"Gunn, James - Listeners" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gunn James E)

Project for twenty years and head of it for fifteen."
"What's the use of arguing about something we can't know
anything about?" Sonnenborn said reasonably. "We have to
base our position on probabilities. Shkiovskii and Sagan esti-
mated that there are more than one thousand million habit-
able planets in our galaxy alone. Von Hoemer estimated that
one in three million have advanced societies in orbit around
them; Sagan said one in one hundred thousand. Either way
it's good odds that there's somebody therethree hundred or
ten thousand in our segment of the universe. Our job is to
listen in the right place or in the right way or understand
what we hear."
Adams to MacDonald. "What do you say, Mac?"
"I say these basic discussions are good for us," MacDonald
said mildly, "and we need to keep reminding ourselves what it
is we're doing, or we'll get swallowed in a quicksand of data.
I also say that it's time now to get down to the business at
handwhat observations do we make tonight and the rest of
the week before our next staff meeting?"
Saunders began, "I think we should make a methodical
sweep of. the entire galactic lens, listening on all wave-
lengths"
"We've done that a hundred times," said Sonnenborn.
"Not with my new filter"
"Tau Ceti still is the most likely," said Olsen. "Let's really
give it a hearing"
MacDonald heard Adams grumbling half to himself, "If
there is anybody, and they are trying to communicate, some
amateur is going to pick it up on his ham set, decipher it on
his James Bond coderule, and leave us sitting here on one
hundred million dollars of equipment with egg all over our
faces"
"And don't forget," MacDonald said, "tomorrow is Satur-
day night and Maria and I will be expecting you all at our
place at eight for the customary beer and bull. Those who
have more to say can save it for then.."
MacDonald did not feel as jovial as he tried to sound. He
did not know whether he could stand another Saturday night
session of drink and discussion and dissension about the
Project. This was one of his low periods when everything
seemed to pile up on top of him, and he could not get out
from under, or tell anybody how he felt. No matter how he
felt, the Saturday nights were good for the morale of the
others.
Piles no es pmible que est& continue el arco armado
ni la condicidn y flaqueza humana se pueda sustenar
sin alguna Kcita recreacidn
Within the Project, morale was always a problem. Besides,
it was good for Maria. She did not get out enough. She
needed to see people. And then. . . .