So far our attempts at identifying an extraterrestrial intelligent - have proved unsuccessful.
This leads to our asking: what is the reason for this failure ?

There are three possibilities:

    a/ Either we are alone in the cosmos, or at least in that region of the cosmos within our reach,
 
   b/ Or the extraterrestrial civilization does not resemble that of the earth, and that is why they
       seek to make contact with us using methods different from ours.
 
   c/ Or, other civilizations do not wish to make contact with us.

If we consider each point in turn, we can start by excluding the first one.
We cannot begin our analysis on the assumption that we are alone in the cosmos, because in that case there would be no point in searching for fellow beings. Since our assessment of the situation would likewise fail to have positive results if the civilization were deliberately concealing itself from us, the answer to point c/ should also be negative. We are supposing that the civilization is more advanced than we are. Their message-if one exists-is not being sent in a way we would have thought of, and this is why we fail to recognise it. Continuing along this line of thought, it is posible that this civilization only seeks to make contact with those who are "mature enough" for the cosmos ( in other words, those who have reached a period in their development when it is time to step out into the cosmos ). In this case we should be searching for a message that could also show us the way into the future. Moreover, if this is the case, we ought to change the pattern of thought we have been used to until now, and realise that we cannot use generally accepted methods to decipher the message. This is a very serious inference, one dictating the need to step over our own limits, the limits of our own technology;
 

it would be a question of accepting that we still have a lot of growing up to do. Not at all an easy or pleasant process on our part.

Now, let us suppose that point b/ is the only one we can consider as valid.
According to this point, there is intelligent life out there in the cosmos, it could be more advanced than life on Earth. As for the message - if there is one - it is sure to take on a form different from what we would expect. (The SETI, for example). There are two main methods of establishing contact that we recognise and employ. One is search using radiowaves, the other is messages carried by space probes. ( It is worth mentioning that a man-made space probe - even one no longer operational - could count as a message for an extraterrestrial civilization, just as we would consider an alien spaceship crashing on Earth as a sign that there is life elsewhere in the cosmos).

The evolution of the mammals took 65 million years. Which means that if 65 million years were needed for an intelligent human to evolve, then our technical civilization and the space-age is merely a passing "30-year moment". Assuming that the emergence of intelligent life was preceded by repeated regression and dying out of species, then any message left for eventual intelligent life would have to be one that would last for hundreds of millions of years.
 
 

The idea seems incredible and senseless, too.     Imagine a message that could send signs continuously for, let us say, l5O million years ?

Everything would change in that much time: the land of America "floated" far from Europe during those l5O million years. At the time of sending the message nor even those separate landmasses which would bring forth the intelligent life the message was meant for would exist yet. And yet, if we wanted to make contact with a cosmic intelligence, then we would need enormous spans of time.... At this point it would be useful to draw up a list of requirements for finding an extraterrestrial civilization.
 

Our messages travel aimlessly through space. We do not know where, at present, a civilization is to be found, nor are we able to construct a piece of equipment that would last for 100 million years and one that during this time, would "repair" itself.

Can you imagine a piece of equipment like that ?

Only an intelligence more advanced than the one on Earth would be capable of meeting such conditions.
At the same time we must ask the question:

does a means of meeting the above requirements and suitable for sending a message exist ? The answer is yes.

If the moon is observed using a medium-intensity telescope, it can be seen that there are quite young craters to be found, ones hardly 50-60 million years old, though ones a billion years old can also be found among them. Well, its hardly 400 years since we have been able to see these with our telescopes. Which is but a moment on the cosmic timescale.

Let us examine the requirements of these seven points in the light of our attempts so far. The signals sent out by the gigantic telescope near Puerto- Rico were aimed at the group of stars the astronomers, named M13. The electromagnetic waves take 25,000 years to reach their target, and a similar electromagnetic answer to the signal would take another 25,000 years to gallop back across the cosmos to Earth. But where will humanity , the earth`s civilization, be in 50,000 years time ? Will anyone still be interested in an answer to a message sent by the forefathers 50,000 years ago ? Probably not.

Because a completely different way of getting to know the cosmos is possible, a way built on attitudes so far unknown to us, yet ones we should become acquainted with;
 

for man`s advance into the cosmos seems inevitable.

It is clear that we cannot expect intellible signals in answer to the Arecibo radio messages. Even so, let us examine the possibility of making radio contact, basing our thoughts on the seven requirements.
To start with, we are unable to satisfy the first point. For this, signals would have to be sent out to the M13 stargroup, continously for at least 100-200 million years. And our signals last a mere three minutes. So it follows that we might as well stop transmission of further signals, since, unfortunately this is not an effective method of sending messages. And if this is the case, then any intelligence similar to our own would also recognise this fact, and would not use this method either. If this really is so, then the "silence" of the cosmos is understandable.

