Screensaver phone home; Researchers head to Arecibo to examine priority SETI@home targets

Space Daily ^ | March 12, 2003

[cogitator]

While I give the actual verification of a signal from an extraterrestrial society a scant chance of happening, this could still yield some interesting results; pulsars were first detected as possible "signals" from extraterrestrials.

[longshadow]

ping!

[AFreeBird]

ping from a SETI at home participant.

[Drammach]

SETI at home participant.

Same here.
A computer ought to be doing something constructive when it's on and not being used.. ;o)

[Servant of the Nine]

Any signal unusual enough to make the "Interesting" list will almost certainly be interesting to astrophysicists if not saucer mavens.

So9

[cogitator]

Any signal unusual enough to make the "Interesting" list will almost certainly be interesting to astrophysicists if not saucer mavens.

I agree. It'll be interesting to see what the re-visit survey finds. Might garner a couple of high-priority Hubble targets, just to see what's going on (visibly- speaking).

[PokeyJoe]

I've only got 195 units complete so far. =/

[gomaaa]

I've heard they're thinking of using this same computing technique to tackle other big math problems in genetics and other fields.

[Reeses]

searching for extraterrestrial intelligence

I think there's a very good reason we are having a hard time finding extraterrestrial intelligence: the universe is a dangerous neighborhood and it's not wise to broadcast your existence. For a life form to develop advanced intelligence it may require a war making disposition. Intelligence and war go hand in hand. If we do discover extraterrestrial intelligence there will be a period of euphoria followed by fear, quite possibly followed by a black hole intergalactic missile sent our way.

If you observed our human behavior from outer-space, would you really want to make "friends" with us?

[Kathleen]

Ping!

[martin_fierro]

A computer ought to be doing something constructive when it's on and not being used.. ;o)

Agreed! SETI is one cool use of off-peak CPU cycles.

Another good one is grid.org, which does cancer cell research via the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford in England and the National Foundation for Cancer Research using your remote CPU.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

I got it on my work computer; my wife has it on the home computer. About 275 units analyzed between us.

[justlurking]

About 275 units analyzed between us.

I crossed the 7,500 workunit milestone about a week ago. I expect to make 10,000 before the end of the year.

I started running the client in April, 1999. Workunits that took 40 hours on the first computer I used now are processed in just a bit more than 3 hours.

[justlurking]

I've heard they're thinking of using this same computing technique to tackle other big math problems in genetics and other fields.

There are quite a few distributed computing projects on the 'Net:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Computer_Science/Distributed_Computing/Projects/

[Democratic_Machiavelli]

ping

[adx]

If we do discover extraterrestrial intelligence there will be a period of euphoria followed by fear, quite possibly followed by a black hole intergalactic missile sent our way.

Depends on whether habitable real estate is real scarce or not. If it is, standard interstellar contact will likely involve neutron-bombing said real estate to cleanse it of other species without fubaring the environment too badly. Then you send your colonizers in.

[Drammach]

I've only got 195 units complete so far.

Only? LOL!
I'm new to it, just started a few DAYS ago, have 2 units complete.
You make me feel like a slacker!!!

[longshadow]

If you observed our human behavior from outer-space, would you really want to make "friends" with us?

Sure, but I'd limit it to the "Bay Watch" babes.....

[JamminJAY]

SETI at home participant.

Same here 354 units

Jammer

[Afronaut]

Wouldn't you rather help cure a disease?, than look for radio signals from ET?