WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE CONTACT ALIEN LIFE?

Preparing the world for the biggest discovery in the history of humanity

- Jonathan O'Callaghan

In August 2016 the entire world was gripped with the news that a possible signal from an intelligent alien race had been received. Picked up by a Russian radio telescope, its discoverers had no explanation for the signal, which appeared to be artificial, and suggested it could be our first sign of alien life. Alas, it was not to be. The signal, like so many before it, turned out to be interference from Earth, most likely a satellite in orbit. But the event highlighted a key point – there is a huge public clamour for finding extraterrestrial (ET) life, and when it happens it is likely to be the biggest story in human history.

Most of our searches for intelligent alien life have been primitive and poorly funded. At the moment, perhaps the most well-known organisation leading the charge is the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute in California, which performs searches with a suite of antennae known as the Allen Telescope Array. But there are other groups and organisations around the world involved in the hunt too. For the most part it’s a small community. Information is shared, discussions are held and the ramifications of a discovery are considered.