One of humanity’s biggest questions is “Are we alone?”
But is that still the right question?
Astronomers have confirmed over 1,800 exoplanets in our galaxy and estimate that there are around 100 billion in total and many of these seem to be habitable. So, chances are good that we are not alone.
A better question for the new age is: If ET exists, what should we do about it?
That’s what scientists at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute discussed last month at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting.
SETI is famous for its series of telescopes that search the skies for messages that look like they could be sent by intelligent extraterrestrial beings. But so far the cosmos have been quiet.
And after 50 years of listening, some of the folks at SETI are starting to say it’s high time for a change to the way we search.
