UK Conference Looks For ‘Technosignatures’ of Alien Species

From the dawn of humanity, we’ve been fascinated by what is “out there.” We have countless movies and TV series about humanity’s contact with otherwordly beings, covering every scenario. Alien and Predator introduce us to malevolent lifeforms, while shows like Contact and Star Trek explore the best of humanity and those we meet in the dark of space.

We’ve searched for proof of alien life for a long time. SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) has been around since 1984. And still, researchers can’t seem to find hard evidence of intelligent beings. According to a recent article in the Guardian, an extensive research program, Breakthrough Listen, will transform the search for intelligent life. Several hundred scientists will attend the group’s annual conference to hear about new developments, including giant telescopes, developments in AI, and unintentional transmissions. The scientists will use new instruments, including the Square Kilometre Array, a grouping of hundreds of radio telescopes being built in South Africa and Australia, and the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile. The facilities will be operational within the next few years.

The focus is a move away from trying to find deliberate signals from aliens to searching for unintentional transmission that we “overhear,” representing their everyday lives. The technosignatures could include artificial lighting, atmospheric pollution, solar panels, and efforts to trap solar radiation.

Scientists cite the conditions and ingredients for life are ubiquitous, but they also agree that there’s a chance we could really be alone.