Scientists Enter New Era for Search for Alien Civilizations

After decades of failed attempts to find evidence of intelligent alien life, researchers believe the search is about to enter a new era, the Guardian reported in an article yesterday.

Breakthrough Listen, the world’s largest scientific program dedicated to finding alien civilizations, will outline a host of technological developments that could transform the hunt.

According to the article, upcoming projects like the Square Kilometre Array and Vera Rubin Observatory will provide unprecedented observational power. Combined with advances in AI, scientists will be able to detect not just deliberate signals from aliens, but also unintentional “technosignatures” like airport radars or TV transmitters.

“Until now, we’ve been restricted to looking for signals aliens send to advertise their existence,” said Breakthrough Listen’s Steve Croft. “The new techniques will allow us to spot the signatures of their everyday activities for the first time.” While past searches have yielded no results, researchers remain optimistic that contact with extraterrestrial life may soon be achieved.