Today comes with shocking news to all astronomers and believers around the globe. SETI, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, is too broke to continue with the program – effectively ending all current operations immediately. The Government won’t be funding the project, claiming the chase for alien life is more like chasing rainbows than anything else.
The shutdown comes with a bit of irony, seeing that we are now discovering a lot of other planets outside the Solar System – around 25,000 have now been found. If Zeta-Reticulans send a signal, they might get a “Sorry – the number you have dialed has been disconnected”.
SETI’s biggest, most famous moment, happened on August 15, 1977, when it received a signal which appeared as one to be expected from an artificially created transmitter. It is known as the “Wow!”-Signal, and spawned a massive research in its wake.
The name comes from the comment that was made beside it, and news quickly traveled around the world. The signal lasted for 72 seconds, and was not found again. It is believed the signal originated in the constellation of Sagittarius.
In the research that followed, it was concluded with a high probability that the signal was artificial and intelligently created.
The SETI program at the Allen Array was operational for four years.
Source:
Article on Gizmodo
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