Glossary

Glossary

This is a page to define terminology and acronyms used across SETI and post-detection and related concepts. Expanding vocabulary across disciplines is vital for interdisciplinary research. This includes technological terms that describe traditional radio astronomy methods to more contemporary methods in technosignature detection, alongside discussions on ecological and social transformations, such as the emerging concept of legal personhood for nature.

nb. For full definitions, click on a term to view its page in the Scenarios or Philosophy sections. Common words like “communication” and “life” have dedicated pages in Philosophy to explore their histories and debates. Terms for specific contact scenarios and kinds of detection, that often derive from science fiction and popular narratives, are in the Scenarios section.

A

Anthropic Principle
First Contact

B

Benevolent Contact
Breakthrough, The

C

Contact of Equals

D

Detection
Discovery
Drake Equation

F

Fermi Paradox
FERMI Paradox
Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST)
Futures

G

Great Filter

H

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)
Hostile Contact

I

Indirect Contact
International Academy of Astronautics (IAA)

K

Kardashev Civilization Scale

L

Large Ultraviolet Optical Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR)
Life

M

Mediocrity Principle
Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI)

P

Panspermia
Post-detection
Preparedness

R

Rare Earth Hypothesis
Readiness

S

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)
Self-Destruction Scenario
Silent Contact
Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

T

Technosignatures
The Great Silence

V

Von Neumann Probes

Z

Zoo Hypothesis