NASA is funding a new search for alien civilizations in the universe - Android

Lately, we’ve been hearing of new discoveries and achievements from NASA—formation of a new galaxy, andpossible answers towards the biggest questions in quantum physics among a few. Now, they plan to go further by searching for alien life.  For those who holds the belief that ‘we are not alone’, NASA is actually funding for a […] More

This article, NASA is funding a new search for alien civilizations in the universe, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.

Lately, we’ve been hearing of new discoveries and achievements from NASA—formation of a new galaxy, andpossible answers towards the biggest questions in quantum physics among a few. Now, they plan to go further by searching for alien life. 

For those who holds the belief that ‘we are not alone’, NASA is actually funding for a search on possible signs of life out there in space. This project they are supporting is being run by scientists over at Harvard as well as the University of Rochester. 

The project makes use of technosignatures which means they will scan the skies for possibly detecting signs of life. Of course, once these signs surface, it could only indicate the presence of alien technology. 

This research is also the first time that NASA permitted a search for what is known as ‘alien’, an intelligent life form that could be out there unknown to humans. After three decades, NASA’s finally looking at this perspective. It is also the first time they will do this without searching for radio technosignatures. 

Now, researchers believe that these signals that would point out to life forms beyond our planet would be similar to the kind of signals produced by life here on Earth. That means they would easily identify alien civilization which is making use of technology we are using back here on Earth, or even more so, some technology that humans have yet to see in the future. 

Avi Loeb and Frank Baird Jr., both Professor of Science at Harvard, explains that technosignatures are connected to signatures found in advanced alien technology. Similar signatures that we possess here on Earth with that of aliens are pollution of atmospheres, city lights, solar panels, megastructures, or swarm of satellites. 

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Photo by NASA & Johns Hopkins

On the astronomers’ point of view, the search has a possibility of being more successful now that it had been in the past; what with the milestones achieved by humanity in search for life outside of their own home planet. Should this prove a success, future research will now know exactly where to begin with. 

So, what are the first things these researchers want to find? Two main signatures are keys: solar panels and pollutants. If humans could change the Earth with those factors, why can’t the aliens do the same?

To put simply: aliens would need to power their technology by harnessing the power of the sun, similar to solar panel’s role here on Earth. Should aliens build infrastructures for their civilization, the chemicals released are most likely to be picked up as signals. 

Should signals be detected out there, it could be a huge, game-changing discovery which does not only ease our interests when it comes to the so-called ‘extra terrestrials’, but as well as possible home other than Earth.

Source: The Independent

This article, NASA is funding a new search for alien civilizations in the universe, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.