NASA needs your help to search for extraterrestrial civilizations

Are we alone or accompanied by other intelligent beings in this vast universe? To expedite the search for life elsewhere, NASA and UCLA SETI are reaching out to members of the public, inviting them to actively participate in the "Are We Alone in the Universe?" project and help identify the most promising signals and radio frequency interference (RFI) in the SETI data.

Using the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, UCLA SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) observes stars and their planetary systems at radio frequencies to detect signals emitted by radio beacons or other potent radio emitters that could potentially signify the presence of advanced civilizations.

Thus far, UCLA SETI has meticulously observed 42,000 stars and recorded an astonishing 64 million radio signals. However, analyzing and identifying the most promising signals within this vast dataset is a challenging task.

Citizen scientists are being invited to classify signals by matching them to common categories of RFI. By categorizing and classifying these signals, participants will contribute to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that will aid in the rapid analysis of the dataset, expediting the identification of potential signals.

Want to join our search for extraterrestrial civilizations? As part of the Are We Alone in the Universe? project, you'll help identify the most promising signals detected from other stars and planetary systems. Lots of new data coming soon. Get started: https://t.co/g333Oak5oL pic.twitter.com/PZwNtp5hVR

— NASA Citizen Science (@DoNASAScience) May 25, 2023

The quest for life beyond Earth stands as a pinnacle scientific pursuit for humanity, holding profound implications for our understanding of existence itself. While all life on Earth traces its origins back to a common ancestor, the discovery of other life forms elsewhere in the universe has the potential to revolutionize our comprehension of living systems in ways we can scarcely imagine.