SciStarter Blog

Announcing SETI Quest

Yesterday, New Scientist magazine announced the latest project in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence: SETI Quest:

SETIQuest is the product of astronomer Jill Tarter’s TED Prize wish. After being awarded the TED Prize last year, Tarter was given the opportunity to make a single wish before an auditorium full of the top names in technology and design. Tarter wished that they would “empower Earthlings everywhere to become active participants in the ultimate search for cosmic company”.

SETIQuest will need your help soon. They’re in the process of writing code and building other functions, so we don’t have SETIQuest in our Project Finder yet, but we will, as soon as they are ready! In the interim, the site describes ways you will (soon) be able to get involved; or, if you’d like to dive in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence sooner, consider Seti@home.

The current searches for radio signals from distant technological civilizations can benefit from your creative talents. If you are good at writing efficient code and like to participate in open source projects – we need you. If you are knowledgeable about digital signal processing and pulling signals out of noise – we need you. If you are eager to use your eyes, ears, and mind to help us find anomalies in the data streaming from the Allen Telescope Array – we need you. We need your help to manipulate and explore the real-time data from the telescope, and to create the environments that will allow global participation by Earthlings of all ages.