Perhaps it would be a comfort to know that, like us, other intelligences are unable to build a radio transmitter capable of operating for 100 million years, sending signals in all directions, needing no maintenance, being self-repairing; and thus they have no choice but to think in accordance to the things expressed in this study.
Now let us look at our space probes. They have a lifespan of two to three million years. During this time the message etched on the gold plate would be erased by the effect of cosmic radiation. Not to mention point 3. according to which the signals sent out should be emitted in directions most likely to lead to other civilizations. This could only be based on guesswork, for as yet we do not know whether we are alone in the cosmos or not, since research is still going on in this area. Moreover, our space probes were designed to advance our knowledge of the solar system, but a small part of the cosmos.(See our message on the "gold seet") It is pointless to examine the question of our space probes any further, since at the very outset they fail to meet two of the requirements. Despite this, the space probe does more to satisfy the conditions than emission of radio signals does. Thus, within the bounds of the parameters summed up in the seven points, our attempts to make contact run aground.

And now let us get back to the mooncraters.

If there were some method by which we could position man-made, artificial formations on the moon, which could be seen with a telescope, then we would be able to meet almost every requirement. It would be easy to show the man-made origin of the formations.

Let us see if this method would meet the set of conditions: Point l. would be satisfied, because the craters really could be lOO-2OO million years old, and they could be artificial, too. True, we most stop at point 2. If a meteorite were to crash into or beside the crater representing the message, it could spoil things. Those looking for a sign could consider our message as some chance occurrence, or could fail even to recognise it.
    Considering point 3. the moon would be ideal, since the earth (for which the message was intended) did become a place suitable for the development of an intelligent lifeform.
    Point 4. would be satisfied, too, because the craters could only be observed by intelligent beings with a telescope at their disposal. And this civilization would soon be advanced enough to reach the moon. Unfortunately, there is no way of guaranteeing to meet the requirement in point
    5. This point reduces the likelihood of a "mooncrater message" being the solution. Similarly, the requirement of point
    6. is left unsatisfied because the defaced craters could not repair themselves. On the other hand, point
    7. is satisfied, since if the crater really did bear a message, it would be intended for us and it would be one we would surely be able to decipher.
 

To summarise our conlusions, and put them in a nutshell: the mooncrater solution does not meet the requirements.

At the same time, it can be seen that the mooncraters come nearest to doing this. So this train of thought is worthwhile following. Keeping in mind the conclusions we have come to so far, we must try to find a different method or place that would perhaps be more in accordance with the seven requirements. Since one of these is that the message should be received only by a civilization mature enough for this sign, and that the message should also reach man, who is on the point of stepping out into the cosmos,

it is worthwhile searching those planets and moons that are near Earth. Particular attention should be given to those heavenly bodies that most resemble our own planet and which are closest to us. And that is, what we have done, for after the exploration of the moon came the investigation of Venus and Mars, to be followed by that of the rest of the planets of the solar system. There is nothing remarkable in this.
And yet, we must exclude Venus as a candidate, because for time unknown the surface of this planet has been uninhabitable, direct investigation of the planet impossible. Its formations are subjected to strong erosion: the existence of carbon based life capable of creating a message to last a hundred million years is out of the question.
 

This is not the case on Mars.
Any magma coming up thruogh the crust of Mars and forming a volcano would remain there, since there has been no crustal movement on Mars for a very long time.

If we were to position two points ( in our case two volcanoes ) on the same crustal plate, then
the relative positions of those points would be the same for hundreds of millions of years.
Even if Mars` axle were to change position during that time.
 

We could build up the desired information using the volcanic cones to express it.

Of course , we would have to limit use of this "gigantic volcano production" method because Mars is fairly small planet.
All this is merely hypothesis, which could perhaps lead us towards some new recognition. Just as the possibility of life on Mars-brought up in the work of John E. Brandenburg, Vincent Di Pietro and Gregory Mollenaar, "Unusual Martian Surface Features Edition IV." - was considered as being hypothesis, and likewise the "canals", the "pyramids", the "seas". In this light we can treat planet crust-splitting and volcano production as mere hypothesis.

If we apply the seven points to the volcanoes on Mars we come to the surprising conclusion that these volcanoes meet every requirement we specified. For, the volcanoes are close to the place most likely to give forth the shoots of intelligent life.
 
 

The enormous volcanoes on Mars       The formation  is eye-catching.           (NASA, Hallwag)

The 'star map' drawed by     Mrs Betty Hill in 1962.

The message communicated:
1./ The middle distance of Sun-Earth, Sun-Murcury, Sun-Venus, Sun-Mars in other-and-other form exact accurance.
2./ The Radian angle chained to the middle distances and the micrifyed Sun-Earth middle distance.
3./ The Log. Natural number (e=2.7183). In 3 form and methode.
4.  A new methode to construct radian angle.
etc....etc...

Only a civilization stepping out into the cosmos - and taking photographs - would become aware of these signs, pick up the signals. The signals would have to be ones that such a civilization
( like the one on Earth ) would be able to decipher.

In the CD made by the author we can see that all this is possible, since the volcanoes positioned on the Tharsis shield on Mars bear connections that, examined in the light of the above aspects, could be taken as an scientific message.

 Method of Recognising Other Intelligences
Attila Földes*