{"id":465332,"date":"2021-01-04T16:06:28","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T21:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=465332"},"modified":"2022-04-25T20:55:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-26T00:55:46","slug":"new-era-in-search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/new-era-in-search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence\/","title":{"rendered":"A new era in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence"},"content":{"rendered":"

The search for extraterrestrial life began more than 60 years ago, but \u201cthere was never sufficient funding or telescope time available to make a dent in the effort,\u201d writes astrophysicist Adam Frank<\/a>, the Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy<\/a> at the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½<\/a>, in a piece in the Washington Post<\/em>. \u201cThe reason we have not found life elsewhere in the universe is simple: We haven\u2019t really looked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, however, a \u201cnew era of growth\u201d is dawning.<\/p>\n

The rejuvenated search for extraterrestrial intelligence is based on several factors, according to Frank: renewed interest from NASA and privately funded enterprises, the discovery of exoplanets, and the creation of advanced technology and new search methods allowing researchers to detect biosignatures and technosignatures that indicate the presence of life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the trend continues, the search for intelligence in the universe may finally escape the giggle-factor that for so long left it associated with bad sci-fi shows and generic UFO nuttiness,\u201d Frank writes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Frank\u2019s research is in the general area of theoretical astrophysics, and in particular, the hydrodynamic and magneto-hydrodynamic evolution of matter ejected from stars. He and his colleagues were recently awarded NASA\u2019s first-ever research grant to study atmospheric technosignatures<\/a>. A self-described \u201cevangelist of science,\u201d Frank has also been awarded several prestigious honors for his efforts to communicate about science. His most recent book,\u00a0Light of the Stars<\/a><\/em>\u00a0(W.W. Norton, 2018) was awarded the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science.<\/p>\n

Read the full article online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n
\n

\"Portrait<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Astrophysicist Adam Frank<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A self-described \u201cevangelist of science,\u201d Frank regularly writes\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0speaks\u00a0about subjects like intelligent life forms in the universe, high-energy-density physics, space exploration and missions, climate change, and more.<\/p>\n

Explore full profile \u00bb<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If trends continue, “the search for intelligence in the universe may finally escape the giggle-factor,” writes Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ astrophysicist Adam Frank in a Washington Post op-ed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":912,"featured_media":465352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29212],"tags":[16792,18662,16072],"class_list":["post-465332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-voices-opinion","tag-adam-frank","tag-department-of-physics-and-astronomy","tag-school-of-arts-and-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA new era in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If trends continue, "the search for intelligence in the universe may finally escape the giggle-factor," writes Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ astrophysicist Adam Frank in a Washington Post op-ed.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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