Searching for E.T.: A Universal Units Proposal

£5.00

E. T. Tatum (2018), JBIS71, pp.43-44

Refcode: 2018.71.43
Keywords: SETI, Universal scientific units, Proton charge radius, Electron rest mass, Cesium vibration period, Mass-energy equivalence

Abstract:
Given the geocentric nature of mks units, scientific units used by an extraterrestrial civilization are likely to be very different from our own. The following question is posed: “Can we devise a standard set of physical units likely to be recognized by an extraterrestrial intelligent civilization?” A system of universal scientific units based upon the root mean square charge radius of the proton (Lu), rest mass of the electron (Mu) and vibration period of the super-cooled cesium atom (Tu) is proposed. This might improve recognition and understanding of any scientific numbers encoded in an intelligent signal.