Explain two weaknesses in the following excerpt from an argument supporting the claim, 'The cumulative evidence is overwhelming that members of other species from distant planets have contacted the Earth on many occasions.'
Since 1984, astronomers from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have been scanning the airwaves looking for radio signals from outer space. They believe they were successful on one occasion. In 2003, they detected signals from an area in space where there are no planets or stars. Since we know of no way in which these signals could have occurred naturally, we can only conclude that someone was deliberately transmitting them from a distant planet in the hope that someone from elsewhere in the universe would reply. Since 1984, astronomers from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have been scanning the airwaves looking for radio signals from outer space. They believe they were successful on one occasion. In 2003, they detected signals from an area in space where there are no planets or stars. Since we know of no way in which these signals could have occurred naturally, we can only conclude that someone was deliberately transmitting them from a distant planet in the hope that someone from elsewhere in the universe would reply.

1. **Lack of Corroborating Evidence:** The argument relies heavily on a single instance of detecting signals in 2003 from an area in space where there are no planets or stars. However, a single detection, especially in a field as speculative and uncertain as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, may not provide sufficient evidence to support the claim that members of other species from distant planets have contacted Earth on many occasions. The lack of multiple corroborating instances weakens the overall argument's credibility.

2. **Assumption of Intelligent Origin:** The argument assumes that the detected signals could only have been deliberately transmitted by intelligent beings from a distant planet. However, this conclusion is based on the assumption that there are no natural phenomena or technical errors that could explain the signals' origin. Without further evidence ruling out all possible natural or human-made sources, such as interference or equipment malfunction, it is premature to conclude that the signals necessarily came from extraterrestrial beings. This assumption weakens the argument's logical rigor and scientific validity.