SETI

SETI Institute Launches Discovery and Futures Lab to Explore Humanity’s Response to Life Beyond Earth

Chrissy Newton·April 23, 2026

The SETI Institute’s new Discovery and Futures Lab is expanding the search for life beyond Earth, uniting science, ethics, and society to prepare for potential contact.

Earth May Sit in a Rare ‘Chemical Goldilocks Zone’ That Makes Life Possible, New Study Suggests

Tim McMillan·April 9, 2026

Scientists say Earth may sit in a rare Goldilocks zone where key elements align, making life far less common in the universe.

Scientists Say These 45 Exoplanets Could Be Humanity’s Real-Life “Hail Mary” Targets For Alien Life

Tim McMillan·March 26, 2026

Researchers identify 45 rocky exoplanets that may offer the best chances yet to find alien life beyond Earth.

Could Messages from Extraterrestrials “Slip Below Our Detection Thresholds”? A New Study Explains Why We’re Missing Alien Signals

Chrissy Newton·March 13, 2026

SETI researchers may have missed alien signals due to a cosmic phenomenon that distorts narrowband radio waves, new research says.

NASA Experiments Challenge the Idea of Life in Titan’s Methane Lakes

Christopher Plain·March 12, 2026

New lab experiments explore whether or not certain rudimentary lifeforms could exist in the hydrocarbon lakes and seas of Saturn's moon Titan

SETI Looked Beyond Habitable Exoplanets—and Found a New Way to Search for Alien Technology

Tim McMillan·December 15, 2025

Scientists searched 27 exoplanets for alien technology using planetary eclipses, revealing a new way SETI hunts signals beyond habitability.

SETI Institute Tracks ‘Twinkling’ Pulsar Signals to Sharpen Cosmic Clocks and Hunt for Alien Signals

Chrissy Newton·December 13, 2025

SETI scientists observing a pulsar’s radio pulses over time are redefining how astronomers time pulsars and search for advanced civilizations.

Did 3I/ATLAS Just Show Signs of Technology? Interstellar Object Displays ‘Non-Gravitational Motion’ as it Swings Past the Sun  

Micah Hanks·November 1, 2025

A new report offers the latest confirmation of 3I/ATLAS and its interstellar origins, as scientists still debate over its unusual properties.

SETI Institute Integrates AI to Boost Real-Time Search for Extraterrestrial Signals

Chrissy Newton·October 31, 2025

The SETI Institute has announced it will adopt NVIDIA’s new IGX Thor platform to enhance real-time signal processing in its search for intelligent life beyond Earth.

“The Earth May Not Be as Extraordinary as We Think”: Study Finds Earthlike Planets Are Common, but Not So for ‘Water Worlds’

Christopher Plain·September 20, 2025

New simulations suggest Earthlike planets may be much more typical than previously thought whereas water worlds may not.

The Nearest Alien Civilization Might Be Across the Galaxy—and Millions of Years Older Than Us

Austin Burgess·September 16, 2025

New research reveals where the nearest alien civilization may exist, which could be far older than intelligent life on Earth.

Life on Enceladus? New Findings Impact Chances of Life in the Subsurface Ocean of Saturn’s Icy Moon

Christopher Plain·September 11, 2025

New experiments of ice on the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus successfully recreates organic compounds without a subsurface ocean.

This Weird New Space Telescope Concept Could Revolutionize the Search for Alien Life

Ryan Whalen·September 1, 2025

Rethinking the shape of space telescopes may be the answer to the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing missions to detect alien life.

Could Alien Technosignatures Be Detected from Interstellar Objects Like 3I/ATLAS? These Astronomers Say It’s Possible.

Micah Hanks·September 1, 2025

A new study says interstellar objects entering our solar system could offer scientists a chance to search for signs of alien technology.

Is Anybody Out There? SETI Researchers Reveal Where Aliens Could Spot Earth’s Deep Space Signals

Ryan Whalen·August 23, 2025

Scientists engaged in the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI) have flipped the question on its head, providing new ideas in quest for ET.

New Study Exposes How the Search for Alien Life Becomes Exaggerated and Oversold to the Public

Tim McMillan·August 15, 2025

New study reveals how scientific claims about alien life often become exaggerated and oversold to the public.

