[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

True enough, but I still think the probability of finding anything worthwhile is small enough that there is no need to actively invest in xenobiology or much beyond localized space exploration, not including orbital observatories.

That's like the Europeans saying there probably isn't anything worth looking for on the other side of this ocean, so let's not go looking (Although politically today, they may agree).

However how highly unlikely it is, could we risk the chance that a superior or group of superior intelligences are just waiting for us to attempt contact, so they can go "Oh Hai! Welcome to the club, Xithinbob over there makes a mean martini, feel free to use the pool!"

I used to think ...... and interpreting the data.

What I understand from that is that you are assuming they are ussing a transmitter designed for insterstellar communications. This is not what SETI is looking for. They are looking for normal everyday radiation coming from a civilization, along with any possible "stellar beacons".

Thanks for the info and the links I'll take a look and consider joining the effort, provided it doesn't add any unreasonable strain to my already somewhat-taxed system resources. I really need to invest in a newer computer.

BOINC is really cool. They have many many many different cloud based supercomputing problems they are working to solve (plate tectonics, weather, chess, gravity waves, etc etc) and the apps only run in the background when your processor is not being utilized (ie screensaver). It's been my screensaver for many years.

As much as I complain about SETI, the organization is there already, and if they have a way for me to help I might as well try it.