Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence - The ultimate exploration

Abstract

A survey highlighting the central issues of the SETI program (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), including its rationale, scope, search problems, and goals is presented. Electromagnetic radiation is suggested as the most likely means via which knowledge of extraterrestrial intelligence will be obtained, and the variables governing these signals are discussed, including: signal frequency and polarization, state, possible coordinates, and signal duration. The modern history of SETI and NASA's involvement is briefly reviewed, and the search strategies used by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Ames Research Center are discussed and compared. Some of the potential scientific and cultural impacts of the SETI program are mentioned, noting advancements in technological, biological, and chemical research.