Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

New Mexico’s Very Large Array (VLA) – on the SETI trail.
(Image credit: Bettymaya Foott, NRAO/AUI/NSF)

To spot other star folk occupying space out there in the great beyond, first you must cast the net wide by using an array of techniques and technologies.

Indeed, any “fishing expedition” for ET includes close-in studies of life in extreme environments, be they right here on Earth, on Mars, or deep diving through the icy facade of Jupiter’s moon, Europa.

Artistic view of the NASA data-gathering Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Scientists are now sifting through its findings for possible technosignatures indicating an extraterrestrial civilization.
Image credit: NASA

Also blend in use of space-based telescopes to inspect Earth-like planets circling their home stars. Then there’s cupping a radio telescopic ear to the cosmos to pick up any bustling interstellar civilization or perhaps look for far-off laser-pulsed communiqués from extraterrestrial homebodies.

I recently caught up with Bill Diamond, President and CEO of the SETI Institute for an exclusive, mind-stretching close-encounter discussion regarding the mounting evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence.

For more information, go to my new SPACE.com story – “’It’s getting closer and closer for sure.’ How SETI is expanding its search for alien intelligence (exclusive)” – at:

‘It’s getting closer and closer for sure.’ How SETI is expanding its search for alien intelligence (exclusive)