Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life Exists But Is Beyond Our Understanding

It is probable that the aliens are already “looking at us in the face” in a form that is beyond human perception, supports Queen Elizabeth’s astronomer. Lord Martin Rees, astronomer of the royal family and president of Britain’s Royal Society, said it is very likely that we have not yet seen aliens in space or on Earth simply because the intelligent extraterrestrial life is beyond our understanding.

In accordance with the British “Telegraph”, he made these statements after the first international conference on the possible existence of extraterrestrial life with the title of “The detection of extraterrestrial life and the consequences for science and society“, organized by the scientific academy of the country.

“Perhaps they are watching us and we just do not recognize it. The problem is that we are searching for something looking a lot like us, thinking that intelligent extraterrestrial life forms at least have similar math and technology,” said the scientist.

“I suspect that there may be life and intelligence in forms we cannot even imagine. Just like a chimpanzee is not able to understand quantum physics, there may exist aspects of reality that are beyond the perception abilities of our brains,” he added.

However, the American scientist Frank Drake, a leading “alien hunter” in the world and co-founder of the program SETI, aimed at search for extraterrestrial signals, argued that the “digital revolution” of recent decades makes humanity invisible to aliens, as well as dramatically reducing the emission of radio signals from Earth to space.

Today the Earth at the distance of 50 light years is surrounded by a “shell”, which comes from emissions of older analogue televisions, radios and radars. But despite the signals have spread enough to have reached many nearby star systems, they disappear quickly, because the newer digital technology leaves almost imperceptible earthy “traces” in space.

Drake believes that digital modern TV signals would look more like “noise” to any alien observers.

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Young people and health: Towards a new conceptual framework for understanding empowerment

Impact Factor:1.137 | Ranking:21/36 in Social Sciences, Biomedical | 81/136 in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | 5-Year Impact Factor:1.396Source:2012 Journal Citation Reports® (Thomson Reuters, 2013)
Grace Spencer Grace.spencer{at}nottingham.ac.uk

The University of Nottingham, UKIn recent times, empowerment has become the focus of much work with young people amidst increasing concerns about their health. Empowerment is often offered as a ‘solution’ to such concerns, with the uncritical assumption being made that empowerment unproblematically results in positive health outcomes. While much of the health promotion literature advocates ‘empowerment’, it often does so without offering a clear conceptualisation of the word itself or indeed addressing the thorny theoretical tensions surrounding the concept’s root word of power. In light of this omission, this article offers a more theoretically informed conceptualisation of empowerment and considers the relationship to young people’s health. This article outlines a more dynamic and generative conceptualisation of empowerment than hitherto articulated in the literature, informed by Lukes’ multidimensional perspective of power. Drawing on findings from an ethnographic study on empowerment and young people’s health, this article develops six conceptually distinct forms of empowerment (impositional, dispositional, concessional, oppositional, normative and transformative). Data were collected from 55 young men and women aged 15–16 years through group discussions, individual interviews and observational work in a school and surrounding community settings in England. Crucially, these six new forms of empowerment capture and synthesise individual, structural and ideological elements of power that differentially, and sometimes inconsistently, shape the possibilities for young people’s empowerment. Of significance is the way in which these different forms of empowerment intersect to (re)produce relations of power and may offer different possibilities for health promotion.

© 2013 SAGE Publications. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC

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Future of the Armed Forces: understanding issues around integration of Regular and Reserve personnel

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in collaboration with the British Army and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is seeking to commission innovative research projects to help inform some of the pressing issues facing the Armed Forces in the process of integrating Regular and Reserve components into a ‘Whole Force’ structure.

Significant changes that are expected as a result of the transformation process require high quality social science analysis. Research can help to identify, explain and understand the cultural, social and economic issues that impact on both Regular and Reserve components and to identify additional external factors which may have an influence on the successful integration.

Proposals for this call are invited to address one or more of critical issues which will inform the transformation process, for example:

Social, economic and cultural issues that impact on regulars and reservesAttitudes of families, employers and wider society towards reserve serviceEmpirical evidence of the impact of amendments to personnel and training policiesAny cultural change for both Regular and Reserve components.

The areas are not exclusive and we welcome innovative research proposals focusing on these issues or other relevant issues within the remit of this call. Some of the issues addressed in the call are not unique to the Armed Forces and applicants are encouraged to demonstrate in their proposals how their research could help address similar circumstances outside of the military, for example understanding the implications for families where one member may be absent for a long period of time due to professional duties.

The closing date for proposals is 16.00 on 14 November. Proposals should be submitted electronically using the Research Council’s Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) form.

For further guidance and information, please contact:

Enquiries relating to the Je-S application procedure should be addressed to:

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