| Since extra-terrestrial movies thrilled America a | | | | (but which now jumps from channel to channel (to |
| half-century ago - common reaction has been, "Gee, | | | | confuse enemy jamming-tactics); plus, also now, the |
| why not, it's certainly plausible." (after all, the huge | | | | ubiquitous individual cell phones spreading electronic |
| universe with billions of galaxies, each with millions of | | | | signals across thousands of channels. The result of all |
| star systems, each with untold numbers of planets) | | | | these technical advances - to the SETI scientists |
| intelligent life MUST CERTAINLY exist elsewhere in | | | | (and to any other possible "intelligence" somewhere |
| the heavens above, perhaps in millions of places. It's | | | | out there in space) - is that the emanations from |
| just common sense! | | | | Earth can hardly be distinguishable from background |
| It's both pointless and impossible to argue with such | | | | noise. "Our improving technology is causing the Earth |
| thinking, for it is certainly true. And as most of the | | | | to become less visible," says SETI astronomer Frank |
| educated leaders of both governments and media do | | | | Drake. |
| not subscribe to belief in a deity - instead, almost all | | | | Has anything substantive been found during this |
| are certain that the origin of life on planet Earth is | | | | half-century of search? "We have all seen our little |
| thoroughly explained and scientifically proven by | | | | bumps in the night, but we have never had repeated |
| Darwin-Evolutionism, the discovery of extra-terrestrial | | | | signals," says Paul Horowitz of Harvard University. |
| life elsewhere in the universe seemed (fifty years | | | | Failures of SETI searches in the past have merely |
| ago) only a question of time. SETI (Search for | | | | fueled further efforts - today, even with discouraging |
| Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) was thus initiated in | | | | awareness of the increasing obsolescence of radio |
| 1960 and for half a century, human-kind has searched | | | | wave signaling,there is still hope. SETI researchers are |
| the heavens with radio-telescopes and sensitive | | | | constantly reassessing search possibilities and |
| listening devices, probing for some evidence of life | | | | procedures. widening the search to a broad range of |
| elsewhere - to no avail. | | | | electromagnetic channels, into optical frequencies in |
| The plan was simple and straight-forward: since our | | | | the search for even subtle footprints of intelligent life |
| civilization has developed technology to the point of | | | | beyond ours. |
| instant and widespread communication (radio and | | | | Our knowledge of the possibility of life outside the |
| electronic waves), so too would (or, as scientists | | | | solar system has been growing as information has |
| thought, have) other extra-terrestrial intelligent beings. | | | | accumulated about planets orbiting nearby stars. At |
| From the viewpoint of today's science, however, it | | | | the time of SETI's origin, no one knew whether any |
| seems that human-kind has thrown itself a curve | | | | such planets existed, however, astronomers have |
| through its rapid technological progress - the original | | | | since found more than 400; the Kepler NASA mission |
| analog broadcasts were with tremendous powering | | | | continually scans the skies seekings any planet that |
| of radio waves, blasted into space - then replaced | | | | resemble Earth. With roughly 300 billion stars in the |
| with digital television signals delivered by cable and | | | | Milky Way, intelligent life orbiting any one of them |
| satellite; then also, there was military radar, once the | | | | could be broadcasting at frequencies ranging from 30 |
| major element of evidence of "intelligence" on Earth | | | | kilohertz to 300 gigahertz. The search continues. |