Scientists have identified approximately 100 radio signals of interest in their quest to find extraterrestrial life, following an extensive analysis of over 12 billion potential signals collected during the SETI@home project. This initiative, which operated from 1999 to 2020, mobilized volunteers to utilize their home computers for processing space radio signals.
Initially, the project aimed to gather sufficient computing power to conduct scientific investigations, with expectations of around 50,000 volunteers. Instead, it attracted over one million participants globally, significantly enhancing its capabilities. The data primarily originated from the now-defunct Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, where astronomers captured signals from various cosmic regions.
The findings from this ambitious effort are documented in two papers published in The Astronomical Journal, showcasing the team's ability to establish a new sensitivity level in signal detection. Despite the uncertainty of discovering extraterrestrial intelligence, the project has made notable advancements in the field, according to David Anderson, a computer scientist and co-founder of SETI@home.