Kardashev Collapse? New Study Warns Alien Megastructures Could Destroy Themselves Before We Ever Find Them

Micah Hanks·July 29, 2025

A new study challenges whether alien megastructures, such as Dyson spheres, could last as durable signs of advanced civilizations.

In the Search for Alien Signals, the SETI Institute is Partnering with SpaceX to Mitigate Satellite Interference

Ryan Whalen·June 25, 2025

Starlink satellites can interfere with the signals the SETI monitors, but a new collaboration aims to halt the potential contamination.

SETI Researchers Report Potential Discovery of ‘Communication’ by Non-Human Intelligence in Earth’s Oceans

Micah Hanks·June 9, 2025

For the first time, scientists have documented a unique behavior in the animal kingdom that provides new insights into non-human intelligence and potential clues in the search for intelligent life from other worlds.

“No One Knows How to Explain This Behavior,” Says Scientist Stumped by Odd Pulses Coming From Sun-Like Stars

Christopher Plain·May 19, 2025

A NASA veteran’s multi-year survey of over 1,300 Sun-like stars has discovered several mysterious fast pulses of light that defy traditional cosmological explanations.

SETI Expands the Search for Extraterrestrial Life to a Community Scientists

Ryan Whalen·April 23, 2025

The SETI Institute is bringing the search for extraterrestrial life to a broader group of budding scientists with new hands-on opportunities.

Could the Hidden Answer to Fermi’s Paradox Be Stealth AI Probes?

Avi Loeb·April 23, 2025

Where Is everybody? The answer to Fermi's famous paradox may be lurking closer than we expected... and it could involve stealth AI probes.

Forget Radio Telescopes—Aliens Could Be Using Gravitational Waves to Communicate

Avi Loeb·April 9, 2025

Can scientists build a detector of near-Earth objects that would sense gravitational waves produced by any "dark" objects passing nearby?

In the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, This Surprising Result May Bring us Closer to a Groundbreaking Discovery

Ryan Whalen·April 7, 2025

"What if extraterrestrial life is not found?" international researchers ask, seeking to understand how negative results could aid future work.

Frozen Worlds, Hidden Clues: Why We Should Search for Technosignatures on Non-Habitable Planets

Avi Loeb·March 22, 2025

Astronomers should search for technosignatures on planets that are not conducive to life. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb explains why.

Could Aliens with Human-Level Technology Detect Us? SETI Scientists Weigh In

Christopher Plain·February 12, 2025

SETI scientists try to determine whether aliens at a similar technology level to humans could detect Earth and from how far away.

Could an Alien Signal Reach Earth by 2029? Scientists Say It’s Still a Possibility

Chrissy Newton·January 24, 2025

Predictions about when we might discover an alien signal from an intelligent civilization remain accurate, according to scientists.

Where Should We Search for Extraterrestrial Life?

Avi Loeb·January 5, 2025

In the search for extraterrestrial life, our best success could come from searching nearer to home than many astronomers would have guessed.

A New Type of Alien Technosignature Could Help Scientists Find Advanced Extraterrestrial Civilizations

Tim McMillan·December 10, 2024

Scientists propose a new technosignature for detecting alien life, involving deuterium-deuterium imprinted on a planet's oceans.

Could Alien Life Thrive Without a Home Planet? Study Suggests Self-Sustaining Habitats May Be Possible Beyond Earth

Tim McMillan·October 28, 2024

Researchers suggest that self-sustaining habitats could allow alien life to survive and thrive in space without the need for a home planet.

Recalculating the Drake Equation: The SETI Institute Funds a Fresh Look at Astronomy’s Biggest Question

Christopher Plain·October 22, 2024

The SETI Institute is looking for young scientists to help fill in the missing parts of the infamous Drake Equation.

Are We Living in a Simulation? If So, Its Creators Live in a Reality Bigger Than Their Imagination

Avi Loeb·September 16, 2024

If our world is a simulation, what is the reality in which it is embedded? Avi Loeb looks at the science behind the "simulation hypothesis."

Astronomers Scan Over 2,800 Distant Galaxies for Signs of “Super Civilizations”

Christopher Plain·September 4, 2024

SETI researchers have announced an unprecedented search for "super civilizations" across over 2,800 distant galaxies.

