SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

SETI is a scientific effort to detect signals from intelligent alien civilizations.
It began formally in 1960 when Frank Drake used a radio telescope to listen for signals.
SETI searches the sky for narrowband radio signals unlikely to be produced by nature.
Modern SETI projects also scan in optical and infrared light.
The famous “Wow! Signal” of 1977 remains one of the strongest unexplained candidates.
SETI uses powerful telescopes like the Allen Telescope Array to scan billions of frequencies.
Data analysis relies heavily on algorithms and even crowdsourced computing projects.
No confirmed extraterrestrial signals have yet been found.
SETI research overlaps with the Drake Equation, which frames the odds of finding life.
Beyond science, SETI reflects humanity’s curiosity about whether we are alone in the universe.