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Deconstructing the Rio Scale: problems of subjectivity and generalization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2019

John W. Traphagan
John W. Traphagan*
Affiliation:
Department of Religious Studies, University of Texas at Austin, 2505 University Ave. A3700, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
*
Author for correspondence: John W. Traphagan, E-mail: jtrap@utexas.edu
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Abstract

This paper examines and deconstructs the Rio Scale, focusing primarily on the recently published Rio Scale 2.0 concept, from the perspective of a social scientist. I argue that although there is value in developing tools to help astronomers and other scientists communicate their perceptions about the significance of a contact event to the media and the general public, the Rio Scale 2.0 remains problematic conceptually and, thus, does not represent a robust method for assessing or communicating the import of a valid contact. Therefore, it should not be used as a method for informing the media or the general public about scenarios that involve the detection of valid signals suggesting the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Keywords

Objectivity and subjectivitypublic opinionRio ScaleSETI
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 18 , Issue 5 , October 2019 , pp. 463 - 467
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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