Are We Alone? New Study Offers a Grim Outlook on the Discovery of Advanced Extraterrestrial Life

Tim McMillan·August 13, 2024

A new study casts doubt on the likelihood of humanity discovering technologically advanced alien civilizations. 

How Would Humans React to Contact with Extraterrestrials? UK Researchers Seek Answers in New Survey

Micah Hanks·July 21, 2024

A new survey looks at how humans might react to eventual contact with extraterrestrials, or whether some form of contact might have already occurred.

SETI Institute Launches Groundbreaking Grants Program in Technosignature Science and the Search for ET

Chrissy Newton·June 27, 2024

The SETI Institute has announced a groundbreaking grants program to help advance technosignature science and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. 

Don’t Expect Aliens Anytime Soon: NASA Scientists Discuss The Challenges James Webb Faces In the Hunt For ET

Tim McMillan·June 11, 2024

Insights from NASA scientists reveal why even with James Webb the quest to find alien life remains challenging and elusive.

Earth-Sized Planet Orbiting the Most Common Star in the Galaxy Found Hanging Out in Our Cosmic Back Yard

Christopher Plain·May 22, 2024

Researchers operating a worldwide network of telescopes say they have spotted an Earth-sized planet hanging out in our cosmic backyard.

The Search for Alien Technology May Have Actually Found Something

Christopher Plain·May 21, 2024

A team of astronomers searching the cosmos for signs of alien technology think they may have actually found something.

James Webb Space Telescope Finds ‘Best Evidence to Date’ for Rocky Exoplanet Atmosphere

Christopher Plain·May 9, 2024

NASA researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the ‘best evidence to date’ for a rocky exoplanet atmosphere.

Contact with Non-Human Intelligence of the Aquatic Kind: Will Extraterrestrials be Next?

Chrissy Newton·April 30, 2024

A team of scientists says they have successfully communicated with a form of non-human intelligence in our oceans.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Has Created a Snake-like Robot to Search for Life on Enceladus

Christopher Plain·March 13, 2024

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has built a snake-like robot called EELS to search Saturn's moon Enceladus for signs of life.

Strategic Anomaly Detection Effort Uses SETI Ellipsoid Technique to Scour the Cosmos for Technosignatures

Micah Hanks·February 13, 2024

New research reveals how the SETI Ellipsoid technique could move SETI researchers one step closer to discovering intelligence elsewhere in the cosmos.

Darwin’s Theories About Life on Earth Gain Fresh Support, May Aid the Search for Life on Other Worlds

Christopher Plain·January 24, 2024

A new study by researchers from the University of Washington is lending fresh support to Charles Darwin's idea that the origin of life on Earth began in phosphate-rich bodies of water.

This Life-Supporting Component Enabled One of Humanity’s Earliest Innovations. Now It May Be the Key to Finding Intelligent Extraterrestrials.

MJ Banias and Christopher Plain·January 3, 2024

New research could redefine our search for intelligent extraterrestrials by focusing on the role of oxygen in the development of technology.

NASA Identifies 17 Potentially Habitable Earth-Sized Icy Worlds, Including Two Cosmic Nearby Neighbors

Christopher Plain·December 14, 2023

A team of NASA researchers says they have identified 17 potentially habitable icy worlds including two that are cosmically nearby, which may have subsurface oceans teeming with extraterrestrial life.

Decoding the Cosmos: ‘A Sign in Space’ Reveals the Art of Interstellar Communication

Chrissy Newton·November 1, 2023

SETI researchers, space scientists, and artists unite to collaborate on the convergence of SETI and art with “A Sign in Space.” 

Hunt For Alien Technology Finishes Scan of 1.6 Million Star Systems “Flagged as Interesting Targets”

Christopher Plain·October 25, 2023

A team of Irish physicists have scanned 1.6 million star systems that could be promising targets in the search for alien technology.

‘Ghost Signals’ from Trappist-1 Exoplanetary System Revealed by James Webb Space Telescope

Christopher Plain·September 26, 2023

Readings from the Trappist 1 star system have revealed "ghost signals" that could affect the search for life on its habitable zone planets.

Stealth Extraterrestrial AI Probes: Reconsidering the UAP Mystery

Courtney Bower and Elizabeth Redmond·September 19, 2023

Could some UAP sightings represent stealth extraterrestrial AI probes? A pair of Cornell regional science students explore this hypothetical solution to the UAP Mystery.