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Credit: SETI@home,
UC Berkeley SETI Team
Explanation:
"Mom, can I use our computer to search for aliens?"
Last week, the
SETI@home project released
free software
that enables many home computers to search for
signals from intelligent
extra-terrestrials.
These signals may have already been detected by the huge
Arecibo radio telescope,
but gone unnoticed due to the large amount of data
that has been accumulating.
SETI enthusiasts David Gedye and Craig Kasnoff
realized that the enormous amount of computing power
in people's homes might help.
The resulting software can work as a
screensaver and so after
downloading a chunk of data, will only search for alien signals
when the computer is otherwise idle.
When running, the
software will generate images like that
shown above: a changing
Fast Fourier Transform plot
highlighting strong periodic signals.
Although more likely to find
false-alarms like known
Earth-orbiting satellites, if your computer
finds a true
ET signal,
SETI@home promises that you will be given due credit.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: SETI
Publications with words: SETI
See also: