonhuman sentient life, which is the focus here. At this point in human history, the search itself is the focus by necessity as are all of the methodologies employed to increase the likelihood of such a discovery. Even if the eventual discovery of an extraterrestrial civilization is unlikely, astrosociologists, like astrobiologists and SETI scientists, must assume it is a likely outcome. Therefore, the efforts focusing on finding technosignatures are pursued. The connection between astrobiology and astrosociology lies in the basic idea that because Earth-based humans are actively searching for extraterrestrial life, it is therefore important to study how and why they participate in such activities as well as what would result if their searches discovered a nonhuman society. This essay focuses most heavily on technosignatures although other indications of life, such as biosignatures, are also relevant and thus receive some attention here. Thus, the detection of intelligent, technological life elsewhere in our universe does not fall only into the domains of astrobiology and SETI. There substantial issues that astrosociology, and more specifically the subfield of exoastrosociology, can best address.