SETI@Home Adds New Search Method

Adam Korbitz writes to point out that SETI@Home has added a new algorithm for use in evaluating signals from outer space. It's called "Astropulse," and they've made the scientific details available. Quoting: "The original SETI@home is narrowband, meaning that it is listening for a particular radio frequency. That's like listening to an orchestra playing, and trying to hear when anyone plays the note "A sharp." Astropulse listens for short-time pulses. In the orchestra analogy, it's like listening for a quick drum beat, or a series of drumbeats. Since no one knows what extraterrestrial communications will 'sound like,' it seems like a good idea to search for several types of signals. In scientific terms, Astropulse is a sky survey that searches for microsecond transient radio pulses."

Comments

Wow, so much SETI love...

[NewbieProgrammerMan]

If SETI ever detects a real, verified alien signal, as soon as I hear the news, I'm going to drop whatever I'm doing, and rush to see the comments on Slashdot. I can't imagine what the response would be if a project so (apparently) universally hated here actually turned up a positive result.

Not that I run SETI@home, plan to, or expect an actual SETI discovery to happen in my lifetime, if ever. It's just something on my "wouldn't it be funny to watch if..." list.