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New SETI Tool Expands the Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe

A new software at SETI Institute will help astronomers comb the stars for signs of technological intelligence beyond Earth.

ByConor Feehly
Credit: Baiterek Media/Shutterstock

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Are we alone in the universe? There are good reasons to suspect that we have company.

After all, the universe is exceptionally large, with possibly billions of Earth-like planets in our Milky Way galaxy, which is but one of trillions of galaxies in the universe.

The ingredients for life, as far as we know, are common. And humans on Earth have proven life is capable of evolving to a point of technological complexity which could make our presence visible to anyone out there looking.

But could we recognize such a signal if it floated past our planet? Researchers are deploying new technology to aid us in that ongoing search.

Astronomers have been listening to the stars for decades hoping to detect signals in the electromagnetic spectrum from a technologically advanced civilization.

The SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Institute has been responsible for a lot of that listening. And new software ...

  • Conor Feehly

    Conor Feehly is New Zealand-based science writer who covers a wide range of topics, including astronomy and neuroscience, with an eye for research at the intersection of science and philosophy. He received a masters in science communication degree from the University of Otago. Conor is a regular contributor to Discover Magazine, with his work also appearing in New Scientist, Nautilus Magazine, Live Science, and New Humanist among others.

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