Project Phoenix

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Project Phoenix
lyrics � 1995 by Dr. H. Paul Shuch
Sung to the tune of Waltzing Matilda (Australian traditional)

Once came a team of sullen SETI scientists.
Lost their NASA funding, where could they go?
Wound up Down Under with their feeds and LNA's,
Microwave receivers and software for show.

Chorus:

Giant antennas, giant antennas.
One was at Mopra, the other at Parkes.
Never forget the Project Phoenix pioneers.
On SETI history they left their marks.

SETI was dropped by edict of some congressmen,
Short sighted, close-minded, not very wise.
The public responded; Project Phoenix came to be,
Rose from the ashes of NASA's demise.

Chorus

Kent wrote the software, mostly in spaghetti code.
Said they'd be using computers to see.
No human eye is sensitive to ETI;
We can see patterns no better than he.

Chorus

Testing the hardware, looking for a Pioneer
Out past the orbit of Pluto by now,
Up popped the signal, modulation sidebands too,
Proof the computers would really know how.

Chorus

Someone in charge to coordinate activities,
That was the task that fell rightly to Jill.
She had the training, expertise and energy,
Plus, great persistence and strenght of will.

Chorus

Seth picked the targets from the HD catalog,
All nearby dwarfs, classes F, G, and K.
Alpha Centauri was the first to pass within
Range, and they scanned it for almost a day.

Chorus

Bad interference, far too many false alarms.
How 'bout a Follow Up Detection Device?
Separate antennas spaced a hundred miles apart
Cancel the falses, was Barney's advice.

Chorus

Five months Down Under, long enough to scan about
Two hundred stars in the southernmost skies.
Nothing confirmed, but the search goes on from other sites.
Trust Project Phoenix to garner the prize.

Chorus

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