Banks had an idea that our total solar eclipse is unique on a galactic scale and aliens for sure come to Earth to see it. So if you want to find aliens you have to monitor solar eclipse sites. I wonder is any government agency actually did it.
Transitions I believe. I think it’s the last or one of the last ones he wrote (he died and 2013 and in the book he mentions 2008 crisis). Weakest of his books I’ve read. Don’t know if he didn’t had the time to finish it or something but it was just full of holes.